Psalms 80
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Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.
2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us.
3 Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
4 O Lord God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people?
5 Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure.
6 Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves.
7 Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
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.
Public Domain KJV text from Wordproject.org
Psalm 80:1-19
Restore Us, O God
To the choirmaster: according to Lilies. A Testimony. Of Asaph, a Psalm.
1Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth.
2Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh,
stir up your might
and come to save us!
3Restore us, O God;
let your face shine, that we may be saved!
4O Lord God of hosts,
how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
5You have fed them with the bread of tears
and given them tears to drink in full measure.
6You make us an object of contention for our neighbors,
and our enemies laugh among themselves.
7Restore us, O God of hosts;
let your face shine, that we may be saved!
8You brought a vine out of Egypt;
you drove out the nations and planted it.
9You cleared the ground for it;
it took deep root and filled the land.
10The mountains were covered with its shade,
the mighty cedars with its branches.
11It sent out its branches to the sea
and its shoots to the River.
12Why then have you broken down its walls,
so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?
13The boar from the forest ravages it,
and all that move in the field feed on it.
14Turn again, O God of hosts!
Look down from heaven, and see;
have regard for this vine,
15the stock that your right hand planted,
and for the son whom you made strong for yourself.
16They have burned it with fire; they have cut it down;
may they perish at the rebuke of your face!
17But let your hand be on the man of your right hand,
the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!
18Then we shall not turn back from you;
give us life, and we will call upon your name!
19Restore us, O Lord God of hosts!
Let your face shine, that we may be saved!
ESV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Psalm 80:1-19
Psalm 80
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” Of Asaph. A psalm.
1Hear us, Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,
shine forth 2before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.
Awaken your might;
come and save us.
3Restore us, O God;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.
4How long, Lord God Almighty,
will your anger smolder
against the prayers of your people?
5You have fed them with the bread of tears;
you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.
6You have made us an object of derision to our neighbors,
and our enemies mock us.
7Restore us, God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.
8You transplanted a vine from Egypt;
you drove out the nations and planted it.
9You cleared the ground for it,
and it took root and filled the land.
10The mountains were covered with its shade,
the mighty cedars with its branches.
11Its branches reached as far as the Sea,
its shoots as far as the River.
12Why have you broken down its walls
so that all who pass by pick its grapes?
13Boars from the forest ravage it,
and insects from the fields feed on it.
14Return to us, God Almighty!
Look down from heaven and see!
Watch over this vine,
15the root your right hand has planted,
the son you have raised up for yourself.
16Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire;
at your rebuke your people perish.
17Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,
the son of man you have raised up for yourself.
18Then we will not turn away from you;
revive us, and we will call on your name.
19Restore us, Lord God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.
NIV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Commentary
For the Hebrews, God was envisioned as a light. He was the fire in the burning bush in Moses’ wilderness. He was the light shining from the fiery cloud that led the Hebrews through the desert. He was the glow they saw on Moses’ face after he had been with God.
This same fiery presence is available to us, to have burning in our homes and in our hearts. After Jesus ascended into heaven, he sent us this fire. “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit” Acts 2:1-4.
It is through the Holy Spirit that we are brought back to the Shekinah Glory. It is through the Holy Spirit that we are re-connected to the God of the Hebrews, to the God who longs to live in our midst.
Kimberly Bobenhausen
Southern Adventist University, Tennessee USA (as of this writing)
