TRV
Translation
King James Version
It is burned with fire, it is cut down: they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance.
Complete Jewish Bible
It is burned by fire, it is cut down; they perish at your frown of rebuke.
Berean Standard Bible
Your vine has been cut down and burned; they perish at the rebuke of Your countenance.
American Standard Version
It is burned with fire, it is cut down: They perish at the rebuke of thy countenance.
Geneva Bible (1599)
It is burnt with fire and cut downe: and they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance.
In the KJVVerse 15,215 of 31,102
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Commentary on Psalms 80 verses 8–19
8 ¶ Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.
9 Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land.
10 The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars.
11 She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river.
12 Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her?
13 The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it.
14 Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine;
15 And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself.
16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down: they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance.
17 Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself.
18 So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name.
19 Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
The psalmist is here presenting his suit for the Israel of God, and pressing it home at the throne of grace, pleading with God for mercy and grace for them. The church is here represented as a vine (Psa 80:8, Psa 80:14) and a vineyard, Psa 80:15. The root of this vine is Christ, Rom 11:18. The branches are believers, Joh 15:5. The church is like a vine, weak and needing support, unsightly and having an unpromising outside, but spreading and fruitful, and its fruit most excellent. The church is a choice and noble vine; we have reason to acknowledge the goodness of God that he has planted such a vine in the wilderness of this world, and preserved it to this day. Now observe here,
I. How the vine of the Old Testament church was planted at first. It was brought out of Egypt with a high hand; the heathen were cast out of Canaan to make room for it, seven nations to make room for that one. Thou didst sweep before it (so some read Psa 80:9), to make clear work; the nations were swept away as dirt with the besom of destruction. God, having made room for it, and planted it, cause it to take deep root by a happy establishment of their government both in church and state, which was so firm that, though their neighbours about them often attempted it, they could not prevail to pluck it up.
II. How it spread and flourished. 1. The land of Canaan itself was fully peopled. At first they were not so numerous as to replenish it, Exo 23:29. But in Solomon's time Judah and Israel were many as the sand of the sea; the land was filled with them, and yet such a fruitful land that it was not over-stocked, Psa 80:10. The hills of Canaan were covered with their shadow, and the branches, though they extended themselves far, like those of the vine, yet were not weak like them, but as strong as those of the goodly cedars. Israel not only had abundance of men, but those mighty men of valour. 2. They extended their conquests and dominion to the neighbouring countries (Psa 80:11): She sent out her boughs to the sea, the great sea westward, and her branches to the river, to the river of Egypt southward, the river of Damascus northward, or rather the river Euphrates eastward, Gen 15:18. Nebuchadnezzar's greatness is represented by a flourishing tree, Dan 4:20, Dan 4:21. But it is observable here concerning this vine that it is praised for its shadow, its boughs, and its branches, but not a word of its fruit, for Israel was an empty vine, Hos 10:1. God came looking for grapes, but, behold, wild grapes, Isa 5:2. And, if a vine do not bring forth fruit, no tree so useless, so worthless, Eze 15:2, Eze 15:6.
III. How it was wasted and ruined: "Lord, thou hast done great things for this vine, and why shall it be all undone again? If it were a plant not of God's planting, it were not strange to see it rooted up; but will God desert and abandon that which he himself gave being to?" Psa 80:12. Why hast thou then broken down her hedges? There was a good reason for this change in God's way towards them. This noble vine had become the degenerate plant of a strange vine (Jer 2:21), to the reproach of its great owner, and then no marvel if he took away its hedge (Isa 5:5); yet God's former favours to this vine are urged as pleas in prayer to God, and improved as encouragements to faith, that, notwithstanding all this, God would not wholly cast them off. Observe, 1. The malice and enmity of the Gentile nations against Israel. As soon as ever God broke down their hedges and left them exposed troops of enemies presently broke in upon them, that waited for an opportunity to destroy them. Those that passed by the way plucked at them; the board out of the wood and the wild beast of the field were ready to ravage it, Psa 80:13. But, 2. See also the restraint which these cruel enemies were under; for till God had broken down their hedges they could not pluck a leaf of this vine. The devil could not hurt Job so long as God continued the hedge round about him, Job 1:10. See how much it is the interest of any people to keep themselves in the favour of God and then they need not fear any wild beast of the field, Job 5:23. If we provoke God to withdraw, our defence has departed from us, and we are undone. The deplorable state of Israel is described (Psa 80:16): It is burnt with fire; it is cut down; the people are treated like thorns and briers, that are nigh unto cursing and whose end is to be burned, and no longer like vines that are protected and cherished. They perish not through the rage of the wild beast and the boar, but at the rebuke of thy countenance; that was it which they dreaded and to which they attributed all their calamities. It is well or ill with us according as we are under God's smiles or frowns.
