Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 80:16

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalms 79-80 Cries from a conquered people

Like a previous psalm of Asaph, Psalms 79:0 is from the time of Jerusalem’s destruction and the taking of the people into captivity. (For an outline of events see introductory notes to Psalms 74:0.) The historical setting for Psalms 80:0 is not clear. Both psalms, 79 and 80, are cries to God for salvation after Israel has suffered defeat and desolation.

The scene around Jerusalem is one of horror. The temple has been destroyed, the city is in ruins, and the army is a mass of decaying corpses providing food for wild birds and animals. Shame is added to sorrow through the insults heaped on Israel by its neighbours (79:1-4).
True, the destruction of Jerusalem has been a judgment sent by God on the nation because of its sin, but, ask the people, is not that enough? Will not God now reverse his judgment and punish those who eat up his people (5-7)? They pray that God will forgive their sins and restore them to their land. In this way he will silence those nations who mock him as being powerless to save (8-10). God’s captive people cry out to him to rescue them and punish those who insult him (11-13).
Again the people cry to God for some decisive action that will save them from their present plight (80:1-3). They are weighed down with grief. God has apparently forgotten them and their enemies cruelly mock them (4-7).
When they think of the nation’s past glory they wonder why they must suffer such shame. Israel was like a vine transplanted from Egypt into Canaan, where it grew and spread. It covered the mountains, burst its boundaries, and reached to the Lebanon Ranges and the Euphrates River (8-11). Why then does God allow the wild beasts of the forest to plunder and destroy his vineyard? Why does he allow enemy nations to crush Israel (12-13)?
The people pray that God will rescue the suffering nation, that he will save the damaged vine and restore it to healthy growth (14-16). They pray that he will give back to Israel the strength it once had as his specially chosen nation (17-19).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

"Thou broughtest a vine out of Egypt: Thou didst drive out the nations and plantedst it. Thou preparedst room before it, And it took deep root, and filled the land. The mountains were covered with the shadow of it, And the boughs thereof were like cedars of God. It sent out its branches unto the sea, And its shoots unto the River. Why hast thou broken down its walls, So that all that pass by the way do pluck it? The boar out of the wood doth ravage it, And the wild beasts of the field feed on it. Turn again, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: Look down from heaven, And behold and visit this vine. And the stock which thy right hand planted, And the branch that thou madest strong for thyself. It is burned with fire, it is cut down: They perish at the rebuke of thy countenance. Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, Upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself. So shall we not go back from thee: Quicken thou us, and we will call upon thy name. Turn us again, O Jehovah God of hosts; Cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. There is not a more tragic prayer in all the Word of God than here."

"Thou broughtest a vine out of Egypt… plantedst it" This is a reference to the bringing forth of Israel out of Egyptian slavery.

"Thou preparedst room before it" This speaks of God's driving out the pagan nations of Canaan to make room for the settlement of Israel in the Promised Land.

"It took deep root, and filled the land" This describes the growth and prosperity of Israel in Canaan. Psalms 80:10 is an expansion of the thought here.

"Branches unto the sea… shoots unto the River" This refers to the expansion of the Hebrew kingdom from the Mediterranean Sea to the River Euphrates, the boundaries of the nation during the reign of Solomon.

"Why hast thou broken down its walls" `Walls' here is a reference to the walls of the vineyard, i.e., the walls of Jerusalem. Coupled with Psalms 80:16, below, where it appears that the vineyard has been burned with fire and cut down, it is clear enough that the total destruction of Jerusalem has taken place at the time of the writing of this psalm.

"The boar out of the wood… the wild beasts" These were nations such as Assyria and Babylon which ravaged and destroyed the "degenerate vine."

"Turn again, we beseech thee, O God of hosts" This is a plaintive cry for God again to nourish the vine as in the days of old; but the degeneracy of the vine was a great hindrance to God's doing any such thing.

"And the Branch that thou madest strong for thyself" We have capitalized "Branch," here because that title belongs to no other in heaven or earth except the Son of God. (See a full discussion of this in Vol. IV of my minor prophets Commentaries, pp. 56-58, under Zechariah 3:8.) The alternative reading for "Branch" in this passage is "Son," another word which we capitalize, because it appears to this writer that there are definitely Messianic overtones in this fervent plea of God's people for "salvation." From what other source, either in heaven or upon earth could salvation have been available for any person whomsoever?

