Psalms 80

General context

The speakers call on the Shepherd of Israel, who leads Joseph like a flock and dwells between the cherubims, to shine forth and to stir up his strength before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. The first refrain follows: Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. They ask the Lord God of hosts how long he will be angry against the prayer of his people; he feeds them with the bread of tears, makes them a strife to their neighbours, and their enemies laugh. The refrain returns, now to the God of hosts. The speakers then recall a vine God brought out of Egypt: he cast out the heathen and planted it, it took deep root and filled the land, its shadow covered the hills, its boughs were like goodly cedars and reached to the sea and the river. They ask why God has broken down its hedges so that passers-by pluck it and the boar out of the wood wastes it. They beg the God of hosts to return, look down and visit this vine and the branch he made strong for himself, which is burned with fire and cut down. They ask that God's hand be upon the man of thy right hand, the son of man made strong for himself, and promise not to go back from God if he quickens them. The final refrain is addressed to the Lord God of hosts.

Cited passages: Psalms 80:1, Psalms 80:2, Psalms 80:3, Psalms 80:4, Psalms 80:5, Psalms 80:6, Psalms 80:7, Psalms 80:8, Psalms 80:9, Psalms 80:10, Psalms 80:11, Psalms 80:12, Psalms 80:13, Psalms 80:14, Psalms 80:16, Psalms 80:17, Psalms 80:18, Psalms 80:19

Psalms 80 (KJV)

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Historical context

This source prints no superscription; the text begins with the address to the Shepherd of Israel. The speakers are plural throughout. The names that anchor the psalm are tribal: Joseph is led like a flock, and Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh are the ones before whom God is asked to stir up his strength. God is said to dwell between the cherubims. The vine is explicitly one God brought out of Egypt and planted after casting out the heathen; its reach is described as unto the sea and unto the river without naming either. The damage is stated as broken hedges, plucking by passers-by, a boar and wild beast, fire and cutting down, but the enemies are not named and no event is dated. The man of thy right hand and the son of man in verse 17 are not identified further in the text. There is no Selah. The psalm does not say whether the prayer is answered.

Cited passages: Psalms 80:1, Psalms 80:2, Psalms 80:8, Psalms 80:11, Psalms 80:13, Psalms 80:16, Psalms 80:17

Literary context

The refrain organizes the psalm and grows each time it appears. Verse 3 says O God, verse 7 says O God of hosts, and verse 19 says O Lord God of hosts, so the name lengthens as the plea repeats. Two images of God's people frame the poem: a flock led by a Shepherd at the start, and a vine planted, grown, broken and burned in the middle. The vine's growth is told in four verses of expansion, then reversed in a question, Why hast thou then broken down her hedges. The word turn is used both ways: God is asked to turn us again, and the people promise so will not we go back. Tears are made into food and drink in verse 5. The plea to look down from heaven and visit this vine answers the opening call to shine forth, and the promise to call upon thy name is what the people offer in exchange for being quickened.

Cited passages: Psalms 80:3, Psalms 80:7, Psalms 80:19, Psalms 80:1, Psalms 80:12, Psalms 80:18, Psalms 80:5, Psalms 80:14

Key moments

1. Shepherd of Israel (Psalms 80:1). The speakers call on the one who leads Joseph like a flock to shine forth.
2. First refrain (Psalms 80:3). The people ask God to turn them again and cause his face to shine.
3. Bread of tears (Psalms 80:5). God is said to feed his people with tears and give them tears to drink.
4. A vine out of Egypt (Psalms 80:8). The speakers recall the vine God brought out and planted after casting out the heathen.
5. Why the broken hedges? (Psalms 80:12). The people ask why God has let passers-by pluck the vine.
6. Final refrain (Psalms 80:19). The plea returns a third time, now to the Lord God of hosts.

For reflection

The people ask God why he broke the hedges of a vine he himself planted, and never receive an answer within the psalm. What does it do to a prayer when the same hand is credited with the planting and the breaking?

People in this chapter

• Asaph
• Benjamin
• Jacob
• Joseph (OT)

Also indexed here:

• Ephraim
• Manasseh