Psalms 129:1
Psalms 129:1 in Multiple Translations
Many a time they have persecuted me from my youth— let Israel now declare—
Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say:
Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth up, Let Israel now say,
Great have been my troubles from the time when I was young (let Israel now say);
Many enemies have attacked from the time I was young. Let everyone in Israel say:
A song of degrees. They haue often times afflicted me from my youth (may Israel nowe say)
A Song of the Ascents. Often they distressed me from my youth, Pray, let Israel say:
Many times they have afflicted me from my youth up. Let Israel now say:
A Song of degrees. Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say:
Out of the depths I have cried to thee, O Lord:
I say that my enemies have ◄afflicted/caused trouble for► me ever since I was young. Now I ask you, my fellow Israelis, to repeat those same words:
Berean Amplified Bible — Psalms 129:1
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Psalms 129:1 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
שִׁ֗יר
הַֽ/מַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת
רַ֭בַּת
צְרָר֣וּ/נִי
מִ/נְּעוּרַ֑/י
יֹֽאמַר
נָ֝א
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל
שִׁ֗יר
shîyr
H7892
song
N-cs
הַֽ/מַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת
maʻălâh
H4609
thought
Art | N-fp
רַ֭בַּת
rab
H7227
many
Adj
צְרָר֣וּ/נִי
tsârar
H6887
to confine
V-Qal-Perf-3cp | Suff
מִ/נְּעוּרַ֑/י
nâʻûwr
H5271
youth
Prep | N-cp | Suff
יֹֽאמַר
ʼâmar
H559
to say
V-Qal-Juss-3ms
נָ֝א
nâʼ
H4994
please
Part
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל
Yisrâʼêl
H3478
Israel
N-proper
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
Use ← → arrow keys to navigate between words.
Hebrew Word Reference — Psalms 129:1
שִׁ֗יר
shîyr
H7892
"song"
N-cs
This word refers to a song or singing, and it is used in the Bible to describe musical expressions of praise and worship, like the songs of David in the book of Psalms. It can also be used to describe a specific song or ode.
Definition: 1) song 1a) lyric song 1b) religious song 1c) song of Levitical choirs Also means: shi.rah (שִׁירָה "song" H7892B)
Usage: Occurs in 87 OT verses. KJV: musical(-ick), [idiom] sing(-er, -ing), song. See also: Genesis 31:27; Psalms 76:1; Psalms 18:1.
הַֽ/מַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת
maʻălâh
H4609
"thought"
Art | N-fp
Represents a step or journey upward, like the steps of a stair or a song of ascent, as in Psalm 120-134, which are songs the Israelites sang while traveling to Jerusalem for festivals. It symbolizes spiritual ascent.
Definition: what comes up, thoughts
Usage: Occurs in 40 OT verses. KJV: things that come up, (high) degree, deal, go up, stair, step, story. See also: Exodus 20:26; Psalms 126:1; Psalms 120:1.
רַ֭בַּת
rab
H7227
"many"
Adj
This Hebrew word means a chief or captain, someone in charge. It is used in 2 Samuel 23:19 to describe a great and powerful man. The idea is one of leadership and authority.
Definition: adj 1) much, many, great 1a) much 1b) many 1c) abounding in 1d) more numerous than 1e) abundant, enough 1f) great 1g) strong 1h) greater than adv 1i) much, exceedingly
Usage: Occurs in 443 OT verses. KJV: (in) abound(-undance, -ant, -antly), captain, elder, enough, exceedingly, full, great(-ly, man, one), increase, long (enough, (time)), (do, have) many(-ifold, things, a time), (ship-)master, mighty, more, (too, very) much, multiply(-tude), officer, often(-times), plenteous, populous, prince, process (of time), suffice(-lent). See also: Genesis 6:5; 1 Kings 11:1; Psalms 3:2.
צְרָר֣וּ/נִי
tsârar
H6887
"to confine"
V-Qal-Perf-3cp | Suff
To rival means to oppose or afflict someone. In the Bible, this word is used to describe the struggles of the Israelites, such as when they were oppressed by their enemies or faced internal conflicts and afflictions.
