To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, A Testimony, A Psalm of Asaf.

For the conductor, to the roses [(Israel)], a psalm of testimony [and prayer] of Asaf [(Asaf alluding in it to three exiles [viz. the thrice-repeated "Return us; illumine Your face, and we will be saved" (verses 4, 8 and 20)], and also alluding to the afflictions destined to come upon them in the days of the house of Yehu at the hands of the kings of Aram [viz. II Kings 13:7])].

Give ear, O shepherd of Yisra᾽el, that leadest Yosef like flock, Thou who art enthroned upon the keruvim, shine forth.

O, Shepherd of Israel, hear, [He] who leads Joseph [(Israel)] as [a shepherd leads] the sheep. Dweller [between] the cherubs [on the ark (viz. Exodus 25:22)], appear! [i.e., Manifest Your strength.]

Before Efrayim, and Binyamin, and Menashshe, stir up Thy might, and come to save us.

Before Efraim, and Binyamin, and Menasheh [(though they not be worthy)] awake Your strength, for it befits You to save us. [Ephraim: viz. I Kings 20:3; Menasheh: viz. II Kings 13:4 and 25; Binyamin: in the days of Mordecai and Esther.]

Restore us, O God, and cause Thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

O G d, return us [(from the Babylonian exile [Mordecai was one of those exiled to Bavel])]; illumine Your face and we will be saved.

O Lord God of hosts, how long wilt Thou be angry against the prayer of Thy people?

O L rd, G d of hosts, how long will You fume [(with the afflictions of the Greek kings)] against the prayer of Your people?

Thou hast fed them with the bread of tears; and hast given them tears to drink in great measure.

You fed them tears for bread [(in Egypt)]. [In Bavel] You gave them a third of the tears to drink [(the exile of Bavel lasting seventy years to Egypt's two hundred and ten)].

Thou makest us a strife to our neighbours: and our enemies mock as they please.

You made us [an object of] strife to our neighbors [(Greece)], and our foes mock us.

Restore us, O God of hosts, and cause Thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

O G d of hosts, return us; illumine Your face, and we will be saved [(from Greece)].

Thou hast brought a vine out of Miżrayim, Thou hast cast out nations, and planted it.

The vine [(Israel)] that You uprooted from Egypt — You drove out [the seven] nations and planted it [there].

Thou didst clear a space for it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land.

You cleared out [its dwellers] before it, and it took root and filled the land.

The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the mighty cedars with its boughs.

Its shade covered the mountains, and its boughs were mighty cedars [i.e., mighty kings].

She sent out her boughs to the sea, and her branches to the river.

It sent its branches to the sea [(the Mediterranean)] and its shoots to the river [(The width of Eretz Yisrael is from the desert to the Euphrates)].

Why hast Thou then broken down her fences, so that all they who pass by the way do pluck her fruit?

Why do You [now] breach its [the vineyard's] fences and let all of the passersby pluck its fruit?

The boar out of the wood ravages it, and the wild beast of the field devours it.

[Why should] the swine of the forest [Esav (Rome) viz. Daniel 7:7)] erode it and the creeping things of the field graze on it?

Return, we beseech Thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and be mindful of this vine;

O G d of hosts, return [to us] now. Look from the heavens and see, and remember this vine

and of the stock which Thy right hand has planted, and the branch that Thou madest strong for Thyself.

and the plot [Eretz Yisrael] planted by Your right hand. And [remember that] over the son [i.e., over Esav, who was a beloved son to his father Isaac], You granted dominance [to the vine of Jacob (viz. Genesis 40:13)].

It is burned with fire, it is cut down: they perish at the rebuke of Thy countenance.

[And that vine is now] burnt in fire [and] cut off, going lost in the rebuke of Your countenance.

Let Thy hand be upon the man of Thy right hand, upon the son of a man whom Thou madest strong for Thyself.

Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand [(upon Esav, slated for vengeance with Your right hand)], [and] upon the son of man whom You granted dominance [(Jacob) to establish his habitation in the fat of the land].

So shall we not turn back from Thee: revive us and we will call upon Thy name.

And do not [cause us] to turn back from You. Give us life [(from the exile)], and [then] we will call upon Your name.

Restore us, O Lord God of hosts, cause Thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

O L rd, G d of hosts, return us; illumine Your face and we will be saved. [Here: "L rd, G d of hosts"; verse 8: "G d of hosts"; verse 4: "G d" (each exile being more severe than the preceding one)]