Psalms 80:14-16

80:14 O God, invincible warrior, ¹  come back!

Look down from heaven and take notice!

Take care of this vine,

80:15 the root ²  your right hand planted,

the shoot you made to grow! ³ 

80:16 It is burned ⁴  and cut down.

They die because you are displeased with them. ⁵ 

[80:14]  ¹ tn Heb “O God, hosts.” One expects the construct form אֱלֹהֵי before צְבָאוֹת (tsÿva’ot, “hosts”; see Ps 89:9), but יְהוָה אֱלֹהִים (yehvah ’elohim) precedes צְבָאוֹת (tsÿva’ot) in Pss 59:5 and 84:8 as well. See also vv. 4, 7 for a similar construction.

[80:15]  ² tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT. HALOT 483 s.v. III כֵּן emends the form to כַּנָּהּ (kannah, “its shoot”).

[80:15]  ³ tn Heb “and upon a son you strengthened for yourself.” In this context, where the extended metaphor of the vine dominates, בֵּן (ben, “son”) probably refers to the shoots that grow from the vine. Cf. Gen 49:22.

[80:16]  ⁴ tn Heb “burned with fire.”

[80:16]  ⁵ tn Heb “because of the rebuke of your face they perish.”