Psalm 80 15

Psalm 80:15 kjv

And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself.

Psalm 80:15 nkjv

And the vineyard which Your right hand has planted, And the branch that You made strong for Yourself.

Psalm 80:15 niv

the root your right hand has planted, the son you have raised up for yourself.

Psalm 80:15 esv

the stock that your right hand planted, and for the son whom you made strong for yourself.

Psalm 80:15 nlt

that you yourself have planted,
this son you have raised for yourself.

Psalm 80 verses

Psalm 80 15 Meaning

Psalm 80:15 is a fervent plea to God for the restoration and strength of His people, identified with the imagery of a vine and a specific "son." It invokes God's divine action, recalling His original planting and empowerment. The "shoot" or "branch" refers to the nation of Israel, a collective entity established by God. The "Son" signifies a specific individual whom God strengthened for His own purposes, understood within the biblical context as the Davidic king, who represents and leads the nation. This individual ultimately points forward to the Messiah, through whom God would bring about ultimate salvation and restoration. The verse emphasizes God's sovereign hand in establishing and sustaining both His people and His chosen leader, calling upon Him to again display His power and favor.

Psalm 80 15 Context

Psalm 80 is a communal lament (a plea for help) written by Asaph, likely during a period of national distress and suffering, possibly following a military defeat, an invasion, or a period of decline and exile. The entire psalm uses the imagery of Israel as God's vine, which He brought out of Egypt and planted in the Promised Land (v. 8-11), only to see it now ravaged and broken (v. 12-13). The psalm repeatedly cries out for God's restoration ("Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!" - v. 3, 7, 19). Verse 15 fits into this lament as a specific appeal: while earlier verses mourn the vine's desolate state, verse 15 appeals to God's original gracious acts of planting and strengthening both the nation (the vine/shoot) and its chosen leader (the son). The reference to the "son" (in Hebrew, בֵּן, ben) becomes crucial, especially when paired with verse 17's plea for God's hand to be "on the man of your right hand, the son of man whom you made strong for yourself" (בֶּן־אָדָם, ben-adam). This points to the Davidic king, the covenantal representative of the people, whose strength and flourishing were tied to the nation's well-being. The psalm looks to God for renewal, focusing on His powerful intervention on behalf of both the collective (Israel) and its singular, appointed leader, foreshadowing the ultimate reliance on the Messiah.

Psalm 80 15 Word analysis

• וְכִפְנָה (v'khifnah): "And the shoot/branch." This word is somewhat rare and debated among scholars, potentially deriving from a root meaning "to turn" or "to sprout." In this context, it unequivocally refers to an offshoot or branch of the vine (Israel). Its significance lies in extending the vine metaphor from previous verses, emphasizing Israel as God's precious planting, fragile yet capable of growth, now needing His care.
• נָטַעְתָּ (nāta'tā): "You planted." This verb signifies God's direct, intentional, and sovereign action in establishing Israel. It highlights His initiative and ownership, laying the groundwork for the plea that He would not abandon what He so carefully established.
• יְמִינְךָ (yemînkhā): "Your right hand." A powerful anthropomorphism in the Bible, symbolizing God's strength, authority, power, and often His favor or salvific action. It implies God's decisive and effective might in planting Israel and protecting it. The "right hand" is the instrument of God's might and sovereign purpose.
• וְעַל־בֵּן (v'al-bēn): "And concerning the son" or "and upon the son." בֵּן (bēn) definitively means "son." This is a pivotal point of interpretation. While the KJV translates this as "branch," overwhelming scholarly consensus and textual parallels (especially Psa 80:17) indicate "son." This "son" refers to the Davidic king, God's anointed ruler over Israel, representing the hope and leadership of the nation. It points to a singular figure.
• אִמַּצְתָּ ('immaṣtā): "You made strong/you strengthened." Derived from the root אָמֵץ (amaṣ), meaning "to be strong," "to be firm." This verb describes God's deliberate act of endowing the "son" with power, authority, and endurance. It speaks of divine empowerment, not inherent strength.
• לָּךְ (lākh): "For yourself" or "for your purposes." This prepositional phrase emphasizes that God strengthened the son for His own divine plan, glory, and purpose, not merely for the son's personal benefit. The king, as the "son," serves as God's instrument.

Words-group Analysis:

• "And the shoot/branch you planted with your right hand": This phrase maintains the continuity of Israel as God's vineyard, first established and brought forth by His powerful intervention. It reminds God of His initial loving care and the depth of His investment in the nation. This "shoot" is God's possession and responsibility.
• "And the son whom you made strong for yourself": This second part introduces a distinct yet related entity. It highlights a specific, divinely appointed individual (the Davidic king), who is not self-made but derives his strength directly from God. This strength is not for the king's self-aggrandizement but for God's purposes, suggesting a role of obedient servant-ruler, ultimately leading to the Messianic Servant King. The juxtaposition of the collective (Israel as the vine) and the individual (the son/king) emphasizes that God's plan involves both.

Psalm 80 15 Bonus section

The close textual and thematic link between Psalm 80:15 and Psalm 80:17 is essential for a full understanding of "the son." Verse 17 explicitly uses the phrase "the man of Your right hand" (אִישׁ יְמִינֶךָ, ish yemineka) and "the son of man" (בֶּן־אָדָם, ben-adam), clearly referring to the same individual as the "son" in verse 15. The "son of man" imagery has profound theological implications, especially as seen in Daniel 7:13-14, where "one like a son of man" comes with the clouds of heaven and receives everlasting dominion. This direct linkage makes the messianic interpretation of Psalm 80:15-17 highly compelling within both Jewish and Christian traditions. For Christians, this "son of man" is unmistakably Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the ultimate fulfiller of the Davidic covenant, the one strengthened by God for His purposes and through whom God restores His people. The Psalmist's urgent cry for God to look down and strengthen this "son" is ultimately answered in the sending and exalting of Jesus Christ, upon whom God's hand was laid and who was made strong, even to endure the cross, for God's salvific purpose.

Psalm 80 15 Commentary

Psalm 80:15 is a concise yet profound cry for divine intervention, articulating Israel's hope for renewal through God's specific acts. It builds upon the rich metaphor of Israel as God's vineyard, which He carefully cultivated by His mighty hand (v. 8). The lament pivots from despair over the vineyard's desolation to a plea, recalling God's prior favor. The "shoot" or "branch" (כִפְנָה), while less precise in translation, firmly roots the request in the ongoing life and growth of the nation, God’s original planting. The shift to "the son" (בֵּן) marks a critical theological point, singling out the Davidic king—God's chosen human representative. This king was divinely appointed and empowered ("made strong") not by his own might, but for God’s own redemptive purposes.

The parallelism between "the shoot" and "the son" in Hebrew poetry suggests an intimate connection: the well-being of the nation is intrinsically linked to its divinely empowered ruler. This echoes the Davidic Covenant (2 Sam 7), where God promised an eternal dynasty through David's offspring, emphasizing the Son's dependence on God for strength. While initially applying to the kings of Israel, this lament gains its deepest significance when understood Messianically. The suffering of the "vine" (Israel) foreshadows the desperate state from which only the ultimate "Son," the Christ, empowered by God's own right hand, could redeem them. The plea "whom you made strong for yourself" encapsulates the ultimate truth that the Messiah's authority and strength are entirely from God and for God’s glory and redemptive plan. It serves as a potent reminder that true leadership, both then and now, relies solely on divine anointing and empowerment, enacted for the King's heavenly purpose, not earthly ambition. The verse, therefore, embodies a collective cry for God's redemptive power to be manifested through His chosen Anointed One.