In this connection, we note that Addis entitled this psalm, "The Messianic Hope," stating that, "The psalmist looks forward to… the advent of the Messianic age."W. E. Addis, p. 387. We believe this is correct and that in this we have the only adequate interpretation of Psalms 80:17, below.

"Burned with fire… cut down" See under Psalms 80:12, above for the implications of these words.

"Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the Son of Man whom thou madest strong for thyself" Barnes identified this person with the king of northern Israel, but the words `Son of Man' (which we have capitalized) absolutely forbid such a view.

Barnes interpreted "Branch" in Psalms 80:15 to mean, "all the offspring or shoots of the vine,"Barnes' Notes on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, a 1987 reprint of the 1878 edition), op. cit., p. 318. reading "branches" here, instead of "Branch," thus making it mean all Israelites.

"The man of thy right hand" Who else, other than Jesus Christ our Lord, the Son of Man, could properly be referred to as, "The man of God's Right Hand"? Is it not He who sits at the right hand of the Majesty on High?

Barnes gave an opposite view of this, affirming that, "This is a prayer for the civil and military ruler of the land."Ibid. This seems very strange to us in that no `land' is mentioned here.

"Upon the Son of Man" Here again capital letters should be used. This was Christ's favorite of all the expressions that he used in reference to himself, and this writer finds it impossible to deny its reference to Christ here. Again, we regret to find ourselves in disagreement with Barnes who stated that. "This expression means simply `man,' the language being varied for the sake of poetry… It refers to the king or civil ruler."Ibid., p. 319. Nevertheless, we cannot believe that any civil ruler of that whole era would have been referred to by the Spirit of God as "the man of God's right hand" (Psalms 80:17).

"Quicken thou us, and we will call upon thy name" Here the psalmist is coming closer to what is really needed in Israel, namely, a change in the people themselves.

"Turn us again, O Jehovah God of hosts" Here is the climax of the psalm. God will turn to Israel when Israel turns to God. The great change so desperately needed is not in the attitude of God, but in that of the degenerate vine with its wild grapes.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

It is burned with fire - That is, the vineyard. This is a description of the desolations that had come upon the nation, such as would come upon a vineyard if it were consumed by fire.

It is cut down - It has been made desolate by fire and by the axe.

They perish at the rebuke of thy countenance - At the frown on thy face, as if God has only to look upon people in anger, and they perish. The word they refers to those who were represented by the vine which had been brought out of Egypt - the people of the land.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

16It is burnt with fire. The calamities of the people are now more clearly expressed. ⁽³⁹⁹⁾ It had been said that the Lord’s vine was abandoned to the wild beasts, that they might lay it waste. But it was a greater calamity for it to be consumed with fire, rooted up and utterly destroyed. The Israelites had perfidiously apostatised from the true religion; but, as has been previously observed, they were still a part of the Church. We are accordingly warned by this melancholy example, of the severity of the punishment due to our ingratitude, especially when it is joined with obstinacy, which prevents the threatenings and rebukes of God, however sharp and severe they may be, from being of any benefit to us. Let us also learn from the same example, when the Divine anger is blazing all around, and even when we are in the midst of its burning flames, to cast all our sorrows into the bosom of God, who, in a wonderful manner, raises up his Church from the gulf of destruction. He would assuredly be ready not only to exercise without interruption his favor towards us, but also to enrich us with his blessings more and more, did not our wickedness hinder him. As it is impossible for him not to be angry at the many offenses which we have committed, it is an evidence of unparalleled mercy for him to extinguish the fire which we ourselves have kindled, and which has spread far and wide, and to save some portion or remnant of the Church, or, to speak more properly, to raise up even from the very ashes a people to call upon his name. It is again repeated that the Church perished not by the strength and arms of her enemies, but at the rebuke of God’s countenance. Never can we expect any alleviation of our punishment, unless we are fully persuaded that we are justly chastised by the hand of God. It was a good sign of the repentance of these Israelites that, as is observed in Isaiah 9:12, “they looked to the hand of him who smote them.”

(399) Under the same allegorical imagery the Prophet Ezekiel represents the afflicted state of his country, (Ezekiel 19:10.)

Smith's Bible Commentary

Psalms 80:1-19

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine foRuth ( Psalms 80:1 ).

God's dwelling between the cherubim. Actually, in the book of Revelation John describes the throne of God with the four cherubim round about the throne crying, "Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty ceasing not to declare the greatness and holiness of God, night and day."

Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up your strength, and come and save us. Turn again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. O LORD God of hosts, how long will you be angry against the prayer of thy people? You feed them with the bread of tears; you give them tears to drink in great measure. You make us a strife unto our neighbors and to our enemies: they laugh among themselves. Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: you have cast out the heathen, and planted it ( Psalms 80:2-8 ).

The vine out of Egypt, of course, is the nation Israel. "You've brought it out of Egypt, and You've prepared it in this land."

You've prepared room before it, you did cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land ( Psalms 80:9 ).

And so the people of God filled this land of Israel.

The hills were covered with the shadow of it, the boughs thereof were like goodly cedars. She sent out her boughs into the sea, her branches to the river. Why have you then broken down her hedges, so that they all which pass by the way do pluck her? The boar out of the woods doth waste it, the wild beast out of the fields doth devour it. Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine ( Psalms 80:10-14 );

And so the nation Israel typified as a vine. This is a symbolism that is used also in the prophet Isaiah. God speaks of His vineyard, how He planted it, and cultivated it, and put the winepress in it, but it never did bring forth the fruit that He desired.

And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, the branch that thou hast made strong for thy self. It's burned with fire, it's cut down: they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance. Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, and upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself. So will not we go back from thee: quicken us [or make us alive], and we shall call upon thy name. Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved ( Psalms 80:15-19 ).

"O God, turn to us once more, cause Your face to shine." For God had forsaken the nation Israel, because they had forsaken God. And as Asa was told by the prophet, "The Lord is with you while you'll be with Him. And if you seek Him, He'll be found of you. But if you forsake Him, He will forsake you." So the nation Israel forsook God; God forsook them. But I can think of no greater tragedy in life than to be forsaken by God. And thank God it is an experience that none of us need to go through. On the cross Jesus cried, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" There on the cross Jesus was forsaken of the Father in order that you never need be forsaken by God. And thus, "Turn, O God, remember Your people. Bring Thy salvation."

Shall we pray.

Father, we thank You for the opportunity of studying Your Word. May we learn from the lessons that are here, Father. Oh God, may we really apply the truths to our own situations, and may we walk, oh Lord, with Thee. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Shall we stand.

David said, "I will hide Thy Word in my heart that I might not sin against Thee." And may you do likewise. May you go forth and let the Word of God dwell in your hearts richly through faith. That you might be able to comprehend how much God does love you, how much God is concerned with your well being, how much God wants to help you and strengthen you. And thus, may you walk with Him this week in a renewed consciousness of His love and of His power and of His goodness. And may He strengthen you for every test and trial that you might face. And may you walk in the victory of Jesus Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit, living a life that is acceptable and pleasing unto Him. In Jesus' name. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 80

Again Asaph called on God to deliver and restore Israel. The nation was downtrodden and needed Yahweh’s salvation. This community lament psalm is unusual because of the figure the psalmist used to describe Israel. He pictured the nation as a grape vine (Psalms 80:8-16). The fall of Samaria in 722 B.C. may be in view. [Note: Kidner, Psalms 73-150, p. 288.] Psalms 77, 81 also lament the destruction of Samaria, the former capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

"Except for the books of Jeremiah and Lamentations, the psalms have more to say about tears than any other book in the Bible." [Note: Armerding, p. 116.]

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Asaph called on God to give attention to the vine’s condition. Psalms 80:15 looks at the vine as root and branch with the parts representing the whole (a merism). The term "son" is a literal rendering of the Hebrew word that metaphorically means branch. It describes the new growth on the vine, the new generation of Israelites. Matthew applied this reference to Jesus Christ (Matthew 2:15; cf. Exodus 4:22; Hosea 11:1). The psalmist saw the vine of Israel burned and cut down by its enemies whom God had allowed to damage it.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

4. An appeal for deliverance 80:14b-19

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

It is burnt with fire, it is cut down,.... That is, the vine of Israel, and the branch before spoken of, alluding to a vine, and its branches; which, when become unprofitable, are cut down or cut off, and cast into the fire; see John 15:6, so Jerusalem and the temple were burnt with fire by Nebuchadnezzar, and afterwards by Vespasian:

they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance; that is, the Israelites, signified by the vine, whose destruction was owing to the wrath of God upon them for their sins; he frowned upon them, and rebuked them in his hot displeasure, and to that their ruin was owing; others were only instruments in his hands. Some understand this as a wish or imprecation, let them that cut down the vine, and burn it with fire, perish at the rebuke of thy countenance; see Psalms 68:1, so the Targum.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      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 goodly 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.

