Psalms 80 -- Old Testament -- Gospel Daily

Psalms

Chapter 80

Prayer for God to Restore and Revive His People

The psalmist appeals to God as the Shepherd of Israel, Leader of Joseph like a flock, and Dweller between the cherubims, asking Him to stir up His strength and save them. He complains that God feeds His people with tears and gives them tears to drink in great measure, making them a strife to neighbors while their enemies mock them. The psalmist recalls how God brought a vine out of Egypt, cast out heathen, and planted it so it took deep root and filled the land with its branches reaching to the sea and river. Now he laments that God has broken down the hedges so passersby pluck it and wild boar waste it, and pleads for God to return, look down from heaven, behold the vineyard and branch He made strong, and quicken His people to call upon His name.

God as ShepherdTears and sorrowVine metaphorPrayer for restoration

¹Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.

²Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us.

³Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

⁴O LORD God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people?

⁵Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure.

⁶Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves.

⁷Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

⁸Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.

⁹Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land.

¹⁰The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars.

¹¹She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river.

¹²Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her?

¹³The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it.

¹⁴Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine;

¹⁵And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself.

¹⁶It is burned with fire, it is cut down: they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance.

¹⁷Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself.

¹⁸So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name.

¹⁹Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.