Psalms 80:1-19·~1 min

Hear Us, O Shepherd of Israel

The psalmist calls on the Shepherd of Israel, who leads Joseph like a flock and is enthroned above the cherubim, to shine forth. He asks God to stir up his strength before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh and come to save them. The first refrain then pleads, "Restore us, O God; let Your face shine, that we may be saved."

F¹or the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” A Psalm of Asaph. ²shine forth before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. ³Restore us, O God,

The psalmist asks how long the LORD God of Hosts will remain angry with the prayers of his people. God has fed them the bread of tears and given them tears in full measure to drink. He has made them an object of contention to neighbors and mockery to enemies. The refrain returns with greater intensity: "Restore us, O God of Hosts; let Your face shine, that we may be saved."

⁴O LORD God of Hosts, ⁵You fed them with the bread of tears ⁶You make us contend with our neighbors; ⁷Restore us, O God of Hosts,

Israel is pictured as a vine that God uprooted from Egypt, planted in cleared ground, and caused to take deep root and spread across the land from mountains to sea and river. But now the vine lies exposed because God has broken down its walls. Passersby pluck its fruit, the boar from the forest ravages it, and wild creatures feed upon it.

⁸You uprooted a vine from Egypt; ⁹You cleared the ground for it, ¹⁰The mountains were covered by its shade, ¹¹It sent out its branches to the Sea, ¹²Why have You broken down its walls, ¹³The boar from the forest ravages it,

The psalmist begs the God of Hosts to return, look down from heaven, and attend to this vine. He asks God to protect the stock his right hand planted and the son he made strong for himself. The vine now stands cut down and burned, and the people perish under the rebuke of God's face.

¹⁴Return, O God of Hosts, we pray! ¹⁵the root Your right hand has planted, ¹⁶Your vine has been cut down and burned;

The prayer asks that God's hand rest upon the man at his right hand, the son of man whom he has made strong. If God does this, the people promise they will not turn away but will call upon his name in revived life. The psalm ends with the fullest refrain: "Restore us, O LORD God of Hosts; let Your face shine, that we may be saved."

¹⁷Let Your hand be upon the man at Your right hand, ¹⁸Then we will not turn away from You; ¹⁹Restore us, O LORD God of Hosts;

Section summaryThe psalm begins by calling on the Shepherd of Israel and the One enthroned above the cherubim to shine forth and save his people, repeating the plea that God would restore them and make his face shine. It then describes the people's condition in terms of tears, divine anger, and public humiliation before hostile neighbors. From there the prayer turns to the image of the vine God once brought from Egypt and planted so fruitfully throughout the land, asking why he has now broken down its walls and left it to ruin. The final movement asks God to return, look from heaven, strengthen the stock his right hand planted and the man at his right hand, and restore the people into revived covenant faithfulness.

Role in the chapterThis section gathers lament, memory, and petition into a sustained appeal for God to resume his shepherding care and renew the people he once planted.