This very touching and beautiful psalm purports also to be a psalm of Asaph. Compare the notes at the title to Ps. 73. On the phrase "upon Shoshannim-eduth" in the title, see the notes at the title to Ps. 45. and notes at Psalm 60:1-12. The word rendered eduth, which means testimony, may have been used here with reference to the contents of the psalm as a public testimony in regard to the dealings of God with his people. But it is not possible now to determine with certainty the meaning of these titles.
The psalm, in its design, has a strong resemblance to Ps. 74; Psalm 79:1-13, and was probably composed on the same occasion. It has been generally supposed to have reference to the time of the Babylonian captivity. Some have referred it, however, to the time of Antiochus Epiphanes; and others regard it as a prayer of the ten tribes which had been carried away to Assyria. Doederlein supposes that it refers to the wars of Jehoshaphat with the Ammonites 2 Chr. 20; and others suppose that it refers to the troubles caused by the Philistines. It is impossible now to determine with certainty the time or the occasion of its composition. It can be best explained on the supposition that it refers to the desolations caused by the Chaldeans under Nebuchadnezzar.
The psalm is properly divided into three parts, each closing with the prayer "Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved," Psalm 80:3, Psalm 80:7,Psalm 80:19.
I. The first part is a prayer, addressed to God as a shepherd - as one who had led his people like a flock - that he would again shine forth on them now that they were in trouble, and that he would stir up his strength, and come and save them, Psalm 80:1-3.
II. The second is a prayer, also - founded on the troubles of his people; a people fed with their tears; a strife to their neighbors; and an occasion of laughter or mirth to their foes, Psalm 80:4-7.
III. The third is also a prayer - founded on the former dealings of God with his people, on his care for them in ancient times, and on the fact that they were now desolate; their state being represented under the image of a vine brought from abroad; planted with care; attentively nurtured until it sent out its branches in every direction, so that it filled the land; and then broken down - torn - rent - trampled on - by a wild boar out of the wood, Psalm 80:8-19. In view of this desolation the psalmist prays that God would interpose, and he pledges the assurance that if this were done for them, the people would no more go back from God.

A prayer for the captives, Psalm 80:1-3. A description of their miseries, Psalm 80:4-7. Israel compared to a vineyard, Psalm 80:8-14. Its desolate state, and a prayer for its restoration, Psalm 80:15-19.
The title: see Psalm 45, Psalm 60:1-12, and 69, where every thing material is explained. This Psalm seems to have been written on the same occasion with the former. One ancient MS. in the public library in Cambridge writes the eightieth and the seventy-ninth all as one Psalm; the subject-matter is precisely the same - was made on the same occasion, and probably by the same author.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 80
To the chief Musician upon Shoshannimeduth, A Psalm of Asaph. Of the word "shoshannim", see Gill on Psalm 45:1, and of "shushaneduth", see Gill on Psalm 60:1 which seems to be the same with this here, and is thought by some to be the name of a musical instrument now unknown, as Kimchi and Ben Melech; though these two words are not to be read together as one, for there is a dividing accent on "shoshannim", and which may be rendered "concerning the lilies" (a); and so may denote the subject matter of the psalm, or respect the people of God, comparable to lilies for their beauty, purity, and holiness in Christ, Song 6:2, and to lilies among thorns, Song 2:2, being in great afflictions and persecutions, as appears from Psalm 80:5, the word "eduth" is to be read not along with "shoshannim", but with what follows, thus, "Eduth unto Asaph a psalm"; some render the word "eduth" an ornament or glory, as R. Marinus in Aben Ezra; and take the sense to be, that the psalm was a glorious one, and desirable to Asaph; but it rather signifies a testimony, and is by the Targum interpreted of the testimony of the law; but it is rather to be understood of the testimony of the Gospel, which is the testimony of Christ, and bears witness of him; and there is a testimony of him in this psalm, Psalm 80:17, and there seem to be in it many breathings after his coming and appearance in the flesh. Some take this psalm to be of the same argument with the foregoing, and think it refers to the destruction of the Jews, the two tribes, by the Chaldeans; so Theodoret; but there is no mention made of the temple, nor of Jerusalem, as in the preceding psalm; and besides, why should Manasseh and Ephraim be mentioned? wherefore others are of opinion that it has regard to the captivity of the ten tribes by Salmaneser; but then it may be asked, why is Benjamin taken notice of, which had no concern in the affliction? this has led others to conclude that it respects some time of affliction before either of these captivities, or between them both; and it may be applied to any affliction of the people of God in any age or period of time; and no doubt was written by Asaph, or by David, and put into his hands before the distress was, under a spirit of prophecy. Kimchi interprets it of the present captivity of the Jews, and Jarchi of their three captivities.
(a) "super liliis", Tigurine version, Cocceius; "pro liliis", Musculus.

