Psalms 80:5-15

5 You have given them the bread of weeping for food; for their drink you have given them sorrow in great measure.

6 You make us a cause of war among our neighbours; our haters are laughing at us among themselves.

7 Take us back again, O God of armies; let us see the shining of your face, and let us be safe.

8 You took a vine out of Egypt: driving out the nations, and planting it in their land.

9 You made ready a place for it, so that it might take deep root, and it sent out its branches over all the land.

10 The mountains were covered with its shade, and the great trees with its branches.

11 It sent out its arms to the Sea, and its branches to the River.

12 Why are its walls broken down by your hands, so that all who go by may take its fruit?

13 It is uprooted by the pigs from the woods, the beasts of the field get their food from it.

14 Come back, O God of armies: from heaven let your eyes be turned to this vine, and give your mind to it,

15 Even to the tree which was planted by your right hand, and to the branch which you made strong for yourself.

Psalms 80:5-15 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.