כַּנָּה

From the study of Psalm 80:15

Range of meaning

This word occurs only here, so its meaning has to be worked out from context and from related words. Main options: (1) 'stock, stem, plant', the main trunk of a vine planted from a cutting (BDB; most English versions); (2) linked to the noun kēn, 'base, stand' (used for the stand of the bronze basin in Exodus 30:18), so 'the planted base' of the vine, perhaps 'its stock' if a pronoun ending is read; (3) not a noun at all but a verb from kûn, 'establish': 'and establish it' (the Septuagint's reading).

Against the English

KJV 'vineyard'; BSB, NIV and YLT 'root'; WEB and ESV 'stock'; NASB 'shoot'. 'Root' and 'vineyard' both go beyond the evidence. The word names the planted vine-stock itself, not something underground and not a whole field.

How it drifted

KJV's 'vineyard' follows medieval Jewish interpretation that took the word in a general sense, as 'planting'. 'Root' is a reasonable guess at 'what was planted', but it moves the picture underground.

Used elsewhere in the period

No other biblical occurrence. The Septuagint (Psalm 79:16) has kai katartisai autēn, 'and restore / put it in order'. Jerome's translation from the Hebrew has radicem, 'root'. The Targum (the Aramaic paraphrase) keeps a planting word. HALOT marks the noun meaning as uncertain.