Psalms 80:13
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
Psalms 80:13
13 The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it.
Chapter Context
Psalms 80 is a poetic and liturgical chapter in the Old Testament that explores themes of discipleship, mercy, wisdom. Written during various periods (c. 1000-400 BCE), this chapter should be understood within its historical context: Temple worship utilized these compositions across various periods of Israel's history.
The chapter can be divided into several sections:
- Verses 1-5: Introduction and setting the context
- Verses 6-12: Development of key themes
- Verses 13-19: Central message and teachings
This chapter is significant because it provides essential context for understanding God's covenant relationship with His people. When studying this passage, it's important to consider both its immediate context within Psalms and its broader place in the scriptural canon.
Verse Study
Psalms 80:13
13 The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it.
Analysis
The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it. This verse specifies the predators ravaging the exposed vineyard. "The boar out of the wood" (yekarsemenah chazir miyya'ar, יְכַרְסְמֶנָּה חֲזִיר מִיָּעַר) introduces destructive wild swine. Chazir (חֲזִיר) is swine/boar—unclean animal (Leviticus 11:7; Deuteronomy 14:8) that roots up vineyards, destroying roots and vines systematically. Karsem (כָּרְסֵם) means to gnaw, eat off—suggesting thorough, destructive feeding that ruins vines beyond immediate consumption. Boars from the forest represent powerful, unclean forces devastating God's holy vine.
"The wild beast of the field doth devour it" (veziz sadai yir'ennah, וְזִיז שָׂדַי יִרְעֶנָּה) adds comprehensive threat. Ziz (זִיז) is uncertain term, possibly referring to insects, small animals, or general designation for field creatures. The verb ra'ah (רָעָה) means to feed, graze, devour—suggesting the vineyard has become pasture for creatures that should never access it. Together, "boar" and "wild beast" represent all destructive forces—great and small—now feeding freely on what was God's protected possession.
The unclean animals (swine) devastating God's holy vine intensifies the tragedy: not only is Israel suffering, but unclean nations defile what was consecrated to Yahweh. The imagery anticipates Jesus's parable warning against casting pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6) and his lament over Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37-38). The comprehensive devastation—large predators and small creatures—suggests nothing remains to salvage without divine intervention.
Historical Context
Wild boars were serious agricultural pests in ancient Palestine, particularly destructive to vineyards and grain fields. The designation of swine as unclean made them fitting metaphors for hostile Gentile nations devastating Israel. Various commentators identify the boar with different historical enemies: Assyria, Babylon, or regional powers like Aram. The dual threat—large predators and small creatures—suggests waves of attacks: major conquests followed by ongoing raids by minor powers, comprehensively devastating the land until nothing remained of former glory.
Reflection
- How do the 'unclean' predators (boar, wild beasts) devastating God's vineyard represent spiritual threats to God's people today?
- What is the proper response when both major threats (boars) and minor persistent attacks (wild beasts) simultaneously assault believers' spiritual vitality?
- How does recognizing that God allowed the hedge removal (verse 12) that permitted these attacks shape understanding of spiritual warfare and protection?
Cross-References
- Parallel theme: Jeremiah 4:7, 5:6