2 Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up thy strength, and come to our deliverance. 3 O God, restore us; and cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. 4 Jehovah, God of hosts, how long will thine anger smoke against the prayer of thy people? 5 Thou hast fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in large measure: 6 Thou hast made us a strife unto our neighbours, and our enemies mock among themselves. 7 Restore us, O God of hosts; and cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved.
8 Thou broughtest a vine out of Egypt; thou didst cast out the nations, and plant it: 9 Thou preparedst space before it, and it took deep root, and filled the land; 10 The mountains were covered with its shadow, and the branches thereof were [like] cedars of God; 11 It sent out its boughs unto the sea, and its shoots unto the river. 12 Why hast thou broken down its fences, so that all who pass by the way do pluck it? 13 The boar out of the forest doth waste it, and the beast of the field doth feed off it. 14 O God of hosts, return, we beseech thee; look down from the heavens, and behold, and visit this vine; 15 Even the stock which thy right hand hath planted, and the young plant 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 hast made strong for thyself. 18 So will we not go back from thee. Revive us, and we will call upon thy name. 19 Restore us, O Jehovah, God of hosts; cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 80:2-19
Commentary on Psalm 80:1-7
(Read Psalm 80:1-7)
He that dwelleth upon the mercy-seat, is the good Shepherd of his people. But we can neither expect the comfort of his love, nor the protection of his arm, unless we partake of his converting grace. If he is really angry at the prayers of his people, it is because, although they pray, their ends are not right, or there is some secret sin indulged in them, or he will try their patience and perseverance in prayer. When God is displeased with his people, we must expect to see them in tears, and their enemies in triumph. There is no salvation but from God's favour; there is no conversion to God but by his own grace.
Commentary on Psalm 80:8-16
(Read Psalm 80:8-16)
The church is represented as a vine and a vineyard. The root of this vine is Christ, the branches are believers. The church is like a vine, needing support, but spreading and fruitful. If a vine do not bring forth fruit, no tree is so worthless. And are not we planted as in a well-cultivated garden, with every means of being fruitful in works of righteousness? But the useless leaves of profession, and the empty boughs of notions and forms, abound far more than real piety. It was wasted and ruined. There was a good reason for this change in God's way toward them. And it is well or ill with us, according as we are under God's smiles or frowns. When we consider the state of the purest part of the visible church, we cannot wonder that it is visited with sharp corrections. They request that God would help the vine. Lord, it is formed by thyself, and for thyself, therefore it may, with humble confidence, be committed to thyself.
Commentary on Psalm 80:17-19
(Read Psalm 80:17-19)
The Messiah, the Protector and Saviour of the church, is the Man of God's right hand; he is the Arm of the Lord, for all power is given to him. In him is our strength, by which we are enabled to persevere to the end. The vine, therefore, cannot be ruined, nor can any fruitful branch perish; but the unfruitful will be cut off and cast into the fire. The end of our redemption is, that we should serve Him who hath redeemed us, and not go back to our old sins.