Psalm 80:8-16

8 You brought ¹a vine out of Egypt; you ²drove out the nations and planted it.

9 You ³cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land.

10 The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches.

11 It sent out its branches to ⁴the sea and its shoots to ⁵the River. ^[a]

12 Why then have you ⁶broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?

13 ⁷The boar from the forest ravages it, and all that move in the field feed on it.

14 Turn again, O God of hosts! ⁸Look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine,

15 the stock that your right hand planted, and for the son whom you made strong for yourself.

16 They have ⁹burned it with fire; they have ¹⁰cut it down; may they perish at ¹¹the rebuke of your face!

Psalm 80:8-16 Meaning and Commentary

To the chief Musician upon Shoshannimeduth, A Psalm of Asaph. Of the word "shoshannim," See Gill on "Ps 45:1," and of "shushaneduth," See Gill on "Ps 60:1" which seems to be the same with this here, and is thought by some to be the name of a musical instrument now unknown, as Kimchi and Ben Melech; though these two words are not to be read together as one, for there is a dividing accent on "shoshannim," and which may be rendered "concerning the lilies" {a}; and so may denote the subject matter of the psalm, or respect the people of God, comparable to lilies for their beauty, purity, and holiness in Christ, Song of Solomon 6:2, and to lilies among thorns, Song of Solomon 2:2, being in great afflictions and persecutions, as appears from Psalm 80:5, the word "eduth" is to be read not along with "shoshannim," but with what follows, thus, "Eduth unto Asaph a psalm"; some render the word "eduth" an ornament or glory, as R. Marinus in Aben Ezra; and take the sense to be, that the psalm was a glorious one, and desirable to Asaph; but it rather signifies a testimony, and is by the Targum interpreted of the testimony of the law; but it is rather to be understood of the testimony of the Gospel, which is the testimony of Christ, and bears witness of him; and there is a testimony of him in this psalm, Psalm 80:17, and there seem to be in it many breathings after his coming and appearance in the flesh. Some take this psalm to be of the same argument with the foregoing, and think it refers to the destruction of the Jews, the two tribes, by the Chaldeans; so Theodoret; but there is no mention made of the temple, nor of Jerusalem, as in the preceding psalm; and besides, why should Manasseh and Ephraim be mentioned? wherefore others are of opinion that it has regard to the captivity of the ten tribes by Salmaneser; but then it may be asked, why is Benjamin taken notice of, which had no concern in the affliction? this has led others to conclude that it respects some time of affliction before either of these captivities, or between them both; and it may be applied to any affliction of the people of God in any age or period of time; and no doubt was written by Asaph, or by David, and put into his hands before the distress was, under a spirit of prophecy. Kimchi interprets it of the present captivity of the Jews, and Jarchi of their three captivities.

{a} Mynvv la "super liliis," Tigurine version, Cocceius; "pro liliis," Musculus.

Cross References

• 1. 80:8 Isa. 5:1; 27:2; Jer. 2:21; 12:10; Ezek. 17:6; Matt. 21:33; Mark 12:1; Luke 20:9
• 2. 80:8 See Ps. 44:2
• 3. 80:9 [Josh. 24:12]
• 4. 80:11 See Ps. 72:8
• 5. 80:11 See Ps. 72:8
• 6. 80:12 Ps. 89:40; Isa. 5:5
• 7. 80:13 [Jer. 5:6]
• 8. 80:14 [Isa. 63:15]
• 9. 80:16 Isa. 33:12
• 10. 80:16 Isa. 33:12
• 11. 80:16 Ps. 76:6; [Ps. 39:11]

Footnotes

• [a] 80:11 That is, the Euphrates