IV. What their requests were to God hereupon. 1. That God would help the vine (Psa 80:14, Psa 80:15), that he would graciously take cognizance of its case and do for it as he thought fit: "Return, we beseech thee, O Lord of hosts! for thou hast seemed to go away from us. Look down from heaven, to which thou hast retired, - from heaven, that place of prospect, whence thou seest all the wrongs that are done us, that place of power, whence thou canst send effectual relief, - from heaven, where thou hast prepared thy throne of judgment, to which we appeal, and where thou hast prepared a better country for those that are Israelites indeed, - thence give a gracious look, thence make a gracious visit, to this vine. Take our woeful condition into thy compassionate consideration, and for the particular fruits of thy pity we refer ourselves to thee. Only behold the vineyard, or rather the root, which thy right hand hath planted, and which therefore we hope thy right hand will protect, that branch which thou madest strong for thyself, to show forth thy praise (Isa 43:21), that with the fruit of it thou mightest be honoured. Lord, it is formed by thyself and for thyself, and therefore it may with a humble confidence be committed to thyself and to thy own care." As for God, his work is perfect. What we read the branch in the Hebrew is the son (Ben), whom in thy counsel thou hast made strong for thyself. That branch was to come out of the stock of Israel (my servant the branch, Zac 3:8), and therefore, till he should come, Israel in general, and the house of David in particular, must be preserved, and upheld, and kept in being. He is the true vine, Joh 15:1; Isa 11:1. Destroy it not for that blessing is in it, Isa 65:8. 2. That he would help the vine-dresser (Psa 80:17, Psa 80:18): "Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand," that king (whoever it was) of the house of David that was now to go in and out before them; "let they hand be upon him, not only to protect and cover him, but to own him, and strengthen him, and give him success." We have this phrase, Ezr 7:28, And I was strengthened as the hand of the Lord my God was upon me. Their king is called the man of God's right hand as he was the representative of their state, which was dear to God, as his Benjamin, the son of his right hand, as he was president in their affairs and an instrument in God's right hand of much good to them, defending them from themselves and from their enemies and directing them in the right way, and as he was under-shepherd under him who was the great shepherd of Israel. Princes, who have power, must remember that they are sons of men, of Adam (so the word is), that, if they are strong, it is God that has made them strong, and he has made them so for himself, for they are his ministers to serve the interests of his kingdom among men, and, if they do this in sincerity, his hand shall be upon them; and we should pray in faith that it may be so, adding this promise, that, if God will adhere to our governors, we will adhere to him: So will not we go back from thee; we will never desert a cause which we see that God espouses and is the patron of. Let God be our leader and we will follow him. Adding also this prayer, "Quicken us, put life into us, revive our dying interests, revive our drooping spirits, and then we will call upon thy name. We will continue to do so upon all occasions, having found it not in vain to do so." We cannot call upon God's name in a right manner unless he quicken us; but it is he that puts life into our souls, that puts liveliness into our prayers. But many interpreters, both Jewish and Christian, apply this to the Messiah, the Son of David, the protector and Saviour of the church and the keeper of the vineyard. (1.) He is the man of God's right hand, to whom he has sworn by his right hand (so the Chaldee), whom he has exalted to his right hand, and who is indeed his right hand, the arm of the Lord, for all power is given to him. (2.) He is that son of man whom he made strong for himself, for the glorifying of his name and the advancing of the interests of his kingdom among men. (3.) God's hand is upon him throughout his whole undertaking, to bear him out and carry him on, to protect and animate him, that the good pleasure of the Lord might prosper in his hand. (4.) The stability and constancy of believers are entirely owing to the grace and strength which are laid up for us in Jesus Christ, Psa 68:28. In him is our strength found, by which we are enabled to persevere to the end. Let thy hand be upon him; on him let our help be laid who is mighty; let him be made able to save to the uttermost and that will be our security; so will not we go back from thee.
Lastly, The psalm concludes with the same petition that had been put up twice before, and yet it is no vain repetition (Psa 80:19): Turn us again. The title given to God rises, Psa 80:3, O God! Psa 80:7, O God of hosts! Psa 80:19, O Lord (Jehovah) God of hosts! When we come to God for his grace, his good-will towards us and his good work in us, we should pray earnestly, continue instant in prayer, and pray more earnestly.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 8–19. Public domain.
