Restore us, O God, and cause your face to shine; and we shall be saved.
Read Chapter 80
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
3. "O God, convert us." For averse we have been from Thee, and except Thou convert us, we shall not be converted. "And illumine Thy face, and we shall be saved" (ver. 3). Hath He anywise a darkened face? He hath not a darkened face, but He placed before it a cloud of flesh, and as it were a veil of weakness; and when He hung on the tree, He was not thought the Same as He was after to be acknowledged when He was sitting in Heaven. For thus it hath come to pass. Christ present on the earth, and doing miracles, Asaph knew not; but when He had died, after that He rose again, and ascended into Heaven, he knew Him. He was pricked to the heart, and he may have spoken also of Him this testimony which now we acknowledge in this Psalm. Thou didst cover Thy face, and we were sick: illumine Thou the same, and we shall be whole.
Saved. This chorus occurs three (Worthington) or four times. (Calmet)
With God's grace, we shall be able to act virtuously. (St. Jerome)
Thou canst easily rescue us from our misery. Be pleased to send us the Messias, thy substantial image, 2 Corinthians iv. 4., and Colossians i. 15. If thou assist us, we may co-operate to obtain salvation. (Worthington)
