Psalm 80

It’s unclear what the Hebrew phrase means: shoshannim eduth. The word shoshannim means “lilies,” but not necessarily the flowers. Some scholars say it might refer to lily-shaped trumpets or to some other instruments. Eduth could refer to a contract agreement or someone’s testimony. It’s sometimes used in the company of the Ten Commandments. So, some scholars translate the phrase as “lily of the covenant” and “lily of the testimony.” How about “trumpet of the contract” perhaps? The phrase may have been the name of a well-known song.

The subtitle wasn’t part of the original psalm. And the possible byline “of Asaph,” isn’t necessarily a byline. The vague phrase could mean the song was written by Asaph, about Asaph, or was inspired by Asaph. Asaph led a musical family in the tribe of Levi, one of the 12 tribes that made up the original nation of Israel. Levite families worked as priests and worship leaders and worship assistants for the Jewish nation. Asaph was a leader of worship music during the time of King David (1 Chronicles 16:5). His family carried on the musical tradition, showing up five centuries later, when a Jewish man named Nehemiah, in the 500s BC, helped rebuild Jerusalem after  Babylonian invaders from what is now Iraq leveled Jerusalem in 586 BC.

Jews taught that God’s footrest was the lid on the Ark of the Covenant, the gold-covered chest that held the Ten Commandments (1 Chronicles 28:2). Two winged beings called cherubim rested at each end of the lid.

These tribes seemed to represent the best of Israel because they came from the favorite sons of Jacob, the only sons born to his favorite wife, Rachel. Benjamin was Jacob’s youngest son. Ephraim and Manasseh were Jacob’s grandsons, and the sons of Joseph, Rachel’s first son.

Literally “of hosts,” which could mean “army,” “many angels,” “all of creation,” “sun, moon, and stars.”

The story of Moses leading the exodus out of Egypt to the Promised Land in what is now Israel and Palestinian Territories.