(Psalm 80:1-7) The psalmist complains of the miseries of the church.
(Psalm 80:8-16) Its former prosperity and present desolation.
(Psalm 80:17-19) A prayer for mercy.

Prayer for Jahve's Vine
With the words We are Thy people and the flock of Thy pasture, Psalm 79:1-13 closes; and Psalm 80 begins with a cry to the Shepherd of Israel. Concerning the inscription of the Psalm: To be practised after the "Lilies, the testimony...," by Asaph, a Psalm, vid., on Psalm 45:1, supra, p. 45f. The lxx renders, εἰς τὸ τέλος (unto the end), ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀλλοιωθησομένων (which is unintelligible and ungrammatical = אל־שׁשּׂנים), μαρτύριον τῷ Ἀσάφ (as the accentuation also unites these words closely by Tarcha), ψαλμός ὑπὲρ τοῦ Ἀσσυρίου (cf. Psalm 76:1), perhaps a translation of אל־אשׁור, an inscribed note which took the "boar out of the forest" as an emblem of Assyria. This hint is important. It solves the riddle why Joseph represents all Israel in Psalm 80:2, and why the tribes of Joseph in particular are mentioned in Psalm 80:3, and why in the midst of these Benjamin, whom like descent from Rachel and chagrin, never entirely overcome, on account of the loss of the kingship drew towards the brother-tribes of Joseph. Moreover the tribe of Benjamin had only partially remained to the house of David since the division of the kingdom,
(Note: It is true we read that Benjamin stood on the side of Rehoboam with Judah after the division of the kingdom (1-Kings 12:21), Judah and Benjamin appear as parts of the kingdom of Judah (2-Chronicles 11:3, 2-Chronicles 11:23; 2-Chronicles 15:8., and frequently); but if, according to 1-Kings 11:13, 1-Kings 11:32, 1-Kings 11:36, only שׁבט אחד remains to the house of David, this is Judah, inasmuch as Benjamin did not remain entirely under the Davidic sceptre, and Simeon is to be left out of account (cf. Genesis, S. 603); the Benjamitish cities of Bethel, Gilgal, and Jericho belonged to the northern kingdom, but, as in the case of Rama (1-Kings 15:21.), not without being contested (cf. e.g., 2-Chronicles 13:19); the boundaries were therefore fluctuating, vid., Ewald, Geschichte des Volkes Israel (3rd ed.), S. 439-441.)
so that this triad is to be regarded as an expansion of the "Joseph" (v. 20. After the northern kingdom had exhausted its resources in endless feuds with Damascene Syria, it succumbed to the world-wide dominion of Assyria in the sixth year of Hezekiah, in consequence of the heavy visitations which are closely associated with the names of the Assyrian kings Pul, Tiglath-pileser, and Shalmaneser. The psalmist, as it seems, prays in a time in which the oppression of Assyria rested heavily upon the kingdom of Ephraim, and Judah saw itself threatened with ruin when this bulwark should have fallen. We must not, however, let it pass without notice that our Psalm has this designation of the nation according to the tribes of Joseph in common with other pre-exilic Psalm of Asaph (Psalm 77:16; Psalm 78:9; Psalm 81:6). It is a characteristic belonging in common to this whole group of Psalm. Was Asaph, the founder of this circle of songs, a native, perhaps, of one of the Levite cities of the province of the tribe of Ephraim or Manasseh?
The Psalm consists of five eight-line strophes, of which the first, second, and fifth close with the refrain, "Elohim, restore us, let Thy countenance shine forth, then shall we be helped!" This prayer grows in earnestness. The refrain begins the first time with Elohim, the second time with Elohim Tsebaôth, and the third time with a threefold Jahve Elohim Tsebaôth, with which the second strophe (Psalm 80:5) also opens.