Psalms 80:15

Psa 80:15 And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch [that] thou madest strong for thyself.

Ver. 15. And the vineyard] Vitiarium, surculum, plantulam.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Psa 80:15. And the vineyard — Hebrew, כנה, channah, which Buxtorf translates, surculus, planta, a branch, or plant, but which Dr. Hammond says “may be most fitly rendered a root, or stock, such as is wont to be planted. For this we know,” proceeds he, “that a branch of a vine, being laid in the ground, will take a root to it, and so be fit to be planted.” And after many critical remarks on the sense of the word, as used in other places, he adds, “by all this it appears that כנהhere, having in its original meaning somewhat of strength and stability, (being used for a foot, or basis,) and being by the context confined to vines, must signify such a slip, or young stock, or plant, as is fit to be set, or grow by itself. And being by the Masorites (Jewish rabbins) written with a large כ, (caph,) signifies this eminent plant, the whole people of the Jews whom God had chosen; and so his right hand is truly said to have planted it.” And the branch that thou madest strong for thyself — Hebrew, בן, ben, the son, namely, the son of the root or stock, according to the Hebrew phraseology, which terms any thing, that is produced by another, its son or daughter. Thus branches are called בנות, benoth, daughters, Gen 49:22. The royal family of David is evidently intended here, which God had raised and established for himself, to accomplish his eternal purpose of saving mankind by the Messiah, who was one day to spring from the root of Jesse. The Chaldee paraphrast expounds the branch of Messiah himself; “On King Messiah, whom thou hast established,” &c. So do the rabbins, Aben Ezra and Obadiah, cited by Dr. Hammond. And the LXX. have rendered the clause, επι υιον ανθρωπου, on the Son of man, an expression actually used by the psalmist, Psa 80:17. “To the advent of this Son of man.” says Dr. Horne, “Israel was ever accustomed to look forward, in time of affliction; on his second and glorious advent the Christian Church must fix her eye, in the day of her calamities.”

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

16. (Psa 80:15) And sustain, what thy right hand has planted, and over the child thou hast reared for thyself (do thou watch, or extend thy protection). The common version of the first words (and the vineyard) is countenanced neither by the ancient versions nor by Hebrew etymology and usage. By giving it, as a verbal form, the sense of covering, protecting (which belongs to some kindred roots), the over in the last clause may depend upon it, and no verb need in that case be supplied. Thy right hand implies an exertion of strength, and at the same time involves an allusion to the name of Benjamin (Son of the Right Hand), here perhaps representing the whole race, on account of the connection of that tribe with both the rival kingdoms, its central position, its possession of the sanctuary, and its historical relation to the infant monarchy under Saul the Benjamite. To complete the allusion, the other element in the name (a son) is then introduced and metaphorically applied to the vine, which is still the Psalmist's theme, by an assimilation of animal and vegetable life common in all languages. Reared, literally strengthened, made strong, i.e. raised, brought up. See my note on Isa 44:14. For thyself, not for its own sake, but as a means of promoting the divine praise and glory.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

80:15 Israel was the son that God had brought out of Egypt (see Hos 11:1) and planted in the Holy Land.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

So that no power can prevail against it, and which as a young bud thou raisest up again as out of the burnt ashes.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 15. The vineyard which thy right hand hath planted] Thy holy and pure worship, which thy Almighty power had established in this city.

And the branch - thou madest strong for thy self.] The original ועל בן veal ben, "and upon the SON whom thou hast strengthened for thyself." Many have thought that the Lord Jesus is meant. And so the Chaldee understood it, as it translates the passage thus: ועל מלכא משיחא veal MALCA MESHICHA, And upon the King Messiah, whom thou hast strengthened for thyself." The Syriac, Vulgate, Septuagint, AEthiopic, and Arabic, have, "the Son of man,' as in the seventeenth verse. Eighteen of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS. have בן אדם ben Adam, "Son of man," and as the Versions have all the same reading, it was probably that of the original copies. As Christ seems here to be intended, this is the first place in the Old Testament where the title Son of man is applied to him. The old Psalter understands this of setting Christ at the right hand of God.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

As to the word כנה, cannah, in the beginning of the 15th verse, I readily acquiesce in the sense given of it by some who translate it, a place prepared; but as some think that there is a change in the Hebrew word of the letter ג, gimel, into כ, caph, so that the reading should be גנה, gannah, a garden or vineyard, we leave the reader to judge for himself. It is, however, certain that this is a metaphor akin to the former, by which is denoted the singular liberality of God in advancing this people, and causing them to prosper. The vine-branch which was planted by the hand of God is also called the Man of his right hand.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(15) And the vineyard which . . .—Most modern scholars follow the LXX. and Vulg. in making the word rendered vineyard an imperative of a verb, meaning protect: And protect what thy right hand hath planted. This makes a good parallelism.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

