Psalm 80:11 kjv
She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river.
Psalm 80:11 nkjv
She sent out her boughs to the Sea, And her branches to the River.
Psalm 80:11 niv
Its branches reached as far as the Sea, its shoots as far as the River.
Psalm 80:11 esv
It sent out its branches to the sea and its shoots to the River.
Psalm 80:11 nlt
We spread our branches west to the Mediterranean Sea;
our shoots spread east to the Euphrates River.
Psalm 80 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 80:8-10 | You brought a vine out of Egypt...it filled the land... | Israel as a vine God brought from Egypt. |
| Gen 15:18 | ...to your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates. | God's promise of land from Nile to Euphrates. |
| Exod 23:31 | I will fix your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines and from the wilderness to the River. | Borders of promised land to Israel. |
| Deut 11:24 | Every place where you set your foot shall be yours: your territory shall be from the wilderness to the Lebanon and from the River, the river Euphrates, to the western sea. | Extensive territorial promise reaffirmed. |
| Josh 1:4 | From the wilderness and the Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun, shall be your territory. | Borders for Joshua's conquest. |
| 1 Ki 4:21 | Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. | Fulfillment of the wide dominion under Solomon. |
| 2 Chr 9:26 | He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines and as far as the border of Egypt. | Solomon's wide rule mentioned again. |
| Isa 5:1-7 | My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill... He expected it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. | Israel as a vine, God's disappointment. |
| Jer 2:21 | I planted you as a choice vine, wholly of pure seed. How then have you turned degenerate and become a wild vine? | Israel as a noble vine that corrupted itself. |
| Ezek 17:6 | It grew and became a low, spreading vine with its branches turning toward him. | Vine imagery used for Israel/Zedekiah. |
| Ezek 19:10 | Your mother was like a vine in a vineyard transplanted by the water. | Vine as a metaphor for a kingly lineage/nation. |
| Hos 10:1 | Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields its fruit. The more his fruit increased, the more altars he built. | Israel's prosperity leading to apostasy. |
| Joel 2:24 | The threshing floors shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. | Restoration and abundance for Israel. |
| Psa 72:8 | May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth! | Messiah's universal dominion, echoing Israel's boundaries. |
| Isa 49:6 | I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. | Broader scope of God's redemptive purpose for Israel/Christ. |
| Zech 9:10 | His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. | Messiah's peaceful and widespread rule. |
| Jn 15:1-5 | I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away. | Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment, the true Israel. |
| Rom 10:18 | Indeed, "Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world." | Spreading of God's Word globally. |
| Eph 2:19-22 | So then you are no longer strangers and aliens... Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone. | Growing into a holy temple in the Lord (spiritual building/growth). |
| Rev 7:9 | After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne. | Fulfillment of God's kingdom encompassing all nations. |
Psalm 80 verses
Psalm 80 11 Meaning
Psalm 80:11 describes the extensive growth and dominion of the vine, which represents the nation of Israel. It depicts a flourishing state where Israel's influence and presence stretched far and wide, from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the great Euphrates River in the east, symbolizing the fulfillment of God's promises of territorial blessing and prosperity to His people.
Psalm 80 11 Context
Psalm 80 is a communal lament, an earnest plea for divine restoration from the nation of Israel, specifically associated with the northern tribes (Ephraim, Benjamin, Manasseh, Psa 80:2). The psalm opens with an invocation to the "Shepherd of Israel" (Psa 80:1), reminding God of His past acts of salvation and His special relationship with His people. Verse 11 appears within a section where Israel is vividly depicted as a vine (Psa 80:8), which God Himself transplanted from Egypt. Verses 8-10 detail the magnificent growth and covering of the land by this vine under God's favor, portraying a period of widespread prosperity and dominion. Verse 11 extends this imagery, specifying the geographical breadth of this flourishing, describing its branches reaching from the Sea to the River. This grand depiction of past or ideal prosperity serves as a stark contrast to the nation's current state of distress, where the vine is being broken down and devoured (Psa 80:12-13). The psalm is a cry for God to "restore us" (Psa 80:3, 7, 19), to turn His face upon them once more, reflecting the longing for the re-establishment of the vast, divinely promised blessings. Historically, this expanse often refers to the maximum extent of the promised land under kings like David and Solomon.
