Psalms 80:8-11

80:8 You uprooted a vine ¹  from Egypt;

you drove out nations and transplanted it.

80:9 You cleared the ground for it; ² 

it took root, ³ 

and filled the land.

80:10 The mountains were covered by its shadow,

the highest cedars ⁴  by its branches.

80:11 Its branches reached the Mediterranean Sea, ⁵ 

and its shoots the Euphrates River. ⁶ 

[80:8]  ¹ sn The vine is here a metaphor for Israel (see Ezek 17:6-10; Hos 10:1).

[80:9]  ² tn Heb “you cleared away before it.”

[80:9]  ³ tn Heb “and it took root [with] its roots.”

[80:10]  ³ tn Heb “cedars of God.” The divine name אֵל (’al, “God”) is here used in an idiomatic manner to indicate the superlative.

[80:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “to [the] sea.” The “sea” refers here to the Mediterranean Sea.

[80:11]  ⁵ tn Heb “to [the] river.” The “river” is the Euphrates River in Mesopotamia. Israel expanded both to the west and to the east.