After revisiting some verses, we'll see a poem from a completely different perspective:
(יח) וְהָיָ֣ה ׀ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא יִשְׁרֹ֤ק יְהוָה֙ לַזְּב֔וּב אֲשֶׁ֥ר בִּקְצֵ֖ה יְאֹרֵ֣י מִצְרָ֑יִם וְלַ֨דְּבוֹרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּאֶ֥רֶץ אַשּֽׁוּר׃ (יט) וּבָ֨אוּ וְנָח֤וּ כֻלָּם֙ בְּנַחֲלֵ֣י הַבַּתּ֔וֹת וּבִנְקִיקֵ֖י הַסְּלָעִ֑ים וּבְכֹל֙ הַנַּ֣עֲצוּצִ֔ים וּבְכֹ֖ל הַנַּהֲלֹלִֽים׃
...
(כג) וְהָיָה֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא יִֽהְיֶ֣ה כָל־מָק֗וֹם אֲשֶׁ֧ר יִֽהְיֶה־שָּׁ֛ם אֶ֥לֶף גֶּ֖פֶן בְּאֶ֣לֶף כָּ֑סֶף לַשָּׁמִ֥יר וְלַשַּׁ֖יִת יִֽהְיֶֽה׃ (כד) בַּחִצִּ֥ים וּבַקֶּ֖שֶׁת יָ֣בוֹא שָׁ֑מָּה כִּי־שָׁמִ֥יר וָשַׁ֖יִת תִּֽהְיֶ֥ה כָל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (כה) וְכֹ֣ל הֶהָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר בַּמַּעְדֵּר֙ יֵעָ֣דֵר֔וּן לֹֽא־תָב֣וֹא שָׁ֔מָּה יִרְאַ֖ת שָׁמִ֣יר וָשָׁ֑יִת וְהָיָה֙ לְמִשְׁלַ֣ח שׁ֔וֹר וּלְמִרְמַ֖ס שֶֽׂה׃ (פ)
(18) “In that day, YHWH will whistle to the flies at the ends of the water channels of Egypt and to the bees in the land of Assyria; (19) and they shall all come and alight in the rugged wadis, and in the clefts of the rocks, and in all the thornbrakes, and in all the watering places.
...
(23) “For in that day, every spot where there could stand a thousand vines worth a thousand shekels of silver shall become a wilderness of thornbush and thistle. (24) One will have to go there with bow and arrows, for the country shall be all thornbushes and thistles.
Alter on verse 24:
Vineyards will turn to brambles, and wild beasts will roam there - hence the need for bow and arrow.
(ח) וַיִּקַּ֨ח אָחָ֜ז אֶת־הַכֶּ֣סֶף וְאֶת־הַזָּהָ֗ב הַנִּמְצָא֙ בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֔ה וּבְאֹֽצְר֖וֹת בֵּ֣ית הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַיִּשְׁלַ֥ח לְמֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁ֖וּר שֹֽׁחַד׃ (ט) וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ע אֵלָיו֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֔וּר וַיַּעַל֩ מֶ֨לֶךְ אַשּׁ֤וּר אֶל־דַּמֶּ֙שֶׂק֙ וַֽיִּתְפְּשֶׂ֔הָ וַיַּגְלֶ֖הָ קִ֑ירָה וְאֶת־רְצִ֖ין הֵמִֽית׃
(8) Ahaz took the gold and silver that were on hand in the House of the YHWH and in the treasuries of the royal palace and sent them as a gift to the king of Assyria. (9) The king of Assyria responded to his request; the king of Assyria marched against Damascus and captured it. He deported its inhabitants to Kir and put Rezin to death.
Who could be saying this psalm? (Any way to connect it with our Syrio-Ephraim crisis?)
