Chapter Overview
Summary
Psalm 129 (MT) / Psalm 128 (LXX) is the tenth Song of Ascents — a lament-and-imprecation over Israel's long-history-of-affliction, with a prayer that Israel's enemies wither-like-grass-on-roofs. Verse 3's 'the plowers plowed upon my back, they made long their furrows' is an acute-image of violent-beating — some Church Fathers read it Christologically as the scourging-at-the-pillar.
Notable Variants
129:1–2 'greatly have they afflicted me from my youth' Israel's-corporate-youth-pain; 129:3 'plowers plowed my back' — flagellation imagery read Christologically in patristic-tradition; 129:6 'like grass on the housetops' wither-imagery.
Structural Notes
MT Ps 129 = LXX Ps 128. 8 verses. Tenth Song of Ascents.
A song of ascents. "They have attacked me often since my youth" — let Israel say it —
'Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth — let Israel now say' tracks MT. FROM-MY-YOUTH = Egypt / Exodus-era onward.
"They have attacked me often since my youth — but they have not overcome me."
'Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth, yet they have not prevailed against me' tracks MT. NOT-PREVAILED — divine-preservation refrain.
Plowers plowed across my back; they cut their furrows long.
'The plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows' tracks MT. PLOWERS-ON-MY-BACK — scourging-flagellation imagery. Augustine and Jerome read the verse Christologically of Christ's-scourging (Matt 27:26, John 19:1). Isaiah 50:6 ('I gave my back to those who strike') shares the vocabulary. Acts 16:22 (Paul-and-Silas beaten) extends.
The LORD is righteous; he has cut the ropes of the wicked.
'The LORD is righteous; he has cut the cords of the wicked' tracks MT. CUT-THE-CORDS freedom-imagery.
May all who hate Zion be put to shame and driven back.
'May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned backward!' tracks MT.
May they be like grass on the rooftops that withers before it can be pulled up,
'Let them be like the grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up' tracks MT. GRASS-ON-HOUSETOPS — shallow-soil grass withers-immediately. Matthew 13:5–6, 20–21 (parable of the sower's rocky-soil) extends.
that never fills the reaper's hand or the binder's arms.
'With which the reaper does not fill his hand nor the binder of sheaves his arms' tracks MT.
And no passerby will say, "The blessing of the LORD be upon you; we bless you in the name of the LORD."
'Nor do those who pass by say: The blessing of the LORD be upon you! We bless you in the name of the LORD!' tracks MT. STANDARD-HARVEST-BLESSING. Ruth 2:4 ('the LORD be with you' / 'the LORD bless you') preserves the same agricultural-field blessing-exchange. The wicked-will-not-receive-this-blessing.