15. This verse presents serious ambiguities and difficulties. The first word may be rendered as a substantive, in close connexion with Psa_80:14, and the vineyard, or better as R.V. and the stock: or, as in R.V. marg., as a verb: and protect (or maintain) that which thy right hand hath planted. The second rendering is preferable, though not wholly free from difficulty.

the branch] Or, the son, which is the literal meaning of the word. Cp. Exo_4:22; Hos_11:1. Probably an allusion to Gen_49:22. The Targum interprets, “and upon Messiah the king, whom thou hast made strong for thyself.” But the primary reference is obviously to the nation.

madest strong] Tending it with loving care till it grew up: cp. Psa. 39:21; Isa_1:2.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

It is burnt with fire, it is cut down,.... That is, the vine of Israel, and the branch before spoken of, alluding to a vine, and its branches; which, when become unprofitable, are cut down or cut off, and cast into the fire; see Joh 15:6, so Jerusalem and the temple were burnt with fire by Nebuchadnezzar, and afterwards by Vespasian:

they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance; that is, the Israelites, signified by the vine, whose destruction was owing to the wrath of God upon them for their sins; he frowned upon them, and rebuked them in his hot displeasure, and to that their ruin was owing; others were only instruments in his hands. Some understand this as a wish or imprecation, let them that cut down the vine, and burn it with fire, perish at the rebuke of thy countenance; see Psa 68:1, so the Targum.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

And the vineyard ... - Gesenius renders this as a verb: “Protect;” that is, “Protect or defend what thy right hand hath planted.” So the Septuagint renders it κατάρτισαι katartisai - and the Vulgate, perfice, fit, prepare, order. Prof. Alexander renders it sustain. DeWette, “Guard what thy right hand hath planted.” This is doubtless the true idea. It is a prayer that God would guard, sustain, defend what he had planted; to wit, the vine which he had brought out of Egypt, Psa 80:8.

And the branch - literally, the son; that is, the offspring or shoots of the vine. Not merely the original plant - the parent stock - but all the branches which had sprung from it and which had spread themselves over the land.

That thou madest strong for thyself - Thou didst cause it to grow so vigorously for thine own use or honor. On that account, we now call on thee to defend what is thine own.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The vineyard; or, the root, or stock, or plant, as others render it. Thy right hand hath planted; which thou hast planted or fixed with thy might and power; whereof the right hand is both a sign or symbol and an instrument. The branch, Heb. the son, i.e. either,

1. The son of man, as it is more fully expressed, Psa 80:17. Or rather,

2. The branch; for as yet he continues the metaphor; which is called the son, to wit, of the root or stock mentioned in the former clause, as the branches are called daughters in the Hebrew text, Gen 49:22.

Thou madest strong; either,

1. By supporting it with stakes or walls, upon which the vine groweth up or rather,

2. By causing it to grow in bulk and thickness, and consequently in strength. For thyself; for thy own especial delight, and service, and honor.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ver. 15. And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted. Shall all thy care be lost? Thou has done so much, wilt thou lose thy labour? With thy power and wisdom thou didst great things for thy people, wilt thou now utterly give them up, and suffer thine enemies to exult in the evil which they delight in?

And the branch that thou madest strong for thyself. A prayer for the leader whom the Lord had raised up, or for the Messiah whom they expected. Though the vine had been left, yet one branch had been regarded of the Lord, as if to furnish a scion for another vine; therefore, is the prayer made in this form. Let us pray the Lord, if he will not in the first place look upon his church, to look upon the Lord Jesus, and then behold her in mercy for his sake. This is the true art of prayer, to put Christ forward and cry,

"Him and then the sinner see,

Look through Jesus' wounds on me."

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

15. And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted—כנה, (kannah,) translated “vineyard,” signifies a layer-plant, or shoot. Its etymological sense, figuratively applied, takes us back to the germ life of the nation, when first planted in Canaan. Adopting the version of Gesenius we may read: “Behold and visit this vine; even the tender shoot which thy right hand hath planted.” The appeal is pathetic, like that of the infant child to the parent, and the successive pleas, “look down,” “behold,” “visit this vine,” indicate the earnestness of the prayer.

And the branch that thou madest strong for thyself—The Hebrew reads, The son that thou hast strengthened; but though the figure is changed the sense is “branch,” or vine.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted; rather, the stock. (So Kay, Cheyne, and the Revised Version.) Some, however, regard hNk as a verb, and translate, "Establish that which thy right hand has planted" (see the LXX, Michaelis, Hupfeld, Canon Cook, and others). And the branch that thou madest strong for thyself; literally, the son, which may mean the offshoot. (comp. Gen_49:22) Is this offshoot Ephraim? or is the entire vine, all Israel, intended?

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.