      The psalmist is here presenting his suit for the Israel of God, and pressing it home at the throne of grace, pleading with God for mercy and grace for them. The church is here represented as a vine (Psalms 80:8; Psalms 80:14) and a vineyard, Psalms 80:15; Psalms 80:15. The root of this vine is Christ, Romans 11:18. The branches are believers, John 15:5. The church is like a vine, weak and needing support, unsightly and having an unpromising outside, but spreading and fruitful, and its fruit most excellent. The church is a choice and noble vine; we have reason to acknowledge the goodness of God that he has planted such a vine in the wilderness of this world, and preserved it to this day. Now observe here,

      I. How the vine of the Old-Testament church was planted at first. It was brought out of Egypt with a high hand; the heathen were cast out of Canaan to make room for it, seven nations to make room for that one. Thou didst sweep before it (so some read Psalms 80:9; Psalms 80:9), to make clear work; the nations were swept away as dirt with the besom of destruction. God, having made room for it, and planted it, cause it to take deep root by a happy establishment of their government both in church and state, which was so firm that, though their neighbours about them often attempted it, they could not prevail to pluck it up.

      II. How it spread and flourished. 1. The land of Canaan itself was fully peopled. At first they were not so numerous as to replenish it, Exodus 23:29. But in Solomon's time Judah and Israel were many as the sand of the sea; the land was filled with them, and yet such a fruitful land that it was not over-stocked, Psalms 80:10; Psalms 80:10. The hills of Canaan were covered with their shadow, and the branches, though they extended themselves far, like those of the vine, yet were not weak like them, but as strong as those of the goodly cedars. Israel not only had abundance of men, but those mighty men of valour. 2. They extended their conquests and dominion to the neighbouring countries (Psalms 80:11; Psalms 80:11): She sent out her boughs to the sea, the great sea westward, and her branches to the river, to the river of Egypt southward, the river of Damascus northward, or rather the river Euphrates eastward, Genesis 15:18. Nebuchadnezzar's greatness is represented by a flourishing tree, Daniel 4:20; Daniel 4:21. But it is observable here concerning this vine that it is praised for its shadow, its boughs, and its branches, but not a word of its fruit, for Israel was an empty vine,Hosea 10:1. God came looking for grapes, but, behold, wild grapes, Isaiah 5:2. And, if a vine do not bring forth fruit, no tree so useless, so worthless, Ezekiel 15:2; Ezekiel 15:6.

      III. How it was wasted and ruined: "Lord, thou hast done great things for this vine, and why shall it be all undone again? If it were a plant not of God's planting, it were not strange to see it rooted up; but will God desert and abandon that which he himself gave being to?" Psalms 80:12; Psalms 80:12. Why hast thou then broken down her hedges? There was a good reason for this change in God's way towards them. This noble vine had become the degenerate plant of a strange vine (Jeremiah 2:21), to the reproach of its great owner, and then no marvel if he took away its hedge (Isaiah 5:5); yet God's former favours to this vine are urged as pleas in prayer to God, and improved as encouragements to faith, that, notwithstanding all this, God would not wholly cast them off. Observe, 1. The malice and enmity of the Gentile nations against Israel. As soon as ever God broke down their hedges and left them exposed troops of enemies presently broke in upon them, that waited for an opportunity to destroy them. Those that passed by the way plucked at them; the board out of the wood and the wild beast of the field were ready to ravage it, Psalms 80:13; Psalms 80:13. But, 2. See also the restraint which these cruel enemies were under; for till God had broken down their hedges they could not pluck a leaf of this vine. The devil could not hurt Job so long as God continued the hedge round about him,Job 1:10. See how much it is the interest of any people to keep themselves in the favour of God and then they need not fear any wild beast of the field, Job 5:23. If we provoke God to withdraw, our defence has departed from us, and we are undone. The deplorable state of Israel is described (Psalms 80:16; Psalms 80:16): It is burnt with fire; it is cut down; the people are treated like thorns and briers, that are nigh unto cursing and whose end is to be burned, and no longer like vines that are protected and cherished. They perish not through the rage of the wild beast and the boar, but at the rebuke of thy countenance; that was it which they dreaded and to which they attributed all their calamities. It is well or ill with us according as we are under God's smiles or frowns.

