Psalm 80:18 kjv
So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name.
Psalm 80:18 nkjv
Then we will not turn back from You; Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.
Psalm 80:18 niv
Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name.
Psalm 80:18 esv
Then we shall not turn back from you; give us life, and we will call upon your name!
Psalm 80:18 nlt
Then we will never abandon you again.
Revive us so we can call on your name once more.
Psalm 80 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Pledge of steadfastness / Repentance | ||
| Joel 2:12-13 | "Even now," declares the Lord, "return to Me with all your heart... Rend your heart and not your garments." | Call to genuine repentance for restoration. |
| Jer 3:22 | "Return, O faithless sons; I will heal your faithlessness." "Behold, we come to You, for You are the Lord our God." | God's invitation and people's responsive turning. |
| Hos 14:1-2 | "Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take with you words..." | Plea to return from sin, with commitment to God. |
| Deut 30:2-3 | "and return to the Lord your God... then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes..." | Covenantal promise upon national turning back to God. |
| Neh 1:9 | "but if you return to Me and keep My commandments... though you have been scattered to the uttermost parts..." | Promise of gathering upon returning to obedience. |
| Heb 10:39 | But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls. | Contrast with turning back from God's salvation. |
| John 6:66-67 | After this many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him... Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you want to go away as well?" | Examples of turning away from the Messiah. |
| Prayer for Revival / Life from God | ||
| Ps 119:25 | My soul clings to the dust; revive me according to Your word. | Direct plea for life/renewal from God's word. |
| Ps 119:37 | Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in Your ways. | Spiritual quickening, guiding towards righteousness. |
| Ps 119:40 | Behold, I long for Your precepts; in Your righteousness revive me. | Yearning for God's law, desiring life through His justice. |
| Eph 2:4-5 | But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ... | God's act of spiritual revival through Christ. |
| Col 2:13 | And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him... | Dead in sin, made alive by God's grace. |
| Eze 37:1-14 | The hand of the Lord was upon me... And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I answered, "O Lord God, You know." | Vision of dry bones, representing national spiritual revival. |
| John 5:21 | For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He will. | Jesus' power to grant spiritual and physical life. |
| Calling upon God's Name / Dependence & Worship | ||
| Gen 4:26 | To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord. | Early beginning of human dependence and worship of God. |
| Ps 116:4 | Then I called upon the name of the Lord: "O Lord, deliver my soul!" | Individual prayer in distress, seeking divine help. |
| Ps 145:18 | The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. | God's accessibility and responsiveness to true calling. |
| Isa 12:4 | And you will say in that day: "Give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name..." | Expressing praise and reliance on God. |
| Joel 2:32 | And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. | Universal promise of salvation through invoking God's name. |
| Rom 10:13 | For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." | Echoing Joel, applies salvation through calling on Christ's name. |
| Zech 13:9 | And I will put this third into the fire and refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. | Post-refinement: a remnant calling upon God, met with His answer. |
Psalm 80 verses
Psalm 80 18 Meaning
Psalm 80:18 expresses a heartfelt plea to God for spiritual renewal and restoration, accompanied by a profound commitment from the petitioners. It declares that if God grants revival and pours out His life-giving Spirit upon them, they will remain steadfast in their faithfulness and devotedly worship Him. This verse signifies a complete turning towards God, renouncing past wanderings, and vowing continuous reliance and invocation of His holy name.
Psalm 80 18 Context
Psalm 80 is a fervent national lament, a prayer from the people of Israel desperately pleading for divine restoration. It likely emerged during a period of national distress, possibly after the Assyrian devastations that greatly affected the Northern Kingdom (represented by Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, mentioned in v. 2), or a similar time of profound suffering and military defeat. The psalm uses the powerful metaphor of Israel as God's "vine" or "vineyard" that He brought out of Egypt, planted, and cared for, but which has now been ravaged by its enemies and by what appears to be divine withdrawal.
The psalm repeatedly cries out, "Restore us, O God of hosts; cause Your face to shine, and we will be saved!" (vv. 3, 7, 19). Verse 18 is part of the final, intense plea within this repetitive structure. It frames a resolve: if God answers their plea for revival, then the people, invigorated by His life, will turn steadfastly to Him. The entire psalm implicitly contrasts Israel's current state of desolation, which stems from turning away from God, with the promised prosperity and salvation that comes from His favorable presence and a renewed commitment to Him. The prayer for "revive us" (Ps 80:18) is therefore not merely for physical relief but for a deep spiritual resuscitation that enables them to fulfill their covenant obligations and live in loyal devotion.
