Psa 80:9-17 | KingComments | STEP | Asaph reminds God of His gracious action in delivering His people from Egypt. God has removes Israel from Egypt like “a vine” ( ; cf. ; ). The fruit of a vine, wine, represents joy. In Egypt, the people could not be a joy to Him. That they could only be in the land that He chose as His own. Therefore He “drove out the nations and planted it” (cf. ; ). Isaiah, singing a song about God’s people as a vineyard, puts it this way: He “removed its stones” ( ). We find here, summarized in a few verses, the long history of Israel presented in a parable. In it it is emphasized that Israel’s history is due to the actions of the LORD. He has removed. We find that in the book of Exodus. He drove out the nations. We find that in the book of Joshua. God did not plant the vine, His people, just anywhere, but on ground “cleared before it” ( ; ). He prepared a place for it. God always does that. Before He placed man in paradise, He prepared that place for him ( ). He prepared everything well. Because the Lord Jesus wants to bring us to the Father’s house, He went first to prepare a place for us there ( ). God made every effort to plant the vine so that it would bear rich fruit (cf. ). The vine “took deep root”. As a result, it “filled the land”. Everything speaks of His care for His vine, so that He might have the full enjoyment of it. He planted Israel in a place that He prepared. He blessed Israel, causing the people to take root and fill the land. He extended its branches. This brings us to the period of the governments of David and Solomon. The growth of the vine has been His work. That growth, that is the growth of population, has been abundant. “The mountains” in the south “were covered with its shadow” ( ). That indicates a numerous population. It has also become a mighty people, like “the cedars of God with its boughs” of the Lebanon in the north (cf. ; ). The growth is also visible from west to east. “It was sending out its branches to the sea” ( ), that is the Mediterranean Sea in the west and the Red Sea in the east. The same is true of “its shoots to the River”, by which is meant the Euphrates. These are the boundaries of the territory Israel will possess in the realm of peace, according to the promise God made to the fathers ( ; ). This population growth and territory expansion were present for a short time in the days of Solomon ( ). After God has done all this for His people, the question arises among the remnant as to why He has broken down its hedges, why He has broken down the wall He has built around His vineyard ( ; cf. ). We find the reason in the previous psalm ( ; cf. ). A hedge, a wall serves to protect. God breaks down that protection. He does so by means of the Babylonians who destroy Jerusalem. The city lies broken up. “All who pass [that] way” can plunder as much as they want. “A boar” is an unclean animal ( ) and represents the nations ( ). The nations have come “from the forest”, which is their own habitation, to tear Jerusalem loose from its foundation. The wild nations have come to take possession of anything they deem of any value. Thus Jerusalem has been “eaten” and there is nothing edible, nothing of value left. Many nations have trampled on Jerusalem. Assyria is the foreshadowing of what will happen in the future. From Nebuchadnezzar on, we find in the times of the Gentiles ( ) that many nations have ruled over Jerusalem and trampled on the city. Prophetically in the future, the prophetic Assyrian, the king of the North, will do this.

‏ Psalms 80:9-17

The Vine of Israel

Asaph reminds God of His gracious action in delivering His people from Egypt. God has removes Israel from Egypt like “a vine” (Psa 80:8; cf. Hos 10:1a; Eze 19:10). The fruit of a vine, wine, represents joy. In Egypt, the people could not be a joy to Him. That they could only be in the land that He chose as His own. Therefore He “drove out the nations and planted it” (cf. Deu 7:1; Exo 23:28). Isaiah, singing a song about God’s people as a vineyard, puts it this way: He “removed its stones” (Isa 5:1-2).

We find here, summarized in a few verses, the long history of Israel presented in a parable. In it it is emphasized that Israel’s history is due to the actions of the LORD. He has removed. We find that in the book of Exodus. He drove out the nations. We find that in the book of Joshua.

God did not plant the vine, His people, just anywhere, but on ground “cleared before it” (Psa 80:9; Jer 2:21). He prepared a place for it. God always does that. Before He placed man in paradise, He prepared that place for him (Gen 2:8). He prepared everything well. Because the Lord Jesus wants to bring us to the Father’s house, He went first to prepare a place for us there (Jn 14:2-3).

God made every effort to plant the vine so that it would bear rich fruit (cf. Isa 5:2a ; Isa 57:14). The vine “took deep root”. As a result, it “filled the land”. Everything speaks of His care for His vine, so that He might have the full enjoyment of it. He planted Israel in a place that He prepared. He blessed Israel, causing the people to take root and fill the land. He extended its branches. This brings us to the period of the governments of David and Solomon.

The growth of the vine has been His work. That growth, that is the growth of population, has been abundant. “The mountains” in the south “were covered with its shadow” (Psa 80:10). That indicates a numerous population. It has also become a mighty people, like “the cedars of God with its boughs” of the Lebanon in the north (cf. Num 24:6; Psa 104:16).

The growth is also visible from west to east. “It was sending out its branches to the sea” (Psa 80:11), that is the Mediterranean Sea in the west and the Red Sea in the east. The same is true of “its shoots to the River”, by which is meant the Euphrates. These are the boundaries of the territory Israel will possess in the realm of peace, according to the promise God made to the fathers (Gen 15:18; Deu 1:7-8 ; Deu 11:24). This population growth and territory expansion were present for a short time in the days of Solomon (1Kgs 4:20 ; 24).

