The Old and the New Testaments are both rich in the use of metaphor and parable. Vines and vineyards appear frequently in these figures of speech. Psalm 80 features an extended metaphor of Israel as God's vine.
Although referring to God as a "shepherd" and a king "enthroned" (vs. 1), the Psalm actually portrays God more as a vinedresser of His chosen nation of Israel..
Psalm 80 envisions the Exodus event as "You brought a vine out of Egypt." The conquest of Canaan is described as, "You drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land" (vs. 8-9). Israel's age of prosperity under David and Solomon is summarized as, "The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches; it sent out its branches to the sea, and its shoots to the River" (vs. 10-11)
But over the next several verses, the Psalmist is mostly concerned with the recent disaster (the Babylonian invasion?) to befall the nation. Listen to what has happened to God's once-precious vine: "Why then have you broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?" (Jerusalem has been left defenseless and open to marauders.) "The boar from the forest ravages it, and all that move in the field feed on it." (Gentiles neighbors - i.e. unclean pigs - are freely raiding what's left of the nation.) "They have burned it with fire, they have cut it down..." (The nation has been thoroughly defeated and destroyed).
In spite of this devastation to the vine, Asaph is hopeful that life yet remains in it. He implores God to "turn again" and have regard for the vine that His hand had planted (vs. 14). This psalm is a plea for restoration and return to God's favor. The nation longs to be His vine again.
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