What does Psalm 80:4 mean?
ESV: O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people 's prayers?
NIV: How long, Lord God Almighty, will your anger smolder against the prayers of your people?
NASB: Lord God of armies, How long will You be angry with the prayer of Your people?
CSB: Lord God of Armies, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
NLT: O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, how long will you be angry with our prayers?
KJV: O Lord God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people?
NKJV: O Lord God of hosts, How long will You be angry Against the prayer of Your people?
Verse Commentary:
Verse Context:
Psalm 80:1–6 records a prayer to God as Israel's Shepherd. The psalmist refers to various tribes, asks for the Lord's favor, and pleads for salvation. The nation is suffering some defeat or trouble. The people grieve as if God has become angry with them. Other nations—enemies of Israel—are mocking God's people because of this situation.
Chapter Summary:
The psalmist calls for God's rescue during a time of defeat. The refrain "Restore us…that we may be saved" is repeated several times. The song expresses grief that the Lord has allowed Israel to suffer defeat and embarrassment. Though Israel was brought out of slavery and established in the Promised Land, it is being attacked by some force or foreign power. The psalmist appeals to God to restore His chosen people.
Chapter Context:
This is not clearly associated with a specific event, as are some other chapters in this part of the book of Psalms. Scholars have suggested the conquest of the northern kingdom, the fall of the entire nation of Israel, and harassment by foreign nations during the early days of the monarchy. An unlikely possibility is that the psalm mourns spiritual decay in the nation. The wide range of eras which might apply makes exact authorship uncertain, as well.
Book Summary:
The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.
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Text from ESV, NIV, NASB, CSB, NLT, KJV, NKJV © Copyright respective owners, used by permission.
