The psalmist now changed his figure and pictured Israel as a vine that God had transplanted from Egypt to Canaan. He cleared the land of Canaan for her by driving the native people out. Israel had taken root in the Promised Land and as a vine had spread out in all directions. It had become strong and luxuriant under God's blessing. However God had broken down the wall that protected it, and its neighbors were now consuming it. This section closes with a refrain similar to yet slightly different from the one in verses 3, 7, and 19.
The figure of a vine to represent Israel is very old. It probably originated in Jacob's blessing of Joseph (Gen. 49:22). The prophets used it often (cf. Isa. 5:1-7; 27:2-6; Jer. 2:21; 12:10; Hosea 10:1). The Lord Jesus also used it to describe Himself (John 15:1, 5). It is an appropriate figure because a vine is a source of blessing to others (cf. Gen. 12:3).
