Psalm 80 by Asaph is a cry for restoration by the ‘Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock’. (1) As strife continues all around, the singer seeks a more peaceable zone, perhaps by the still waters and safe pastures of other familiar psalms.
Asaph, as usual, had a historical situation in mind; but the psalm translates well in today’s troubled times, as does the inbuilt antiphon in verses 3, 7 and 19:
Restore us again, let your face shine, that we may be saved.
Five previous posts on this psalm are salted away in the archives of this site. For the summary, read the most recent post one year ago>.
The local plan this year is to dust off PFAS 80A; verses are adapted to fit the tune of the refrain, rather than the tone supplied in PFAS.
Psalms in the South 