Definition: to confine, besiege Another spelling of tsur (צוּר "to confine" H6696A)
Usage: Occurs in 52 OT verses. KJV: adversary, (be in) afflict(-ion), beseige, bind (up), (be in, bring) distress, enemy, narrower, oppress, pangs, shut up, be in a strait (trouble), vex. See also: Exodus 12:34; Psalms 8:3; Psalms 6:8.
מִ/נְּעוּרַ֑/י
nâʻûwr
H5271
"youth"
Prep | N-cp | Suff
In the Bible, this Hebrew word refers to the state of being young or a group of young people, as seen in Isaiah 47:12. It describes a stage of life, like childhood or adolescence. This concept is also mentioned in Jeremiah 31:19.
Definition: youth, early life Also means: na.ur (נְעוּרוֹת "youth" H5271B)
Usage: Occurs in 46 OT verses. KJV: childhood, youth. See also: Genesis 8:21; Isaiah 54:6; Psalms 25:7.
יֹֽאמַר
ʼâmar
H559
"to say"
V-Qal-Juss-3ms
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Definition: 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)
Usage: Occurs in 4337 OT verses. KJV: answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet. See also: Genesis 1:3; Genesis 18:23; Genesis 25:32.
נָ֝א
nâʼ
H4994
"please"
Part
The Hebrew word 'nâ'' is used to express a polite request, like 'please' or 'I pray', and is often added to verbs to make them more polite. In the Bible, it appears in passages like Ezra's reading of the law to the people.
Definition: 1) I (we) pray, now, please 1a) used in entreaty or exhortation
Usage: Occurs in 374 OT verses. KJV: I beseech (pray) thee (you), go to, now, oh. See also: Genesis 12:11; Judges 4:19; 1 Kings 13:6.
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל
Yisrâʼêl
H3478
"Israel"
N-proper
Israel is the symbolic name of Jacob, also referring to his descendants. Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebekah, had 12 sons who became the tribes of Israel, as told in Genesis 25:26. His story is crucial to the Bible's narrative.
Definition: A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.25.26; son of: Isaac (H3327) and Rebekah (H7259); brother of: Esau (H6215); married to Rachel (H7354), Leah (H3812), Zilpah (H2153) and Bilhah (H1090A); father of: Reuben (H7205), Simeon (H8095), Levi (H3878), Judah (H3063), Dan (H1835H), Naphtali (H5321), Gad (H1410), Asher (H0836), Issachar (H3485), Zebulun (H2074), Dinah (H1783), Joseph (H3130) and Benjamin (H1144); also called Jacob frequently § Israel = "God prevails" 1) the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel 2) the name of the descendants and the nation of the descendants of Jacob 2a) the name of the nation until the death of Solomon and the split 2b) the name used and given to the northern kingdom consisting of the 10 tribes under Jeroboam; the southern kingdom was known as Judah 2c) the name of the nation after the return from exile
Usage: Occurs in 2231 OT verses. KJV: Israel. See also: Genesis 32:29; Exodus 13:18; Exodus 40:38.
