Psalm 80:15
Read Psalm 80:15 Using Other Translations
What does Psalm 80:15 mean?
And the vineyard which thy right hand hath
planted
The word "Cannah" is only used in this place, and the first
letter of it is larger than usual, to keep in perpetual
remembrance, as is thought by some F20, the bringing of this
vine out of Egypt, and the great things done for it in the land
of Israel; and the letter, being crooked, may denote the
oppression of this vine by various calamities. The Targum renders
the word, a branch or shoot; and Kimchi, according to the scope
of the place, a plant; and observes, that others interpret it an
habitation or dwelling place; and so may be understood of
Jerusalem, or the temple. Aben Ezra takes it to be an adjective,
and to signify "prepared" or "established", which is said of this
vine, ( Psalms
80:9 ) . It is an Egyptian word used by the psalmist,
treating of the vine brought out of Egypt, and signifies a plant;
hence the ivy is by the Greeks called (cenosiriv) the plant of Osiris F21; the
clause carries in it a reason or argument, enforcing the above
petition, taken from this vine being of the Lord's planting, as
in ( Psalms
80:8 ) and therefore his own honour and glory were concerned
in it:
and the branch that thou madest strong for
thyself:
meaning the same thing, and the same people whom he confirmed in
the land of Canaan, and made strong for his service and glory.
The word F23 translated "branch" signifies a
son, as Israel was, to the Lord, son and firstborn. The Targum
understands it of Christ, and paraphrases it thus,
``and for the King Messiah, whom thou hast strengthened for thyself;''that is, for the sake of Christ, whom thou hast appointed to work out the salvation of thy people by his great strength, and who was to come from this vine, or descend from Israel; for the sake of him destroy it not, nor suffer it to be destroyed; and is the same with the Son of man, ( Psalms 80:17 ) , and so it is read in a manuscript.
F20 Vid. Buxtorf. Tiberias, c. 14.
F21 Plutarch de lsid. & Osir.
F23 (Nb le) "super filium", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, Musculus; "propter filium", Junius & Tremellius, Michaelis.
