Psalms 80:17 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Bible Comments

Upon the man, to protect and strengthen him. Of thy right hand; whom thy right hand planted, Psalms 80:15; whom thou hast loved and respected even as thy right hand, which is very dear to us, Matthew 2:30; Matthew 5:8; compare Malachi 13:7; thy Benjamin, whom he mentioned Psalms 80:2, to whose name he seems to allude, which signifies the son of the right hand, i.e. a dearly beloved son, as Benjamin was to Jacob. Son of man: by man, or son of man, he understands either,

1. The Messias, oft called in Scripture the Son of man: let him come, and let his kingdom be established, and so thine Israel shall be saved and delivered out of all its troubles. Or,

2. The royal family, the house of David, in whose safety and welfare. the happiness of the whole nation was wrapt up. Or rather,

3. The people of Israel, who are oft spoken of as one person, as God's son and first-born, Exodus 4:22, and here as one vine. And seeing all the foregoing complaints have been concerning the calamities of the people of Israel, it seems most reasonable to understand this prayer to be made for them; the rather, because the following clause here applied to the man and son of man, who thou madest strong for thyself, is used of the root or branch of the vine, Psalms 80:15.

Psalms 80:17

17 Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself.