Psalm 129:1-6

Prayer for the Overthrow of Zion's Enemies.

1 "Many times they have ¹persecuted me from my ²youth up," ³Let Israel now say,

2 "Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up; Yet they have ⁴not prevailed against me.

3 "The plowers plowed upon my back; They lengthened their furrows."

4 The LORD ⁵is righteous; He has cut in two the ⁶cords of the wicked.

5 May all who ⁷hate Zion Be ⁸put to shame and turned backward;

6 Let them be like ⁹grass upon the housetops, Which withers before it grows up;

Psalm 129:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 129

\\<>\\. This psalm was written in later times, after many of the distresses of Israel; very probably upon the Jews return from the Babylonish captivity, by Ezra, or some other godly person. Aben Ezra says the psalmist speaks in the language of Israel in captivity; and the same is the sense of Kimchi and Arama. The Syriac inscription is, ``a psalm without a name, concerning the distress of the people; but as to us, it intimates to us the victory and triumph of the worshippers.''

Cross References

• 1. Exodus 1:11; Judges 3:8; Psalms 88:15
• 2. Isaiah 47:12; Jeremiah 2:2; Jeremiah 22:21; Ezekiel 16:22; Hosea 2:15; Hosea 11:1
• 3. Psalms 124:1
• 4. Jeremiah 1:19; Jeremiah 15:20; Jeremiah 20:11; Matthew 16:18; 2 Corinthians 4:8, 9
• 5. Psalms 119:137
• 6. Psalms 140:5
• 7. Micah 4:11
• 8. Psalms 70:3; Psalms 71:13
• 9. 2 Kings 19:26; Psalms 37:2; Isaiah 37:27

Footnotes

• [a] Lit "Much"
• [b] Lit "showed hostility toward"
• [c] Lit "Much"
• [d] Lit "showed hostility toward"
• [e] Lit "draws out"