Psa 80:8-13 | NETfull | STEP | You uprooted a vine from Egypt; you drove out nations and transplanted it.

Psalms 80:8-13

8 You uprooted a vine ^{▼▼ The vine is here a metaphor for Israel (see Ezek 17:6–10; Hos 10:1).} from Egypt;
you drove out nations and transplanted it.
9 You cleared the ground for it; ^{▼▼ Heb “you cleared away before it.”}
it took root, ^{▼▼ Heb “and it took root [with] its roots.”}
and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered by its shadow,
the highest cedars ^{▼▼ Heb “cedars of God.” The divine name אֵל (’al, “God”) is here used in an idiomatic manner to indicate the superlative.} by its branches.
11 Its branches reached the Mediterranean Sea, ^{▼▼ Heb “to [the] sea.” The “sea” refers here to the Mediterranean Sea.}
and its shoots the Euphrates River. ^{▼▼ Heb “to [the] river.” The “river” is the Euphrates River in Mesopotamia. Israel expanded both to the west and to the east.}
12 Why did you break down its walls, ^{▼▼ The protective walls of the metaphorical vineyard are in view here (see Isa 5:5).}
so that all who pass by pluck its fruit? ^{▼▼ Heb “pluck it.”}
13 The wild boars of the forest ruin it; ^{▼▼ The Hebrew verb כִּרְסֵם (kirsem, “to eat away; to ruin”) occurs only here in the OT.}
the insects ^{▼▼ The precise referent of the Hebrew word translated “insects,” which occurs only here and in Ps 50:11, is uncertain. Aramaic, Arabic, and Akkadian cognates refer to insects, such as locusts or crickets.} of the field feed on it.