Logos Bible Study

Psalm 129:1–8

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129:1“Since my youth they have often attacked me,”

let Israel say.

129:2“Since my youth they have often attacked me,

but they have not defeated me.

129:3The plowers plowed my back;

they made their furrows long.

129:4The Lord is just;

he cut the ropes of the wicked.”1

129:5May all who hate Zion

be humiliated and turned back!

129:6May they be like the grass on the rooftops

which withers before one can even pull it up,2

129:7which cannot fill the reaper’s hand,

or the lap of the one who gathers the grain!

129:8Those who pass by will not say,3

“May you experience the Lord’s blessing!

We pronounce a blessing on you in the name of the Lord.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 The background of the metaphor is not entirely clear. Perhaps the “ropes” are those used to harness the ox for plowing (see Job 39:10). Verse 3 pictures the wicked plowing God’s people as if they were a field. But when God “cut the ropes” of their ox, as it were, they could no longer plow. The point of the metaphor seems to be that God took away the enemies’ ability to oppress his people. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101–150(), .
  2. 2 The Hebrew verb שָׁלַף (shalaf) normally means “to draw [a sword]” or “to pull.” 1025 suggests the meaning “to shoot up” here, but it is more likely that the verb here means “to pluck; to pull up,” a nuance attested for this word in later Hebrew and Aramaic (see 1587 שָׁלַף).
  3. 3 The perfect verbal form is used for rhetorical effect; it describes an anticipated development as if it were already reality.

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth”—

let Israel now say—

“Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth,

yet they have not prevailed against me.

The plowers plowed upon my back;

they made long their furrows.”

The Lord is righteous;

he has cut the cords of the wicked.

May all who hate Zion

be put to shame and turned backward!

Let them be like the grass on the housetops,

which withers before it grows up,

with which the reaper does not fill his hand

nor the binder of sheaves his arms,

nor do those who pass by say,

“The blessing of the Lord be upon you!

We bless you in the name of the Lord!”

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“They have greatly oppressed me from my youth,”

let Israel say;

“they have greatly oppressed me from my youth,

but they have not gained the victory over me.

Plowmen have plowed my back

and made their furrows long.

But the Lord is righteous;

he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.”

May all who hate Zion

be turned back in shame.

May they be like grass on the roof,

which withers before it can grow;

a reaper cannot fill his hands with it,

nor one who gathers fill his arms.

May those who pass by not say to them,

“The blessing of the Lord be on you;

we bless you in the name of the Lord.”

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Since my youth they have often attacked me—

let Israel say—

since my youth they have often attacked me,

but they have not prevailed against me.

Plowmen plowed over my back;

they made their furrows long.

The Lord is righteous;

he has cut the ropes of the wicked.

Let all who hate Zion

be driven back in disgrace.

Let them be like grass on the rooftops,

which withers before it grows up

and can’t even fill the hands of the reaper

or the arms of the one who binds sheaves.

Then none who pass by will say,

“May the Lord’s blessing be on you.

We bless you in the name of the Lord.”

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me.

Let all Israel repeat this:

From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me,

but they have never defeated me.

My back is covered with cuts,

as if a farmer had plowed long furrows.

But the Lord is good;

he has cut me free from the ropes of the ungodly.

May all who hate Jerusalem

be turned back in shameful defeat.

May they be as useless as grass on a rooftop,

turning yellow when only half grown,

ignored by the harvester,

despised by the binder.

And may those who pass by

refuse to give them this blessing:

“The Lord bless you;

we bless you in the Lord’s name.”

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

“Too often they have attacked me from my youth.”

Let Israel say,

“Too often they have attacked me from my youth,

yet they have not prevailed against me.

On my back plowmen have plowed.

They have made their furrows long.”

Yahweh is righteous.

He has cut the ropes of the wicked.

Let all be put to shame and repulsed

who hate Zion.

Let them be like grass on the housetops,

that withers before it grows up,

with which a reaper cannot fill his hand,

nor the binder of sheaves his arms,

so that passersby do not say,

“The blessing of Yahweh be upon you.

We bless you in the name of Yahweh.”

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth,

May Israel now say:

Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth:

Yet they have not prevailed against me.

The plowers plowed upon my back:

They made long their furrows.

The Lord is righteous:

He hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.

Let them all be confounded and turned back

That hate Zion.

Let them be as the grass upon the housetops,

Which withereth afore it groweth up:

Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand;

Nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom.

Neither do they which go by say,

The blessing of the Lord be upon you:

We bless you in the name of the Lord.

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