Psalms 80:17 - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Bible Comments

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

Let thy hand be upon the Man of thy right hand. "Benjamin" means 'son of the right hand:' as in Psalms 80:2, so here the Psalmist prays that God would lay His hand upon Benjamin to strengthen him (Daniel 10:18; Revelation 1:17). Benjamin here represents all Israel now prostrate, and needling to be strengthened by the Lord. Jacob, "his father, loved Benjamin," so also his Heavenly Father; whence Moses (Deuteronomy 33:12) said of Benjamin, 'the beloved of the Lord (Benjamin) shall dwell by Him (the Lord), and the Lord shall cover him all the day long.' Now the Psalmist prays the Lord to fulfill this promise of covering and strengthening him. The antitypical Israel, i:e., Messiah, is ultimately referred to, of whom God said, "mine arm shall strengthen him" (Psalms 89:21). Once, like Benjamin. He was Benoni, Son of my sorrow (Genesis 35:18, margin); but as Jacob, his father called him subsequently Benjamin, 'son of the right hand;' so Messiah, once "a men of sorrows" (Isaiah 53:3), was "exalted by the right hand of the Father to be a Prince and Saviour" (Acts 5:31).

Upon the Son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself - "the branch that thou madest strong for thyself" (Psalms 80:15); primarily Israel, antitypically Messiah, the Son of Man, "THE BRANCH" (Zechariah 3:8; Zechariah 6:12).

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.