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Psalm 129

Psa. 129:1 KJV (With Strong’s)

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<<A Song of degrees.>> σMany a time have they afflicted me fromy my youth, may Israel now say:

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or, Much.

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Ex. 1:13‑14• ¹³And the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with harshness;
¹⁴and they embittered their life with hard labour in clay and bricks, and in all manner of labour in the field: all their labour with which they made them serve was with harshness. (Ex. 1:13‑14)

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Lam. 1:3• ³Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude; she dwelleth among the nations, she findeth no rest: all her pursuers have overtaken her within the straits. (Lam. 1:3)

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Israel,

Songs of Degrees

Cross References

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Ministry on This Verse

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1-4: An exhortation to praise God for saving Israel in their great afflictions.

5-8: The haters of the church are cursed.

A.M. 3470.

B.C. 534.

(Title.)

A Song of degrees.This Psalm was most probably composed in consequence of the opposition of the Samaritans.

Ezra 4:1‑23• ¹And the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building the temple to Jehovah the God of Israel;
²and they came to Zerubbabel and to the chief fathers, and said to them, We would build with you; for we seek your God, as ye; and we have sacrificed to him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up hither.
³But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the chief fathers of Israel said to them, Ye have nothing to do with us to build a house to our God, but we alone will build to Jehovah the God of Israel, as king Cyrus, the king of Persia, has commanded us.
⁴And the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building;
⁵and they hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
⁶And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
⁷And in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions, wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in Aramaic, and interpreted in Aramaic.
⁸Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king after this sort:
⁹Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions, the Dinaites, and the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Shushanchites, the Dehaites, the Elamites,
¹⁰and the rest of the peoples whom the great and noble Osnappar brought over and settled in the cities of Samaria, and the rest of the country on this side the river, and so forth.
¹¹This is the copy of the letter that they sent to him: To Artaxerxes the king: Thy servants the men on this side the river, and so forth.
¹²Be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from thee unto us have come to Jerusalem; they are building the rebellious and the bad city, and they complete the walls and join up the foundations.
¹³Be it known therefore unto the king, that, if this city be built and the walls be completed, they will not pay tribute, tax, and toll, and in the end it will bring damage to the kings.
¹⁴Now, since we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not right for us to see the king's injury, therefore have we sent and informed the king;
¹⁵that search may be made in the book of the annals of thy fathers: so shalt thou find in the book of the annals and know that this city is a rebellious city, which has done damage to kings and provinces, and that they have raised sedition within the same of old time, for which cause this city was destroyed.
¹⁶We inform the king that if this city be built and its walls be completed, by this means thou shalt have no portion on this side the river.
¹⁷The king sent an answer to Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and the other places beyond the river: Peace, and so forth.
¹⁸The letter that ye sent to us has been read before me distinctly.
¹⁹And I gave orders, and search has been made, and it has been found that this city of old time has made insurrection against the kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been raised therein.
²⁰And there have been mighty kings over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all beyond the river; and tribute, tax, and toll were paid to them.
²¹Now give order to make these men to cease, and that this city be not built, until the order shall be given from me;
²²and take heed that ye fail not to do this: why should harm grow to the damage of the kings?
²³As soon as the copy of king Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and made them cease by force and power. (Ezra 4:1‑23)

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Psa. 120:1• ¹A Song of degrees. In my trouble I called unto Jehovah, and he answered me. (Psa. 120:1)

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Psa. 121:1• ¹A Song of degrees. I lift up mine eyes unto the mountains: whence shall my help come? (Psa. 121:1)

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Psa. 122:1• ¹A Song of degrees. Of David. I rejoiced when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of Jehovah. (Psa. 122:1)

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Psa. 123:1• ¹A Song of degrees. Unto thee do I lift up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. (Psa. 123:1)

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Psa. 124:1• ¹A Song of degrees. Of David. If it had not been Jehovah who was for us--oh let Israel say-- (Psa. 124:1)

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Psa. 125:1• ¹A Song of degrees. They that confide in Jehovah are as mount Zion, which cannot be moved; it abideth for ever. (Psa. 125:1)

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Psa. 126:1• ¹A Song of degrees. When Jehovah turned the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. (Psa. 126:1)

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Psa. 127:1• ¹A Song of degrees. Of Solomon. Unless Jehovah build the house, in vain do its builders labour in it; unless Jehovah keep the city, the keeper watcheth in vain: (Psa. 127:1)

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Psa. 127• (Psa. 127)

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Psa. 128:1• ¹A Song of degrees. Blessed is every one that feareth Jehovah, that walketh in his ways. (Psa. 128:1)

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Psa. 128• (Psa. 128)

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Many.

or, Much.

have they.

