> [[psalm-79|← Previous]] | [[psalm-00|TOC]] | [[psalm-81|Next →]] --- # Psalm 80 ## Prayer to Restore God’s Vineyard 1 For the leader; according to “Lilies.” *Eduth*. A psalm of Asaph. ^psalm-80-1 ### I 2 O Shepherd of Israel, lend an ear, ^psalm-80-2 you who guide Joseph like a flock! Seated upon the cherubim, shine forth 3 upon Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. ^psalm-80-3 Stir up your power, and come to save us. 4 O God, restore us; ^psalm-80-4 light up your face and we shall be saved. ### II 5 LORD of hosts, ^psalm-80-5 how long will you smolder in anger while your people pray? 6 You have fed them the bread of tears, ^psalm-80-6 made them drink tears in great measure. 7 You have left us to be fought over by our neighbors; ^psalm-80-7 our enemies deride us. 8 O God of hosts, restore us; ^psalm-80-8 light up your face and we shall be saved. ### III 9 You brought a vine out of Egypt; ^psalm-80-9 you drove out nations and planted it. 10 You cleared out what was before it; ^psalm-80-10 it took deep root and filled the land. 11 The mountains were covered by its shadow, ^psalm-80-11 the cedars of God by its branches. 12 It sent out its boughs as far as the sea, ^psalm-80-12 its shoots as far as the river. 13 Why have you broken down its walls, ^psalm-80-13 so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit? 14 The boar from the forest strips the vine; ^psalm-80-14 the beast of the field feeds upon it. 15 Turn back again, God of hosts; ^psalm-80-15 look down from heaven and see; Visit this vine, 16 the stock your right hand has planted, ^psalm-80-16 and the son whom you made strong for yourself. 17 Those who would burn or cut it down— ^psalm-80-17 may they perish at your rebuke. 18 May your hand be with the man on your right, ^psalm-80-18 with the son of man whom you made strong for yourself. 19 Then we will not withdraw from you; ^psalm-80-19 revive us, and we will call on your name. 20 LORD God of hosts, restore us; ^psalm-80-20 light up your face and we shall be saved. \* (Psalm 80) A community lament in time of military defeat. Using the familiar image of Israel as a vineyard, the people complain that God has broken down the wall protecting the once splendid vine brought from Egypt ([Ps 80:9] – [14]). They pray that God will again turn to them and use the Davidic king to lead them to victory ([Ps 80:15] – [19]). \* (80:1) Lilies…. Eduth: the first term is probably the title of the melody to which the Psalm was to be sung; the second is unexplained. \* (80:6) Both the Septuagint and the Vulgate translate this verse in the first person, i.e., “You have fed us the bread of tears.” \* (80:9) A vine: a frequent metaphor for Israel, cf. [Is 5:1] – [7]; [27:2] – [5]; [Jer 2:21]; [[hosea-10|Hos 10]]:1; ([[matthew-21|Mt 21]]:33]. \* (80:12) The sea: the Mediterranean. The river: the Euphrates, cf. [[genesis-15|Gen 15]]:18; [1 Kgs 5:1]. The terms may also have a mythic nuance—the seas that surround the earth; sea and river are sometimes paralleled in poetry. \* (80:16) The Vulgate and Septuagint use “son of man.” \* (80:18) The man on your right: the Davidic king who will lead the army in battle. a. (80:2) ([[psalm-23|Ps 23]]:1] – [3]; [95:7]; [100:3]; [Gn 48:15]; ([[exodus-25|Ex 25]]:22]; [1 Sm 4:4]; [2 Sm 6:2]; [Mi 7:14]. b. (80:4], [8], [20) ([[psalm-04|Ps 4]]:7]; [31:17]; [67:2]; [85:5]; [Nm 6:25]; [Dn 9:17]. c. (80:5) ([[psalm-13|Ps 13]]:2]; [44:24]; [74:1]; [79:5]; [89:47]; [Dt 4:24]. d. (80:6) [Ps 42:4]; [102:10]. e. (80:7) [Ps 44:14]; [79:4]; [123:3] – [4]; [Jb 12:4]; [Dn 9:16]; [Zep 2:8]. f. (80:13) [Ps 89:41]. g. (80:14) [Hos 2:14]. --- _New American Bible, revised edition_ (2010, 1991, 1986, 1970) Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. > [[psalm-79|← Previous]] | [[psalm-00|TOC]] | [[psalm-81|Next →]]