Psalm 80:10 - Printer Friendly

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

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

NASB: The mountains were covered with its shadow, And the cedars of God with its branches.

CSB: The mountains were covered by its shade, and the mighty cedars with its branches.

NLT: Our shade covered the mountains; our branches covered the mighty cedars.

KJV: The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars.

NKJV: The hills were covered with its shadow, And the mighty cedars with its boughs.

Psalm 80:7–13 reflects on the Lord's former blessings on Israel. The nation's rescue from slavery and establishment in the Promised Land are depicted as a vine transplanted and nurtured. This "vine" became large, powerful, and successful. But now the nation is like a vineyard with broken walls: open to thieves, vandals, and wild animals.

The psalmist calls for God's rescue during a time of defeat. The refrain "Restore us…that we may be saved" is repeated several times. The song expresses grief that the Lord has allowed Israel to suffer defeat and embarrassment. Though Israel was brought out of slavery and established in the Promised Land, it is being attacked by some force or foreign power. The psalmist appeals to God to restore His chosen people.

This is not clearly associated with a specific event, as are some other chapters in this part of the book of Psalms. Scholars have suggested the conquest of the northern kingdom, the fall of the entire nation of Israel, and harassment by foreign nations during the early days of the monarchy. An unlikely possibility is that the psalm mourns spiritual decay in the nation. The wide range of eras which might apply makes exact authorship uncertain, as well.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 7/26/2024 9:52:00 PM