      IV. What their requests were to God hereupon. 1. That God would help the vine (Psalms 80:14; Psalms 80:15), that he would graciously take cognizance of its case and do for it as he thought fit: "Return, we beseech thee, O Lord of hosts! for thou hast seemed to go away from us. Look down from heaven, to which thou hast retired,--from heaven, that place of prospect, whence thou seest all the wrongs that are done us, that place of power, whence thou canst send effectual relief,--from heaven, where thou hast prepared thy throne of judgment, to which we appeal, and where thou hast prepared a better country for those that are Israelites indeed,--thence give a gracious look, thence make a gracious visit, to this vine. Take our woeful condition into thy compassionate consideration, and for the particular fruits of thy pity we refer ourselves to thee. Only behold the vineyard, or rather the root, which thy right hand hath planted, and which therefore we hope thy right hand will protect, that branch which thou madest strong for thyself, to show forth thy praise (Isaiah 43:21), that with the fruit of it thou mightest be honoured. Lord, it is formed by thyself and for thyself, and therefore it may with a humble confidence be committed to thyself and to thy own care." As for God, his work is perfect. What we read the branch in the Hebrew is the son (Ben), whom in thy counsel thou hast made strong for thyself. That branch was to come out of the stock of Israel (my servant the branch,Zechariah 3:8), and therefore, till he should come, Israel in general, and the house of David in particular, must be preserved, and upheld, and kept in being. He is the true vine,John 15:1; Isaiah 11:1. Destroy it not for that blessing is in it,Isaiah 65:8. 2. That he would help the vine-dresser (Psalms 80:17; Psalms 80:18): "Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand," that king (whoever it was) of the house of David that was now to go in and out before them; "let they hand be upon him, not only to protect and cover him, but to own him, and strengthen him, and give him success." We have this phrase, Ezra 7:28, And I was strengthened as the hand of the Lord my God was upon me. Their king is called the man of God's right hand as he was the representative of their state, which was dear to God, as his Benjamin, the son of his right hand, as he was president in their affairs and an instrument in God's right hand of much good to them, defending them from themselves and from their enemies and directing them in the right way, and as he was under-shepherd under him who was the great shepherd of Israel. Princes, who have power, must remember that they are sons of men, of Adam (so the word is), that, if they are strong, it is God that has made them strong, and he has made them so for himself, for they are his ministers to serve the interests of his kingdom among men, and, if they do this in sincerity, his hand shall be upon them; and we should pray in faith that it may be so, adding this promise, that, if God will adhere to our governors, we will adhere to him: So will not we go back from thee; we will never desert a cause which we see that God espouses and is the patron of. Let God be our leader and we will follow him. Adding also this prayer, "Quicken us, put life into us, revive our dying interests, revive our drooping spirits, and then we will call upon thy name. We will continue to do so upon all occasions, having found it not in vain to do so." We cannot call upon God's name in a right manner unless he quicken us; but it is he that puts life into our souls, that puts liveliness into our prayers. But many interpreters, both Jewish and Christian, apply this to the Messiah, the Son of David, the protector and Saviour of the church and the keeper of the vineyard. (1.) He is the man of God's right hand, to whom he has sworn by his right hand (so the Chaldee), whom he has exalted to his right hand, and who is indeed his right hand, the arm of the Lord, for all power is given to him. (2.) He is that son of man whom he made strong for himself, for the glorifying of his name and the advancing of the interests of his kingdom among men. (3.) God's hand is upon him throughout his whole undertaking, to bear him out and carry him on, to protect and animate him, that the good pleasure of the Lord might prosper in his hand. (4.) The stability and constancy of believers are entirely owing to the grace and strength which are laid up for us in Jesus Christ, Psalms 68:28. In him is our strength found, by which we are enabled to persevere to the end. Let thy hand be upon him; on him let our help be laid who is mighty; let him be made able to save to the uttermost and that will be our security; so will not we go back from thee.

      Lastly, The psalm concludes with the same petition that had been put up twice before, and yet it is no vain repetition (Psalms 80:19; Psalms 80:19): Turn us again. The title given to God rises, Psalms 80:3; Psalms 80:3, O God!Psalms 80:7; Psalms 80:7, O God of hosts!Psalms 80:19; Psalms 80:19, O Lord (Jehovah) God of hosts! When we come to God for his grace, his good-will towards us and his good work in us, we should pray earnestly, continue instant in prayer, and pray more earnestly.