HolyStudy
Bible IndexRead BibleNotesChurchesMissionPrivacyTermsContact
© 2026 HolyStudy
HomeRead BibleBible NotesChurchesSign in
HolyStudy
HomeRead BibleBible NotesChurches
Sign in

Psalms 80

1

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.

2

Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us.

3

Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

4

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

5

Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure.

6

Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves.

7

Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

8

Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.

9

Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land.

1
10

The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars.

11

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

12

Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her?

13

The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it.

14

Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine;

15

And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself.

16

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

17

Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself.

18

So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name.

19

Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

← Previous ChapterNext Chapter →

Psalms 80

Psalm 80 is a communal lament employing vine metaphor for Israel and appealing for restoration of the Northern Kingdom, exemplifying the theological concerns of Book 3. The psalmist employs vivid imagery and direct address to God, establishing the intimate dialogue between worshiper and the divine that characterizes the psalmic tradition. The theological assertions center on God's character as both judge and redeemer, creating a comprehensive vision of divine justice and mercy integrated with human experience. The psalm reflects on both personal circumstance and communal identity, suggesting that individual faith finds validation through shared experience with the covenant community. The liturgical context indicates this psalm's function in worship where personal piety integrates with communal celebration of God's acts and attributes. The concluding movement typically affirms confidence in God's faithfulness, exemplifying the psalmic pattern of transformation through prayer and remembrance of divine acts throughout history.

Psalms 80:1

Psalm 80 opens with an invocation of the divine shepherd: "Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock!" The address to God as Shepherd and the image of Joseph (Israel) as a flock establish the covenant relationship in pastoral terms. The mention of Joseph specifically invokes the Northern Kingdom, suggesting this psalm may address the loss of the ten northern tribes or may use Joseph/Ephraim language to refer to all Israel.

Psalms 80:2

The divine appearance is requested: "Shine forth before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh! Stir up your might, and come to save us!" The specific enumeration of three tribes (representing the central and northern regions) suggests the psalm addresses a crisis affecting northern/central Israel. The request for God to shine forth evokes theophanic imagery: divine manifestation is needed to address the crisis.

Psalms 80:3

A refrain request is introduced: "Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!" The invocation of God's face shining forth—a symbol of divine favor and blessing—is connected to restoration and salvation. The refrain structure (which repeats at vv. 7 and 19) suggests this is a liturgical psalm used in worship services addressing national crisis.

Psalms 80:4

The people question God's anger: "O LORD God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people's prayers?" The rhetorical question expresses frustration that despite prayer and supplication, God continues in anger. The phrase "your people's prayers" suggests that the people have been praying earnestly, yet God's wrath seems unaffected.

Psalms 80:5

The suffering is described: "You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure." The metaphorical language transforms weeping into sustenance and drink; the people's existence has become characterized by suffering. The phrase "in full measure" suggests abundance—there are tears in abundance, an overflowing cup of suffering.

Psalms 80:6

The community's shame is noted: "You make us the scorn of our neighbors; our enemies laugh among themselves." The public humiliation echoes Psalm 79; military defeat has led to social derision. The enemies' laughter emphasizes the mockery and contempt directed at the defeated people.

Psalms 80:7

The refrain repeats: "Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved!" The reiteration of this prayer suggests its centrality to the psalm's theological purpose; each invocation becomes more urgent as the catalogue of suffering accumulates.

Psalms 80:8

The psalm shifts to recounting God's past faithfulness: "You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it." The image of Israel as a divinely planted vine recalls covenantal election and God's decisive action on Israel's behalf. The removal of indigenous nations and the planting of Israel represent paradigmatic divine acts of salvation and covenant establishment.

Psalms 80:9

The vine flourishes: "You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land." The description of the vine's growth and expansive spread suggests Israel's early success in occupying and settling Canaan. The deepening roots suggest stability and permanence.

Psalms 80:10

The vine extends broadly: "The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches." The hyperbolic description suggests the vine's growth became cosmic in scale, transforming the landscape. The cedar imagery associates the vine with majestic strength; Israel became a dominant regional power.

Psalms 80:11

The vine's expansion continues: "It sent out its branches to the sea, and its shoots to the River." The reference to sea and river (understood as the Euphrates) suggests that the vine's dominion extended from the Mediterranean to Mesopotamia—the maximal geographical extent of Israel/Davidic kingdom. This recalls the extent of Solomon's dominion.

Psalms 80:12

The catastrophe is introduced: "Why then have you broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?" The destruction of the vine's protective walls allows anyone to steal its fruit; the image suggests military vulnerability and the loss of secure borders. Those passing by—the surrounding nations—now freely help themselves to what Israel has produced.

Psalms 80:13

The violation continues: "The boar from the forest ravages it, and all that move in the field feed on it." The wild animals (representing foreign nations or demonic forces) now prey upon the vine. The image of destructive animals consuming the vineyard is biblical metaphor for military invasion and conquest.

Psalms 80:14

A prayer for intervention: "Turn again, O God of hosts; look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine!" The appeal for divine attention and intervention emphasizes that the situation has been allowed to deteriorate because God is not paying attention. The request to look down from heaven suggests that God has withdrawn divine gaze.

Psalms 80:15

A reference to divine planting: "the stock that your right hand has planted, and the son whom you made strong for yourself." The vine is understood as the result of God's planting, and the son (Israel) is described as strengthened by God. The right hand of God is the active instrument of salvation; the relationship is one of divine cultivation.

Psalms 80:16

Divine destruction is reversed: "They have burned it with fire, they have cut it down; may they perish at the rebuke of your face." The enemies' destruction of the vine (Israel's suffering) becomes the occasion for a prayer that the enemies perish. The phrase "rebuke of your face" suggests that God's mere disapproval is sufficient to destroy the enemies.

Psalms 80:17

A petition for restoration and strengthening: "But may your hand be upon the one at your right hand, the one whom you made strong for yourself." The shift to singular language (from vine/vineyard to "one") may suggest a focus on the king as representative of the people. The request for God's hand to be upon this figure seeks restoration of royal strength and divine support.

Psalms 80:18

A conditional vow: "Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call upon your name!" The people commit to renewed faithfulness contingent upon God's restoration and life-giving intervention. The call upon God's name suggests renewed worship and acknowledgment of God's authority.

Psalms 80:19

The refrain concludes the psalm: "Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved!" The final reiteration of this prayer emphasizes its thematic importance and suggests a cyclical structure where the refrain frames the accumulated petitions and historical recollections.