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Augustine of HippoAD 430
IN ANSWER TO THE JEWS 6:7
Psalm 79 [LXX] is similarly titled "For the things that shall be changed." In this psalm, among other things, is written, "look down from heaven and see; visit this vineyard and perfect what your right hand has planted and on the son of man whom you have confirmed for yourself." This is the vineyard of which it is said, "You have brought a vineyard out of Egypt." Christ did not plant another; by his coming he changed that one into a better vineyard. Accordingly, we find in the Gospel: "He will utterly destroy those evil men, and will let out the vineyard to other vine dressers." The Gospel does not say, "He will uproot and will plant another," but "this same vineyard he will let out to other vine dressers." The city of God and congregation of the children of promise must be filled with the same community of saints by the death and succession of mortal beings and at the end of the world will receive its due immortality in all people. This same thought is expressed differently by means of the fruitful olive tree in another psalm, which says, "But I as a fruitful olive tree in the house of God, have hoped in the mercy of God forever, yea, for ever and ever." It was not because the unbelievers and the proud had been broken away and the branches were on that account unfruitful and the wild olive of the Gentiles was ingrafted that the root of the patriarchs and prophets died. Isaiah says, "For if your people, O Israel, shall be as the sand of the sea, a remnant of them shall be saved," but through him about whom the psalm says, "and on the son of man whom you have confirmed for yourself," and about whom is reiterated, "Let your hand be on the man of your right hand: and on the son of man whom you have confirmed for yourself. And we depart not from you." Through this Son of man, Christ Jesus, and from his remnant, that is, the apostles and the many others from among the Israelites who have believed in Christ as God, and with the increasing number of Gentiles, the holy vineyard is being completed. Thus, in the passing of the old rites and in the institution of the new, the title of the psalm, "For the things that shall be changed," is fulfilled.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 80
"Things burned with fire, and dug up, by the rebuke of Your countenance shall perish" [Psalm 80:16]. What are the things burned with fire and dug up which shall perish from the rebuke of His countenance? Let us see and perceive what are the things burned with fire and dug up. Christ has rebuked what? Sins: by the rebuke of His countenance sins have perished. Why then are sins burned with fire and dug up? Of all sins, two things are the cause in man, desire and fear. Think, examine, question your hearts, sift your consciences, see whether there can be sins, except they be either of desire, or of fear. There is set before you a reward to induce you to sin, that is, a thing which delights you; you do it, because you desire it. But perchance you will not be allured by bribes; you are terrified with menaces, thou do it because you fear. A man would bribe you, for example, to bear false witness. Countless cases there are, but I am setting before you the plainer cases, whereby ye may imagine the rest. Have you hearkened unto God, and have you said in your heart, "What does it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, but of his own soul suffer loss?" [Matthew 16:26] I am not allured by a bribe to lose my soul to gain money. He turns himself to stir up fear within you, he who was not able to corrupt you with a bribe, begins to threaten loss, banishment, massacres, perchance, and death. Therein now, if desire prevailed not, perchance fear will prevail to make you sin....What had evil fear done? It had dug up, as it were. For love does inflame, fear does humble: therefore, sins of evil love, with fire were lighted: sins of evil fear were dug up. On the one hand, evil fear does humble, and good love does light; but in different ways respectively. For even the husbandman interceding for the tree, that it should not be cut down, says, "I will dig about it, and will apply a basket of dung." [Luke 13:8] The dug trench does signify the godly humility of one fearing, and the basket of dung the profitable squalid state of one repenting. But concerning the fire of good love the Lord says, "Fire I have come to send into the world." [Luke 12:49] With which fire may the fervent in spirit burn, and they too that are inflamed with the love of God and their neighbour. And thus, as all good works are wrought by good fear and good love, so by evil fear and evil love all sins are committed. Therefore, "Things set alight with fire and dug up," to wit, all sins, "by the rebuke of Your countenance shall perish."
