unfoldingWord_en_tn/psa/080/009.md

# General Information:

Asaph continues to speak of the way God settled Israel in their land as if God were a man clearing ground to plant a grapevine. If you need to translate the meaning of the story rather than the story itself, see how the UDB translates it. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])

# You cleared the land for it

"You cleared the land for the vine"

# it took root

"the vine took root" or "the vine began to grow"

# filled the land

"its branches covered the land"

# The mountains were covered with its shade, the cedars of God by its branches

This can be stated in active form. AT: "Its shade covered the mountains, its branches the cedars of God" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]])

# the cedars of God by its branches

"and the cedars of God were covered by its branches," which copies the verb from the previous sentence. This can be stated in active form. AT: "and its branches covered the cedars of God" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis]] and [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive]])

# cedars of God

Possible meanings are 1) "the highest cedar trees," the cedar trees that grew on the "mountains" in the land of Lebanon north of Israel, or 2) "God's own cedar trees."

# the sea

the Mediterranean Sea to the west of Israel

# shoots

the parts of new plants that are just starting to grow above the ground

# translationWords

* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/cedar]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/send]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/names/euphrates]]