Psalm 80 18 Word analysis
- Then: This word indicates a consequence or result. It points to a dependent relationship between God's action ("revive us") and the people's response ("we will not turn back..."). It highlights the divine initiative in spiritual renewal.
- we will not turn back: The Hebrew verb is shuv (שׁוּב), meaning "to turn," "to return," "to repent." In this context, it signifies a resolute commitment to no longer depart from God, not to apostatize, nor to revert to former sinful ways. It implies repentance and a subsequent steadfast adherence to God's ways. This is a vow of faithful loyalty, moving from a state of wandering or turning away back to a covenant relationship with God.
- from You: This prepositional phrase emphasizes the personal relationship with God. The commitment is directly towards Him, not just principles or laws, but to the living God. It highlights the focus of their renewed devotion.
- revive us: The Hebrew verb is khayah (חָיָה), from which khayenu (חֲיֵנוּ - "make us live," "quicken us," "restore us to life") is derived. It signifies bringing to life, preserving life, or restoring life where it was lost or diminished. In a spiritual and national lament like Psalm 80, "revive us" points to more than mere physical sustenance. It implies restoring spiritual vitality, national strength, and renewing their covenant relationship, which had become stagnant or even "dead" due to judgment and unfaithfulness. It acknowledges their utter dependency on God's life-giving power.
- and we will call: The Hebrew verb is qara (קָרָא), meaning "to call," "to call out," "to invoke." It implies active seeking, praying, and worshiping God. It is a fundamental act of devotion and reliance upon Him, expressing trust and dependence.
- upon Your name: The "name" of God (shem, שֵׁם) in biblical thought represents His revealed character, attributes, power, and presence. To call "upon Your name" means to appeal to who God is, His promises, His might, and His very being. It is an act of acknowledging His sovereignty and trusting in His unique identity as Yahweh, the covenant-keeping God. This signifies deep worship, absolute trust, and reliance on God's nature for deliverance and salvation. It differentiates Him from all other supposed deities or powers.
Psalm 80 18 Bonus section
The structure of Psalm 80, with its recurring plea "Restore us, O God of hosts; cause Your face to shine, and we will be saved!" (vv. 3, 7, 19), underscores the deep yearning for God's manifest presence. Verse 18's plea "revive us" directly precedes the final, intensified version of this refrain in verse 19, suggesting that this spiritual quickening is the key prerequisite for God's favorable presence (His face shining) and the subsequent salvation. This implies that revival is not just about personal holiness but is intimately connected to experiencing God's full redemptive work on a communal level. The mention of God's "name" being called upon signifies a return to foundational covenant identity and worship, moving away from syncretism or forgetfulness of God's unique nature. It represents a promise to actively live out the implications of being "people of the Name," which is central to Old Testament faith and finds ultimate fulfillment in calling upon the name of the Lord Jesus for salvation and guidance in the New Testament.
Psalm 80 18 Commentary
Psalm 80:18 beautifully articulates the profound interdependence between divine grace and human responsiveness. The people of Israel, in a state of lament and desolation, acknowledge that their ability to remain faithful hinges entirely on God's life-giving intervention. They are not saying, "We will strive to be good, then You revive us," but rather, "Revive us, and then we will not turn back." This highlights the theological truth of God's sovereign initiative in redemption and spiritual renewal. Humanity's capacity for sustained faithfulness and fervent devotion—symbolized by "not turn back" and "call upon Your name"—is a direct outflow of God's prior work of spiritual resuscitation. It is a humble pledge of devotion, not a boast of self-reliance, expressing absolute dependence on God to empower their very obedience and worship. The phrase "call upon Your name" also stresses authentic worship and active dependence on God's revealed character, implying that genuine revival will result in a life of seeking and glorifying Him alone. For instance, in our lives, when God renews us through His Spirit, our natural inclination to stray diminishes, and our desire to pray, seek, and worship Him intensely increases. This verse becomes a prayer for individuals and communities experiencing spiritual lethargy, asking God to rekindle their first love and re-energize their walk with Him, promising devoted loyalty as a grateful response.