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 80:16 powerfully depicts the devastating consequences of divine judgment upon Israel, metaphorically represented as a once-flourishing vine. The verse portrays this "vine" as being utterly consumed by fire and cut down, signifying a complete destruction and loss of vitality. This calamity is not a random misfortune but is directly attributed to the "rebuke of thy countenance," emphasizing that Israel's suffering and perishing are a direct result of God's active displeasure and withdrawal of favor, highlighting the profound vulnerability of a nation when it falls out of alignment with its divine Protector.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalm 80:16 employs several potent literary devices to convey its message of divine judgment and desolation. The most prominent is Metaphor, where Israel is consistently portrayed as a "vine" throughout the psalm, culminating in this verse. This metaphor allows the psalmist to describe the nation's suffering in terms of agricultural ruin, making the abstract concept of national decline tangible and emotionally resonant. The phrase "rebuke of thy countenance" utilizes Personification, attributing the human characteristic of a "countenance" (face) and the action of "rebuking" to God, thereby emphasizing the direct, personal, and active nature of divine judgment. Furthermore, the verse employs Parallelism in "burned with fire, [it is] cut down," where two distinct but complementary actions are used to describe the same outcome of utter destruction, intensifying the sense of desolation. This pairing also serves as a form of Hyperbole, exaggerating the extent of the ruin to emphasize the totality of the judgment. The imagery itself is highly Sensory, evoking sights of burning and cutting, and the implied feeling of loss and desolation, drawing the reader into the emotional weight of the lament.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalm 80:16 stands as a stark reminder of the covenantal relationship between God and Israel, where blessings were promised for obedience and curses for disobedience. The destruction of the vine symbolizes the breaking of this covenant from Israel's side, leading to God's withdrawal of favor and active judgment. This verse underscores the biblical truth that God is not only a God of love and mercy but also of justice and holiness, who holds His people accountable for their faithfulness. The perishing of the vine at His "rebuke" highlights the profound consequences of sin and the absolute necessity of living in alignment with His will for spiritual vitality and protection. It also foreshadows the ultimate judgment against sin that would later be perfectly executed and absorbed in Christ.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalm 80:16 serves as a powerful and sobering mirror for believers today, prompting us to examine the state of our own spiritual lives and communities. Just as Israel was God's chosen vine, believers are called to be fruitful branches abiding in Christ. This verse reminds us that spiritual vitality, protection, and flourishing are not automatic but are intimately tied to our ongoing relationship with God and our obedience to His word. When we stray from His path, neglect His commands, or allow sin to take root, we risk experiencing a withdrawal of His manifest blessing, a sense of spiritual barrenness, or even divine discipline that feels like a "rebuke." This is not an arbitrary punishment but a loving Father's correction, designed to bring us back to repentance and restoration. Therefore, this verse should ignite within us a deep desire for self-examination, genuine repentance for any areas of unfaithfulness, and a renewed commitment to diligently seek God's face, trusting in His mercy to restore us and cause His "countenance to shine upon us" once more.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of the "vine" metaphor in Psalm 80 and other biblical texts?
Answer: The "vine" metaphor is profoundly significant throughout the Bible, particularly in relation to Israel. In Psalm 80, it represents the nation of Israel, whom God lovingly "brought out of Egypt" and "planted" in the Promised Land, meticulously caring for it to yield fruit. This imagery underscores God's intimate relationship with His people and His desire for their fruitfulness and prosperity. Other texts like Isaiah 5:1-7 and Jeremiah 2:21 also use the vine to symbolize Israel, often lamenting its failure to produce good fruit despite God's diligent cultivation. Ultimately, Jesus redefines this metaphor in John 15:1-8, identifying Himself as the "true vine" and believers as the branches, shifting the focus from national Israel to a spiritual union with Him as the source of true life and fruitfulness.
How can God's "rebuke of thy countenance" be reconciled with His loving nature?
Answer: Reconciling God's "rebuke" with His loving nature requires understanding His holiness and justice. While God is inherently loving and merciful, He is also perfectly righteous and cannot tolerate sin. His "rebuke" is not an act of arbitrary anger but a just response to covenant unfaithfulness and disobedience. It serves as divine discipline, a severe but ultimately redemptive act intended to bring His people back to repentance and restoration. Just as a loving parent disciplines a child for their good, God's "rebuke" is an expression of His commitment to His people's ultimate well-being and holiness. It highlights that true love includes correction and accountability, ensuring that His people remain in a right relationship with Him, which is the source of all true blessing and life (e.g., Hebrews 12:5-11).
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalm 80:16, with its vivid depiction of the vine's destruction under divine rebuke, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in several profound ways. While the psalm laments Israel's suffering due to their unfaithfulness, the New Testament reveals that the ultimate "rebuke" for humanity's sin was borne by Jesus Christ. He, the perfect Son, became the true Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!, enduring the fiery wrath and being "cut down" on the cross, so that those who believe in Him might not perish under God's righteous judgment. Furthermore, Jesus Himself redefines the vine metaphor, declaring, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.”. In Him, the failed vine of Israel finds its perfect expression. Believers are now branches in Him, drawing life and fruitfulness directly from Him, no longer subject to the "rebuke" that brought perishing, for “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”. The psalmist's plea for God to "let your hand be upon the man of your right hand" (Psalms 80:17) is ultimately fulfilled in Christ, who is seated at the right hand of God, interceding for His people, and through whom all restoration and salvation flow.