Read & explore together
Hear Us, O Shepherd of Israel
Psalm 80 is a prayer-song asking God to hear, save, and turn his people again. It speaks with vivid pictures of a shepherd, tears, and a vine, moving from urgent need to repeated requests for renewed help.
Understanding the passage
Read these words in context
This psalm addresses God as the Shepherd of Israel and God of Armies. It repeats the prayer, “Turn us again” and “Cause your face to shine”. In the middle, the psalm pictures the people as a vine brought out of Egypt and planted by God, then damaged and exposed.
Psalms 80:1–19Main takeaway
This psalm shows God’s people asking him to hear, save, turn them again, and revive them when they are in distress.
Explore the poem and its images
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01Calling to the ShepherdThe psalm opens by calling to the “Shepherd of Israel”, the one who leads Joseph like a flock.
Explanation
The psalm opens by calling to the “Shepherd of Israel”, the one who leads Joseph like a flock. God is asked to shine out, stir up his might, and come to save. The prayer also names Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh in this appeal. Then comes the repeated request: “Turn us again” and “Cause your face to shine”.
02Tears and oppositionThe song speaks plainly about suffering. It asks how long God will be angry against the prayer of his people.
Explanation
The song speaks plainly about suffering. It asks how long God will be angry against the prayer of his people. Their pain is pictured as bread of tears and tears to drink in large measure. They have become a source of contention to neighbours, and enemies laugh. Again the psalm asks God to turn them again.
03The vine brought out and plantedThe psalm next pictures the people as a vine. God brought this vine out of Egypt, drove out the nations, planted it, and cleared the ground for it.
Explanation
The psalm next pictures the people as a vine. God brought this vine out of Egypt, drove out the nations, planted it, and cleared the ground for it. The vine took deep root and spread widely. Its branches reached to the sea and its shoots to “the River”, using the poem’s own term for the extent of its growth.
04A plea for God to look and reviveAfter that, the psalm asks why the vine’s walls are broken down so passers-by pluck it and wild animals feed on it.
Explanation
After that, the psalm asks why the vine’s walls are broken down so passers-by pluck it and wild animals feed on it. The prayer begs God to look down from heaven and visit this vine. It ends by asking for God’s hand on the one at his right hand, for revival, and for another turning again to salvation.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What names and images for God appear at the start of the psalm?
Look for the titles and actions in the opening verses, including Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock, and being asked to save.
02How does the psalm describe the people’s distress before repeating its prayer again?
Notice the pictures of anger, bread of tears, tears to drink, conflict with neighbours, and enemies laughing.
03What does the final part ask God to do for the vine and the people?
Trace the requests to look down, visit the vine, place his hand, revive the people, and turn them again.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Psalms 80:1–19
1Hear 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.
4Yahweh 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, Yahweh God of Armies. Cause your face to shine, and we will be saved.