Ex. 1:12‑14,22• ¹²But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and spread; and they were distressed because of the children of Israel.
¹³And the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with harshness;
¹⁴and they embittered their life with hard labour in clay and bricks, and in all manner of labour in the field: all their labour with which they made them serve was with harshness.
²²Then Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, but every daughter ye shall save alive. (Ex. 1:12‑14,22)

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Ex. 5:7‑19• ⁷Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
⁸And the number of the bricks they have made heretofore shall ye lay upon them: ye shall not diminish any of it, for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.
⁹Let them put heavier labour on the men, that they may be taken up with it, and not regard vain words.
¹⁰And the taskmasters of the people and their officers went out and spoke to the people, saying, Thus says Pharaoh: I will not give you straw:
¹¹go ye, get yourselves straw where ye may find it; but none of your work shall be diminished.
¹²And the people were scattered abroad throughout the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.
¹³And the taskmasters urged them, saying, Fulfil your labours, the daily work, as when there was straw.
¹⁴And the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and it was said, Why have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick, both yesterday and to-day, as heretofore?
¹⁵Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, Why dost thou deal thus with thy bondmen?
¹⁶There is no straw given to thy bondmen, and they say to us, Make brick; and behold, thy bondmen are beaten, but it is the fault of thy people.
¹⁷And he said, Ye are idle, idle! therefore ye say, Let us go and sacrifice to Jehovah.
¹⁸And now go--work! and straw shall not be given you, and ye shall deliver the measure of bricks.
¹⁹And the officers of the children of Israel saw that it stood ill with them, because it was said, Ye shall not diminish anything from your bricks, the daily work. (Ex. 5:7‑19)

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Judg. 2:15• ¹⁵Whithersoever they went out the hand of Jehovah was against them for evil, as Jehovah had said, and as Jehovah had sworn unto them; and they were greatly distressed. (Judg. 2:15)

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Judg. 10:8‑12• ⁸And they oppressed and crushed the children of Israel in that year; eighteen years they oppressed all the children of Israel that were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.
⁹And the children of Ammon passed over the Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; and Israel was greatly distressed.
¹⁰And the children of Israel cried to Jehovah, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served the Baals.
¹¹And Jehovah said to the children of Israel, Did I not save you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?
¹²The Zidonians also, and Amalek and Maon oppressed you, and ye cried to me, and I saved you out of their hand. (Judg. 10:8‑12)

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1 Sam. 13:19• ¹⁹Now there was no smith found throughout the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears. (1 Sam. 13:19)

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Lam. 1:3• ³Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude; she dwelleth among the nations, she findeth no rest: all her pursuers have overtaken her within the straits. (Lam. 1:3)

from.

Jer. 2:2• ²Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith Jehovah: I remember for thee the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. (Jer. 2:2)

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Ezek. 23:3• ³And they committed whoredom in Egypt; they committed whoredom in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there were handled the teats of their virginity. (Ezek. 23:3)

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Hos. 2:15• ¹⁵And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope; and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. (Hos. 2:15)

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Hos. 11:1• ¹When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. (Hos. 11:1)

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Psa. 124:1• ¹A Song of degrees. Of David. If it had not been Jehovah who was for us--oh let Israel say-- (Psa. 124:1)

• While restored Israel enjoy peace in their land resulting from the presence of the Lord in Zion, they reflect on their afflictions received from their enemies. Many times God has used their enemies, particularly the Assyrians (Isa. 10:5), to afflict them in discipline in the past. (Israel’s “youth” refers to their early days in the land in Old Testament times). (“Book 5.” by B. Anstey)

• In Psalms 128, the godly contemplate the bright prospect that lies before them: in Psalms 129, they review their sorrowful past. (“Psalms 129” by H. Smith)

• (vv. 1-3) Looking back over the past Israel may say that, from the time of the nation’s childhood in Egypt, when their history as a distinct nation commenced, the nations of the world have afflicted them. (“Psalms 129” by H. Smith)

J. N. Darby Translation

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A Song of degrees. Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth—oh let Israel say—