Psalms 80:1-19 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

Reader Related Verse
Bible Comments

LXXX. Then and Now. The Messianic Hope. The Ps. depicts Judah's forlorn condition, first directly (Psalms 80:1-7) and then under the figure of a vine (Psalms 80:8-19). It is divided into strophes by the refrain in Psalms 80:3; Psalms 80:7; Psalms 80:19. (In Psalms 80:3 insert of hosts (LXX) as in Psalms 80:7; Psalms 80:19.) Probably also the refrain has fallen out after Psalms 80:13.

Psalms 80:1 c. A rhetorical reminiscence of the time when the Ark (1 Samuel 4:4; 2 Samuel 6:2) represented Yahweh and was carried out to battle.

Psalms 80:2. The Psalmist looks forward to the recovery of the northern tribes and their union with Judah before the advent of the Messianic age.

Psalms 80:4. Translate, Wilt thou fume at the prayer?

Psalms 80:5. Read with LXX, fed us, given us.

Psalms 80:6. strife: i.e. an object of contention, such as, e.g., Poland or the Italian States have been to the greater powers. among themselves: read, at us.

Psalms 80:8-11. The vine in its glory. For the allegory cf. Genesis 49:22; Isaiah 5:1-7; Jeremiah 2:21.

Psalms 80:10. cedars of God: i.e. so great that they are in a special sense due to Divine action.

Psalms 80:11 gives the ideal boundaries of the Davidic kingdom, viz. the Mediterranean and the Euphrates.

Psalms 80:12 f. The vine in its abandonment.

Psalms 80:14-19. Prayer for revival.

Psalms 80:15. stock: a word of uncertain meaning.

Psalms 80:15 b is the original, Psalms 80:17 b is an inferior variant. The context shows that the son of man whom thou madest so strong for thyself is primarily Israel personified.

Related Commentaries of Psalms 80:1

Psalms 80:1-19

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 comea 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.

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