(ב) רֹ֘עֵ֤ה יִשְׂרָאֵ֨ל ׀ הַאֲזִ֗ינָה נֹהֵ֣ג כַּצֹּ֣אן יוֹסֵ֑ף יֹשֵׁ֖ב הַכְּרוּבִ֣ים הוֹפִֽיעָה׃ (ג) לִפְנֵ֤י אֶפְרַ֨יִם ׀ וּבִנְיָ֘מִ֤ן וּמְנַשֶּׁ֗ה עוֹרְרָ֥ה אֶת־גְּבֽוּרָתֶ֑ךָ וּלְכָ֖ה לִישֻׁעָ֣תָה לָּֽנוּ׃ (ד) אֱלֹהִ֥ים הֲשִׁיבֵ֑נוּ וְהָאֵ֥ר פָּ֝נֶ֗יךָ וְנִוָּשֵֽׁעָה׃ (ה) יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֣ים צְבָא֑וֹת עַד־מָתַ֥י עָ֝שַׁ֗נְתָּ בִּתְפִלַּ֥ת עַמֶּֽךָ׃ (ו) הֶ֭אֱכַלְתָּם לֶ֣חֶם דִּמְעָ֑ה וַ֝תַּשְׁקֵ֗מוֹ בִּדְמָע֥וֹת שָׁלִֽישׁ׃ (ז) תְּשִׂימֵ֣נוּ מָ֭דוֹן לִשְׁכֵנֵ֑ינוּ וְ֝אֹיְבֵ֗ינוּ יִלְעֲגוּ־לָֽמוֹ׃ (ח) אֱלֹהִ֣ים צְבָא֣וֹת הֲשִׁיבֵ֑נוּ וְהָאֵ֥ר פָּ֝נֶ֗יךָ וְנִוָּשֵֽׁעָה׃ (ט) גֶּ֭פֶן מִמִּצְרַ֣יִם תַּסִּ֑יעַ תְּגָרֵ֥שׁ גּ֝וֹיִ֗ם וַתִּטָּעֶֽהָ׃ (י) פִּנִּ֥יתָ לְפָנֶ֑יהָ וַתַּשְׁרֵ֥שׁ שָׁ֝רָשֶׁ֗יהָ וַתְּמַלֵּא־אָֽרֶץ׃ (יא) כָּסּ֣וּ הָרִ֣ים צִלָּ֑הּ וַ֝עֲנָפֶ֗יהָ אַֽרְזֵי־אֵֽל׃ (יב) תְּשַׁלַּ֣ח קְצִירֶ֣הָ עַד־יָ֑ם וְאֶל־נָ֝הָ֗ר יֽוֹנְקוֹתֶֽיהָ׃ (יג) לָ֭מָּה פָּרַ֣צְתָּ גְדֵרֶ֑יהָ וְ֝אָר֗וּהָ כָּל־עֹ֥בְרֵי דָֽרֶךְ׃ (יד) יְכַרְסְמֶ֣נָּֽה חֲזִ֣יר מִיָּ֑עַר וְזִ֖יז שָׂדַ֣י יִרְעֶֽנָּה׃ (טו) אֱלֹהִ֣ים צְבָאוֹת֮ שֽׁ֫וּב־נָ֥א הַבֵּ֣ט מִשָּׁמַ֣יִם וּרְאֵ֑ה וּ֝פְקֹ֗ד גֶּ֣פֶן זֹֽאת׃ (טז) וְ֭כַנָּה אֲשֶׁר־נָטְעָ֣ה יְמִינֶ֑ךָ וְעַל־בֵּ֝֗ן אִמַּ֥צְתָּה לָּֽךְ׃ (יז) שְׂרֻפָ֣ה בָאֵ֣שׁ כְּסוּחָ֑ה מִגַּעֲרַ֖ת פָּנֶ֣יךָ יֹאבֵֽדוּ׃ (יח) תְּֽהִי־יָ֭דְךָ עַל־אִ֣ישׁ יְמִינֶ֑ךָ עַל־בֶּן־אָ֝דָ֗ם אִמַּ֥צְתָּ לָּֽךְ׃ (יט) וְלֹא־נָס֥וֹג מִמֶּ֑ךָּ תְּ֝חַיֵּ֗נוּ וּבְשִׁמְךָ֥ נִקְרָֽא׃ (כ) יְה֘וָ֤ה אֱלֹהִ֣ים צְבָא֣וֹת הֲשִׁיבֵ֑נוּ הָאֵ֥ר פָּ֝נֶ֗יךָ וְנִוָּשֵֽׁעָה׃
(2) Give ear, O shepherd of Israel who leads Joseph like a flock! Appear, You who are enthroned on the cherubim, (3) at the head of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh! Rouse Your might and come to our help!
(4) Restore us, O God; show Your favor that we may be delivered.
(5) O YHWH, god of hosts, how long will You be wrathful toward the prayers of Your people?
(6) You have fed them tears as their daily bread, made them drink great measures of tears. (7) You set us at strife with our neighbors; our enemies mock us at will. (8) O God of hosts, restore us; show Your favor that we may be delivered.
(9) You plucked up a vine from Egypt; You expelled nations and planted it. (10) You cleared a place for it; it took deep root and filled the land. (11) The mountains were covered by its shade, mighty cedars by its boughs. (12) Its branches reached the sea, its shoots, the river.
(13) Why did You breach its wall so that every passerby plucks its fruit, (14) wild boars gnaw at it, and the swarm of the field feed on it?
(15) O God of hosts, turn again, look down from heaven and see; take note of that vine, (16) the stock planted by Your right hand, the stem you have taken as Your own. (17) For it is burned by fire and cut down, perishing before Your angry blast.
(18) Grant Your help to the man at Your right hand, the one You have taken as Your own.
(19) We will not turn away from You; preserve our life that we may invoke Your name. (20) O YHWH, god of hosts, restore us; show Your favor that we may be delivered.
From Alter's commentary:
"Joseph," in contrast to "Judah" or "Jacob," is a reference to the northern kingdom. The Septuagint includes in its superscription for this psalm, "concerning the Assyrians." It may well have been composed at a moment when the northern kingdom of Israel was threatened but, on the basis of the content of the poem, not yet destroyed by Assyria.
...
The Hebrew (verse 14) "ziz" suggests "moving thing," in all likelihood a reference to insects and othe rcrawling things. In the quasi-allegorical vehicle of the violated vine, the Assyrian army is imagined as other than human - a wild boar, a ravenous swarm of pestilential crawling creatures.