Study Notes — Psalms 129:1
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Psalms 129:1 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Psalms 129:1
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 129:1
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 129:1
- Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 129:1
- Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 129:1
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 129:1
- Cambridge Bible on Psalms 129:1
- Barnes' Notes on Psalms 129:1
- Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 129:1
- Sermons on Psalms 129:1
Context — The Cords of the Wicked
1Many a time they have persecuted me from my youth— let Israel now declare—
2many a time they have persecuted me from my youth, but they have not prevailed against me. 3The plowmen plowed over my back; they made their furrows long.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalms 124:1 | If the LORD had not been on our side— let Israel now declare— |
| 2 | Jeremiah 2:2 | “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem that this is what the LORD says: ‘I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. |
| 3 | Hosea 11:1 | When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son. |
| 4 | Exodus 1:12–14 | But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and flourished; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. They worked the Israelites ruthlessly and made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar, and with all kinds of work in the fields. Every service they imposed was harsh. |
| 5 | Psalms 126:1 | When the LORD restored the captives of Zion, we were like dreamers. |
| 6 | Psalms 127:1 | Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain; unless the LORD protects the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain. |
| 7 | Psalms 120:1 | In my distress I cried to the LORD, and He answered me. |
| 8 | Psalms 122:1 | I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.” |
| 9 | Judges 10:8–12 | who that very year harassed and oppressed the Israelites, and did so for eighteen years to all the Israelites on the other side of the Jordan in Gilead, the land of the Amorites. The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim, and Israel was in deep distress. Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, saying, “We have sinned against You, for we have indeed forsaken our God and served the Baals.” The LORD replied, “When the Egyptians, Amorites, Ammonites, Philistines, Sidonians, Amalekites, and Maonites oppressed you and you cried out to Me, did I not save you from their hands? |
| 10 | Isaiah 47:12 | So take your stand with your spells and with your many sorceries, with which you have wearied yourself from your youth. Perhaps you will succeed; perhaps you will inspire terror! |
Psalms 129:1 Summary
[This verse is saying that the speaker has been persecuted and hurt many times, even from a young age. It's like the verse in Jeremiah 1:7, where God calls the prophet to speak to the nations, and the prophet is afraid because he is young. The speaker is asking the people of Israel to agree with him and say that this is true, which is similar to the call to testify in Psalm 107:2. The good news is that God is always with us, even in hard times, as we see in Psalm 23:4 and Romans 8:28.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the verse mean by 'from my youth'?
The phrase 'from my youth' suggests that the speaker has experienced persecution and hardship from a very young age, as seen in Jeremiah 1:7 where God calls the prophet to speak to the nations, and in Psalm 71:17, the psalmist says God has taught him from his youth.
Why does the verse say 'let Israel now declare'?
The phrase 'let Israel now declare' is an invitation for the people of Israel to testify to the truth of the speaker's experience, which is similar to the call to testify in Psalm 107:2 and Isaiah 43:10-12, where the people are called to declare God's greatness and faithfulness.
How does this verse relate to the broader context of Psalm 129?
This verse sets the tone for the rest of the psalm, which describes the persecution and suffering of the people of Israel, but also their trust in God's deliverance, as seen in Psalm 129:2 and Psalm 129:3, where the psalmist says they have not prevailed against him and describes the plowmen plowing over his back.
What does this verse teach us about God's presence in our lives?
This verse teaches us that even in the midst of persecution and hardship, God is present and active, as seen in Psalm 23:4, where the psalmist says God is with him even in the valley of the shadow of death, and in Romans 8:28, where it says God works all things together for good for those who love him.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways you have experienced persecution or hardship in your life, and how has God been present with you in those times?
- How can you testify to God's faithfulness and deliverance in your life, like the psalmist invites Israel to do in this verse?
- What are some ways you can trust in God's presence and power, even when faced with difficult circumstances, as the psalmist does in this verse?
- How can you use your experiences of persecution or hardship to comfort and encourage others, as seen in 2 Corinthians 1:4?
Gill's Exposition on Psalms 129:1
Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth,.... That is, the enemies of Israel, afterwards called "ploughers".
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 129:1
Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say: Psalms 129:1-8.-Though many and deep have been Israel's afflictions, the righteous Lord hath cut the cords of the wicked (Psalms
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 129:1
Psalms 129 THE This Psalm contains a joyful and thankful remembrance of the church’ s former and manifold calamities from barbarous enemies, and of God’ s wonderful mercy in delivering them out of their hands. The various manifold afflictions of the church described, but delivered out of all, . The haters thereof cursed, and devoted to judgment, . They; mine enemies or oppressors; which is easily understood, both from the nature of the thing, and from , where they are expressed under the name of ploughers. From my youth; from the time that I was a people, when I was in Egypt and came out of it, which is called the time of Israel’ s youth, .
Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 129:1
Psalms 129:1 « A Song of degrees. » Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say:Ver. 1. Many a time] Or, much, and long. Have they] i.e. The persecutors that deserve not a name. The rich man is not named (as Lazarus is), because not worthy, Luke 16:19. They shall be written in the earth, Jeremiah 17:13. Afflictcted me] i.e. The whole community of saints; spoken of here in the singular, for their, 1. unity; 2. paucity. From my youth] The first that ever died, died for religion; so early came martyrdom into the world. May Israel now say] Who yet are promised peace, Psalms 128:6; but so was Josiah, and yet he died in battle, 2 Chronicles 34:28.
But the very God of peace had sanctifed him throughout, and so altered the property of his affliction, that it was subservient to his salvation.
Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 129:1
(1) Many a time.—Or more literally, much. (See margin.) From my youth.—Here, of course, not the youth of a person, but of the nation. The poet glances back even to the Egyptian bondage. (See Hosea 2:15, “as in the days of her youth, and as in the days when she came up out of the land of Egypt;” comp. Ezekiel 23:3; Jeremiah 2:2; Jeremiah 22:21, recalling all the long series of oppressions suffered by the race.) May Israel now say.—There is in the original no adverb of time: “let Israel say.”
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 129:1
PSALM CXXIX The Jews give an account of the afflictions which they have passed through, 1-3. And thank God for their deliverance, 4. The judgments that shall fall on the workers of iniquity, 5-8. NOTES ON PSALM CXXIX This Psalm was written after the captivity; and contains a reference to the many tribulations which the Jews passed through from their youth, i.e., the earliest part of their history, their bondage in Egypt. It has no title in any of the Versions, nor in the Hebrew text, except the general one of A Psalm of Degrees. The author is uncertain. Verse 1. Many a time have they afflicted me] The Israelites had been generally in affliction or captivity from the earliest part of their history, here called their youth. So Hosea 2:15: "She shall sing as in the days of her youth, when she came up out of the land of Egypt." See Jeremiah 2:2, and Ezekiel 16:4, &c.
Cambridge Bible on Psalms 129:1
1–4. Throughout its history Israel has been harassed by enemies, but in His faithfulness Jehovah has preserved His people from destruction.
Barnes' Notes on Psalms 129:1
Many a time - Margin, as in Hebrew, “much.” Probably, however, the idea is, as expressed in our translation, “many a time;” “often.” So it is in the Latin Vulgate and the Septuagint; and this accords better with the connection.
Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 129:1
1. From my youth—From the days of Israel’s abode in Egypt. So Hosea 2:15; Hosea 11:1; Jeremiah 2:2
Sermons on Psalms 129:1
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
Psalm 129 by Henry Law | Henry Law preaches about the enduring nature of God's Church and His people despite facing constant troubles and afflictions. Using powerful imagery, he illustrates how the Church, |
|
(The Lord - Merciful and Gracious) 5. the Triumph of the Poor and Needy by Roy Hession | In this sermon, the preacher focuses on the story of David from the Bible, particularly during the time when he was hunted by Saul and lived in the wilderness for 10 years. David d |
|
These Times Demand Special Trust by David Wilkerson | In this sermon, the preacher warns of various calamities and signs of the end times, including famine, war, pestilence, earthquakes, and fear. He emphasizes the importance of trust |
|
Judges 5:23 by Chuck Smith | Chuck Smith emphasizes the curse of Meroz, highlighting the consequences of inaction in the face of evil. He recounts the story of Israel's oppression under Jabin and Sisera, and h |
|
|
Psalm 124 by Henry Law | Henry Law emphasizes that all deliverance comes freely from God's hand, deserving grateful blessings. The enemies of God's children, led by the devil, are numerous and malicious, s |
|
Exposition on Psalm 125 by St. Augustine | St. Augustine preaches on the importance of not fixing our gaze on worldly prosperity but on God, warning against pride and hardness of heart. He emphasizes the eternal stability o |
|
|
Your First Love by Chuck Smith | This sermon delves into Revelation chapter 2, focusing on the message to the church of Ephesus about their loss of first love for Jesus. It emphasizes the importance of repentance, |