Psalm 80:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: They have burned it with fire; they have cut it down; may they perish at the rebuke of your face!

NIV: Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire; at your rebuke your people perish.

NASB: It is burned with fire, it is cut down; They perish from the rebuke of Your face.

CSB: It was cut down and burned; they perish at the rebuke of your countenance.

NLT: For we are chopped up and burned by our enemies. May they perish at the sight of your frown.

KJV: It is burned with fire, it is cut down: they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance.

NKJV: It is burned with fire, it is cut down; They perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.

Psalm 80:14–19 appeals to God to resume His once favorable treatment of Israel. This nation is the "vine" which God brought out of slavery in Egypt and established in Canaan. Enemies have caused damage, so the psalmist asks for vengeance. The psalm ends with the refrain repeated multiple times, praying for restoration, favor, and salvation.

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 9:51:24 PM