They Have Not Prevailed
Psalm 129 summary: what it means
Psalm 129 is spoken by Israel as one person looking back on a long history of attack. Many times, it says, they have afflicted me from my youth, and it asks Israel to say the line aloud. The attackers are pictured as plowmen cutting long furrows across its back. But the key words come at the end of verse 2: they have not prevailed against me.
The reason is given in one line: the LORD is righteous, and he has cut apart the cords of the wicked. The second half asks that those who hate Zion be turned back and wither like grass on a housetop. It ends with a harvest so thin that no one passing by offers them a blessing in the LORD's name.
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Psalm 129: They Have Not Prevailed
World English Bible, public domain. allpsalms.com/psalm-129
Psalm 129 commentary: explained verse by verse
Many times they have afflicted me from my youth up.Let Israel now say:
Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say:
Israel speaks as one person who has been afflicted many times since youth. The line ends by asking Israel to say it, inviting the whole community to repeat it.
Also read Psalm 125:1, 1 Samuel 13:19, Exodus 5:7-19, Psalm 88:15
many times they have afflicted me from my youth up,yet they have not prevailed against me.
Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me.
The first line repeats, then adds the turn: yet they have not prevailed against me. Long suffering is admitted, and defeat is denied.
Also read Psalm 42:1, Revelation 12:8-9, Psalm 125:1, 2 Corinthians 4:8-9
The plowers plowed on my back.They made their furrows long.
The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows.
The attackers are pictured as plowers dragging long furrows across Israel's back. The picture is of wounds that are deep, deliberate and repeated.
Also read Isaiah 51:23, Psalm 141:7
The LORD is righteous.He has cut apart the cords of the wicked.
The LORD is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.
The reason Israel survived comes in two statements. The LORD is righteous, and he has cut apart the cords of the wicked that held Israel down.
Also read Psalm 140:5-11, Lamentations 1:18, Psalm 119:137, Daniel 9:7
Let them be disappointed and turned backward,all those who hate Zion.
Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion.
The prayer turns to all those who hate Zion. It asks that they be disappointed and turned backward.
Also read Zechariah 12:3, Isaiah 10:12, Psalm 71:13, Zechariah 12:6
Let them be as the grass on the housetops,which withers before it grows up,
Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withereth afore it groweth up:
They are compared to grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up. It springs up where nothing can last.
Also read Matthew 13:6, Isaiah 37:27, Psalm 37:2, Jeremiah 17:5-6
with which the reaper doesn’t fill his hand,nor he who binds sheaves, his bosom.
Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand; nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom.
The grass is so thin that the reaper cannot fill his hand with it, and the one binding sheaves cannot fill his arms. There is nothing to harvest.
Also read Galatians 6:8, Isaiah 17:10-11, Psalm 126:6, Hosea 8:7
Neither do those who go by say,“The blessing of the LORD be on you.We bless you in the LORD’s name.”
Neither do they which go by say, The blessing of the LORD be upon you: we bless you in the name of the LORD.
The psalm ends with a blessing that is not given. Those passing by do not say, the blessing of the LORD be on you. Those who hate Zion are left without it.
Also read Psalm 118:26, Ruth 2:4
A prayer from Psalm 129
LORD, many times they have afflicted me from my youth up, yet they have not prevailed against me. The plowers plowed on my back and made their furrows long. You are righteous, LORD. You have cut apart the cords of the wicked. I bring you the long history of harm, and I leave the outcome with you. Let those who hate Zion be turned back. Let their plans wither like grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up. Amen.
Psalm 129 Bible study questions
- In verses 1 and 2, what is repeated, and what does the second verse add that the first does not?
- In verse 3, what picture does the psalm use for the suffering, and in verse 4, what does the LORD do?
- The psalm looks back over affliction from youth up. How does looking at a long stretch of time change the way you see hard things?
- Verses 5 to 8 ask that the enemies of Zion come to nothing. What do you do with anger toward people who have harmed you over a long time?
- Psalm 124:1 and Psalm 129:1 both say let Israel now say. Why might these psalms ask the whole people to repeat the words?
Questions about Psalm 129
What is Psalm 129 about?
It is Israel looking back on being afflicted many times since its youth and declaring that its enemies have not prevailed, because the LORD is righteous.
Who wrote Psalm 129?
The author is not named in the text. The heading calls it a Song of Ascents.
What does Psalm 129:4 mean?
It gives the reason Israel survived: the LORD is righteous and has cut apart the cords of the wicked.
Is Psalm 129 the De Profundis?
No. De profundis is Psalm 130 in the Hebrew numbering used by most English Bibles, which is numbered 129 in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate. In that numbering this psalm is Psalm 128.
What does Psalm 129 say in the KJV?
The King James Version opens "Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say" and ends "we bless you in the name of the LORD."
What does Psalm 129:8 mean?
It pictures people passing by who do not offer a blessing to those who hate Zion. The psalm ends with that blessing withheld.
Psalm 129 KJV: the King James Version
Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say:1
Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me.2
The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows.3
The LORD is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.4
Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion.5
Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withereth afore it groweth up:6
Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand; nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom.7
Neither do they which go by say, The blessing of the LORD be upon you: we bless you in the name of the LORD.8
Psalm 129 in Hebrew
The Hebrew text from the Westminster Leningrad Codex, public domain. Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible, which counts a psalm's heading as verse 1, so they can run one ahead of English Bibles.
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1 שִׁ֗יר הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת רַ֭בַּת צְרָר֣וּנִי מִנְּעוּרַ֑י יֹֽאמַר־נָ֝א יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
2 רַ֭בַּת צְרָר֣וּנִי מִנְּעוּרָ֑י גַּ֝ם לֹא־יָ֥כְלוּ לִֽי׃
3 עַל־גַּ֭בִּי חָרְשׁ֣וּ חֹרְשִׁ֑ים הֶ֝אֱרִ֗יכוּ למענותם׃
4 יְהוָ֥ה צַדִּ֑יק קִ֝צֵּ֗ץ עֲב֣וֹת רְשָׁעִֽים׃
5 יֵ֭בֹשׁוּ וְיִסֹּ֣גוּ אָח֑וֹר כֹּ֝֗ל שֹׂנְאֵ֥י צִיּֽוֹן׃
6 יִ֭הְיוּ כַּחֲצִ֣יר גַּגּ֑וֹת שֶׁקַּדְמַ֖ת שָׁלַ֣ף יָבֵֽשׁ׃
7 שֶׁלֹּ֤א מִלֵּ֖א כַפּ֥וֹ קוֹצֵ֗ר וְחִצְנ֥וֹ מְעַמֵּֽר׃
8 וְלֹ֤א אָֽמְר֨וּ ׀ הָעֹבְרִ֗ים בִּרְכַּֽת־יְהוָ֥ה אֲלֵיכֶ֑ם בֵּרַ֥כְנוּ אֶ֝תְכֶ֗ם בְּשֵׁ֣ם יְהוָֽה׃
Psalm 129 in the Catholic Douay-Rheims Bible
The Douay-Rheims Bible, 1899 edition, public domain. It follows the Greek and Latin numbering, so this psalm is Psalm 128 there.
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1 Often have they fought against me from my youth, let Israel now say.
2 Often have they fought against me from my youth: but they could not prevail over me.
3 The wicked have wrought upon my back: they have lengthened their iniquity.
4 The Lord who is just will cut the necks of sinners:
5 Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Sion.
6 Let them be as grass on the tops of houses: which withered before it be plucked up:
7 Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand: nor he that gathereth sheaves his bosom.
8 And they that have passed by have not said: The blessing of the Lord be upon you: we have blessed you in the name of the Lord.
Psalm 129 in Latin
The Clementine Vulgate, public domain, where this psalm is Psalm 128.
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1 Canticum graduum. Sæpe expugnaverunt me a juventute mea, dicat nunc Israël;
2 sæpe expugnaverunt me a juventute mea: etenim non potuerunt mihi.
3 Supra dorsum meum fabricaverunt peccatores; prolongaverunt iniquitatem suam.
4 Dominus justus concidit cervices peccatorum.
5 Confundantur, et convertantur retrorsum omnes qui oderunt Sion.
6 Fiant sicut fœnum tectorum, quod priusquam evellatur exaruit:
7 de quo non implevit manum suam qui metit, et sinum suum qui manipulos colligit.
8 Et non dixerunt qui præteribant: Benedictio Domini super vos. Benediximus vobis in nomine Domini.
Printable Psalm 129: free, large print and PDF
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Psalm 129 at a glance
| Verses | 8 |
| Heading in the text | A Song of Ascents. |
| Attributed to | Not named in the text. The heading calls it a Song of Ascents, one of Psalms 120 to 134. |
| Type | Song of Ascents and Trust |
| Number in Greek and Latin Bibles | Psalm 128 |
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Psalm 129 in other translations
This page prints the World English Bible and the King James Version because both are public domain. The NIV, ESV, NKJV, NLT and NASB are under copyright, so they cannot be printed in full here. You can read Psalm 129 in those translations at Bible Gateway.
Where Psalm 129 belongs
Songs of AscentsBook 5 of the Psalms
How this page was made
The psalm text comes from public domain translations and is not edited. The summary, the verse notes and the answers are written for this page from the text of the psalm itself. Where a claim goes beyond the text, it is sourced below.
Sources
- Text: World English Bible and King James Version, both public domain, from ebible.org source
- Numbering: Wikipedia, Psalm 129: numbered Psalm 128 in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate, where Psalm 129 is the Hebrew Psalm 130 source
- Hebrew text: Westminster Leningrad Codex, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Douay-Rheims: Douay-Rheims Bible, 1899 edition, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Latin text: Clementine Vulgate, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Numbering: Greek and Latin psalm numbering, Wikipedia, Psalms source