After God has done all this for His people, the question arises among the remnant as to why He has broken down its hedges, why He has broken down the wall He has built around His vineyard (Psa 80:12; cf. Isa 5:5). We find the reason in the previous psalm (Psa 79:8; cf. Isa 5:1-7). A hedge, a wall serves to protect. God breaks down that protection. He does so by means of the Babylonians who destroy Jerusalem. The city lies broken up. “All who pass [that] way” can plunder as much as they want.

“A boar” is an unclean animal (Lev 11:3-4 ; 7) and represents the nations (Psa 80:13). The nations have come “from the forest”, which is their own habitation, to tear Jerusalem loose from its foundation. The wild nations have come to take possession of anything they deem of any value. Thus Jerusalem has been “eaten” and there is nothing edible, nothing of value left.

Many nations have trampled on Jerusalem. Assyria is the foreshadowing of what will happen in the future. From Nebuchadnezzar on, we find in the times of the Gentiles (Lk 21:24) that many nations have ruled over Jerusalem and trampled on the city. Prophetically in the future, the prophetic Assyrian, the king of the North, will do this.

Look Down and See This Vine

The remnant now pleads with God as the “God [of] hosts” to turn again to His land (Psa 80:14). To turn again – literally “repent” in Hebrew – means that the LORD is going to restore the covenant (Jer 31:31-33). We know from the New Testament that this is going to happen on the basis of the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross (Heb 8:1-13). And by grace the people will also return to the LORD (Psa 80:18; Hos 3:5).

They cry out to God as the “God [of] hosts” because heathen hosts have destroyed Jerusalem. God is above all the hosts, not only those of Israel, but also those of the nations, as well as above all the good and bad heavenly hosts.

The remnant asks God to look down “from heaven”, where He lives, and see what is happening on earth. Let Him look down on “this vine”, that is, look with compassion on His people. For it is “the shoot which Your right hand has planted” (Psa 80:15; Exo 15:6 ; 17). It is a reminder of His original dealings with His people. In planting it He used His right hand, the hand of strength. Surely that hand is still just as strong?

“The son whom You have strengthened for Yourself” is Israel. Israel is called “son” several times (Exo 4:22; Hos 11:1). This reflects the deeper relationship of God with His people. Israel as a vine is meant to be a joy to God. He desires to find that joy in the people as His son. He wants the people to be a ‘son of His well-pleasure’.

God made Israel strong. Made strong means ‘brought up’. The psalmist appeals to God on the basis of what God has done in the past. After all, He has planted Israel as a vine; He is the owner of Israel. After all, He brought up Israel as a son. He is the Father of Israel. Is that not a reason to restore the covenant? Let Him then look down from heaven and look at Israel, His vine and His son.

This son, however, caused no joy to God. Therefore, in addition to being burned (cf. Eze 15:1-5; Jn 15:6), the vine was cut down (Psa 80:16). The remnant realizes that this situation has come about “at the rebuke of Your countenance”. God had to chastise them because of their turning back from Him and their rebellion. His presence among them required this action, for He cannot go along with their sins. This is true both of the sins of the people here and of the sins of the people’s enemy (Psa 75:8).

Israel failed as a son. The Lord Jesus has taken Israel’s place as Son (cf. Hos 11:1; Mt 2:11). He is also the true vine (Jn 15:1), that is, instead of the vine Israel, and gives the Father the joy which He sought in vain from Israel. When the relationship between the Lord Jesus and Israel is restored through the conversion of the people, God will find His joy in that people.

The Son of Man

The remnant asks God: “Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand”, which is the Lord Jesus (Psa 80:17). The right hand symbolizes both power and honor. The Lord Jesus is the power of God and now has the place of honor in heaven at the right hand of God (Psa 110:1). The right hand of God is upon Him. He is the Messiah. In Him God is going to accomplish His work of redemption.

On her way to Bethlehem, Rachel gave birth to a baby boy. While she was dying she named him Ben-oni or ‘son of suffering’. Jacob, however, changed his name to Benjamin or ‘son of the right hand’ (Gen 35:16-20). We find here a beautiful painting of the Lord Jesus Who came to suffer and die as ‘Son of suffering’ and to give His life as a ransom for many. Thereafter He was raised from the dead, went into heaven, and became the Man of God’s right hand (cf. Psa 110:1).

To Him, the “son of Man”, God has given all authority in heaven and on earth (Mt 28:18). God has made Him strong for Himself. He often calls Himself “Son of Man” in the Gospels. It is the name of His humiliation, but also of His exaltation (Mt 26:64). He derives that Name from this psalm and from Daniel 7, where it also occurs once (Dan 7:13).

What the remnant is asking for in Psa 80:17 will happen in the future. Then God’s hand will publicly be on ‘the Man of His right hand’, Christ. When Christ comes and reigns as the Son of Man, they will be His sheep. They will no longer turn back from Him, for they are firmly attached to Him (Psa 80:18; Jer 31:33 ; Jer 32:40). They will be preserved in life and will call upon His Name, that is, worship Him.

In the last verse they address the “LORD”, the name of God in His relationship with His people (Psa 80:19). In faith the remnant calls Him that. The relationship between God and His people is not yet restored, but they look to Him Who has joined Himself to them. He must bring them back into that relationship. That will happen when He is among them again, when His face will shine upon them. Then they will be redeemed and receive the promised blessings.

After praying for restoration to God in Psa 80:3 and to the God of the hosts in Psa 80:7, here, in Psa 80:19, they pray for restoration to the LORD God of the hosts. That they now pray to “the LORD” means that they are appealing to the covenant relationship between God and His people. We know that that relationship is restored by the blood of the new covenant shed by the Mediator, the Man of God’s right hand, the Son of Man.