Asaph
Psalm 80
To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim-eduth, A Psalm of Asaph.
Scripture (KJV)
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.
Summary
Psalm 80 is a communal lament that uses the image of a vine to plead for God’s restoration. Asaph calls on the Shepherd of Israel, who leads Joseph like a flock and dwells between the cherubim, to stir up His strength and save them. The refrain "Turn us again, O God... and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved" recurs three times, each time addressing God with an expanded title. God has fed His people with the bread of tears and made them a strife to their neighbors. The central section unfolds the extended metaphor of the vine: God brought a vine out of Egypt, cast out the nations, planted it, and it filled the land from the hills to the sea. Yet God has broken down its hedges, and the boar from the wood wastes it. Asaph pleads for God to return, look down from heaven, and visit this vine, to let His hand be upon the man of His right hand, the son of man whom He made strong. The psalm closes with the final refrain: "Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved."
The major themes are restoration, the vine, God’s face, the son of man, and salvation. Practically, the psalm teaches that God’s people may appeal to His past care (the vine out of Egypt) to plead for present restoration. The great lesson is that when God’s face shines, His people are saved.
Key Themes
A Prayer from Psalm 80
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock and dwell between the cherubim. Stir up Your strength and come and save us. Turn us again, O God, and cause Your face to shine; and we shall be saved. You have fed us with the bread of tears; our enemies laugh among themselves. You brought a vine out of Egypt and planted it; it filled the land. Why have You broken down her hedges so that the boar wastes it? Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts; look down from heaven and visit this vine. Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself. Quicken us, and we will call upon Your name. Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts; cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Reflection Questions
- 1How does the refrain "Turn us again" shape the structure and message of this psalm?
- 2What does the vine metaphor reveal about God’s past care and present judgment?
- 3Who is "the man of thy right hand" and "the son of man" in verse 17?
- 4Where do I need God to cause His face to shine and save me?
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