Psalms 80

KJV · Chapter 80/150

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.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Israel is compared to a vine that God brought out of Egypt and carefully planted, but which is now being destroyed; the people repeatedly cry out for restoration: 'cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved.'

Explanation

The image of the vine was a deep national symbol for Israel (later also used by Jesus in John 15). The psalm, likely written after an invasion that affected the northern tribes (Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh are mentioned), asks God to 'return' and 'visit' His people as a shepherd tends his flock. The refrain repeated three times ('turn us again... cause thy face to shine') shows growing intensity in the plea. Today's application is that true restoration begins when we seek God's presence again, not merely relief from our circumstances.

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