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Wisdom & Poetry · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Psalm 80

Psalm 80 is read especially through the theme of lament, within Book III (Psalms 73–89). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application.

LamentCreationTrust & Refuge
Old Testament

Psalm 80

1For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” A Psalm by Asaph. Hear us, Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock, you who sit above the cherubim, shine out.

2Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, stir up your might! Come to save us!

3Turn us again, God. Cause your face to shine, and we will be saved.

4LORD God of Armies, how long will you be angry against the prayer of your people?

5You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in large measure.

6You make us a source of contention to our neighbors. Our enemies laugh among themselves.

7Turn us again, God of Armies. Cause your face to shine, and we will 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 shadow. Its boughs were like God’s cedars.

11It sent out its branches to the sea, its shoots to the River.

12Why have you broken down its walls, so that all those who pass by the way pluck it?

13The boar out of the wood ravages it. The wild animals of the field feed on it.

14Turn again, we beg you, God of Armies. Look down from heaven, and see, and visit this vine,

15the stock which your right hand planted, the branch that you made strong for yourself.

16It’s burned with fire. It’s cut down. They perish at your rebuke.

17Let your hand be on the man of your right hand, on the son of man whom you made strong for yourself.

18So we will not turn away from you. Revive us, and we will call on your name.

19Turn us again, LORD God of Armies. Cause your face to shine, and we will be saved.

READ IN CONTEXT

Understanding Psalm 80

Psalm 80 is read especially through the theme of lament, within Book III (Psalms 73–89). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application. Read it within the complete five-book Psalms collection, then compare its prayer language with the types of prayer found across Scripture. Classification is a reading aid rather than a replacement for the Psalm's own movement and tension.

Collection

Book III (Psalms 73–89). The five-book shape of the Psalter helps readers hear individual prayers within a deliberately arranged collection.

Themes detected

Lament, Creation, Trust & Refuge. Read for these themes while remaining open to tension and secondary movements.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Psalm 80

Psalm 80 contains 19 verses and about 316 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” A Psalm by Asaph. Hear us, Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock, you who sit above…” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 19 closes: “Turn us again, LORD God of Armies. Cause your face to shine, and we will be saved.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include will, turn, shine, armies, cause, face. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Psalm 80

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Psalms 80:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

What kind of Psalm is this?+

Our reading profile emphasizes lament, with related themes of Lament, Creation, Trust & Refuge. Many Psalms blend genres or move between moods, so this label is a guide rather than a rigid classification.

A SMALL NEXT STEP

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