Bible Strands
Psalms 80:11
It sent out its branches to the Sea, and its shoots toward the River.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses God, describing a cultivated vine that once flourished under divine care before now facing destruction. The speaker recounts the nation's former prosperity to highlight the current crisis of abandonment.
The words — The Hebrew verb תְּשַׁלֵּחַ (te.sha.Lach) means "it stretched out," paired with קְצִירֶהָ (ke.tzi.re.ha) for "its branches" and יֽוֹנְקוֹתֶיהָ (Yon.ko.te.ha) for "its young shoots." These terms emphasize deliberate, expansive growth rather than passive spreading.
The thread — This geographical imagery echoes the covenant boundaries in Genesis 15:18, Exodus 23:31, and Psalm 72:8, where divine rule or blessing spans from the Mediterranean to the Euphrates. The text uses the identical "Sea to River" framework to mark the extent of the vine's former reach.
Why it lands — The reader must confront the stark contrast between the vine's past expansion and its present vulnerability after the walls are broken down. The text demands an assessment of what happens when divine protection is removed from what was once securely established.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river.
Cross-references
- Psalms 72:8 May he rule from sea to sea, and from the Euphrates to the ends of the earth.
- Genesis 15:18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—
- Exodus 23:31 And I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the Euphrates. For I will deliver the inhabitants into your hand, and you will drive them out before you.
- 1 Kings 4:21 And Solomon reigned over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These kingdoms offered tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.
- 1 Kings 4:24 For Solomon had dominion over everything west of the Euphrates—over all the kingdoms from Tiphsah to Gaza—and he had peace on all sides.
- 1 Chronicles 18:3 As far as Hamath, David also defeated King Hadadezer of Zobah, who had marched out to establish his dominion along the Euphrates River.