Psalm 80 11 Word analysis
- She sent out (תְּשַׁלַּח - təšallaḥ): From the root שׁלח (šālaḥ), meaning "to send," "stretch forth," or "put out." Here, it signifies the vine's natural outward growth and expansion, empowered by God's initial planting and sustenance.
- Her branches (קְצִירֶהָ - qətsîrāh): Literally "its harvest," "its cuttings," or "its tendrils/sprigs." In context, these are the vegetative growth of the vine that spreads widely, indicating abundant life and extension. It suggests outward growth and productiveness.
- To the Sea (עַד־יָם - ‘aḏ-yām): "Sea" (יָם - yām) typically refers to the Mediterranean Sea, which formed the western boundary of the land promised to Israel. This signifies the full extent of the land westward.
- And her shoots (וְיוֹנְקוֹתֶיהָ - wəyônaqôtêhā): From ינק (yānaq), meaning "to suckle" or "to grow up," referring to tender young growth, sprouts, or suckers. These are new growths that signify vigorous life and expansion. This term often implies fresh, continuous vitality and a new generation spreading.
- To the River (אֶל־נָהָר - ’el-nāhār): "River" (נָהָר - nāhār) almost universally refers to the Euphrates River, which served as the promised eastern and northern boundary of the land. This indicates the full breadth of the promised land eastward, signifying ultimate territorial blessing.
Words-group analysis:
- "She sent out her branches to the Sea": This phrase evokes a strong image of unrestrained growth towards the natural western boundary, emphasizing the abundant outward spread and influence. It paints a picture of fertile, divinely-blessed expansion.
- "and her shoots to the River": Complementing the first phrase, this highlights new, vigorous growth extending to the distant eastern boundary, reinforcing the vastness and thoroughness of the vine's reach. Together, these two geographical markers encompass the entire ideal, promised territory for Israel, illustrating the fulfillment of God's covenant blessings in terms of dominion and prosperity.
Psalm 80 11 Bonus section
The imagery of Israel as a vine that spreads widely across the land speaks not only to physical territory but also to the spiritual and cultural influence it was meant to exert. In the ancient Near East, the growth and health of a nation were often symbolized by flourishing agricultural elements. The vine's extensive reach implies prosperity and the blessings of the land, indicative of a nation walking in obedience to God's covenant. This wide dominion foreshadows a broader kingdom extending beyond Israel's physical boundaries. This finds its ultimate fulfillment not merely in a nationalistic sense, but in the global expansion of God's kingdom through Jesus Christ, the true Vine (Jn 15:1-8). His disciples, the branches connected to Him, are commissioned to go to "the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8), bringing the spiritual "shoots" of God's love and truth to all nations, realizing a dominion far greater than the literal "Sea to River" span. Thus, the ideal for Israel in Psalm 80:11 points towards a universal redemptive purpose inherent in God's plan.
Psalm 80 11 Commentary
Psalm 80:11, situated within Israel's lament, serves as a poignant reminder of God's glorious past provision and the ideal state of the nation. The vine, symbolic of Israel since its transplantation from Egypt, is depicted in its maximum potential and actual historical flourishing. The reference to its "branches" reaching the Mediterranean "Sea" and its "shoots" extending to the "River" (Euphrates) directly echoes the geographical scope of the land promised to Abraham and reaffirmed to Moses and Joshua. This was a land "flowing with milk and honey," a space of God's blessing and secure dwelling.
The verse is not just a geographical description but a statement of divine intention and past reality. During periods like Solomon's reign, Israel indeed enjoyed such extensive dominion. By contrasting this imagery of abundant life and vast territory with the current devastation described later in the Psalm, the Psalmist intensifies the desperate cry for restoration. It reminds God, and the worshippers, of the potential that was realized under divine favor and is now lost. It signifies a kingdom of peace, prosperity, and God-given influence, where God's people were meant to thrive under His care. For believers today, this can serve as a powerful reminder of God's desire for the expansive growth and fruitfulness of His people, whether as the church spreading the Gospel to the "ends of the earth," or in the individual life bearing much fruit for the Kingdom, reflecting a life deeply rooted in Christ, the True Vine.