Psalm 129

Don’t bless my enemies

I’ve been bullied

Road trip song [1]

1Since I was a kid, my enemies have attacked me.
Let the nation of Israel acknowledge it and say,
2“His enemies attacked him many times since childhood.
Yet they never could defeat him.
3They plowed his back with cords,
Slicing long rows into his flesh.”
4The LORD is good.
He destroyed the cords
That the wicked used as whips.

Down with haters

5For everyone who hates Jerusalem, [2]
Shame on them.
6May they shrivel up and die
Like grassy grain on a rooftop. [3]
7May they die before harvesters
Can fill their hands with the kernels
Or bundle the stalks together
And carry them away in their arms
8So no one who sees them
Will bless them by saying:
“May the good LORD be kind to you.
We’re asking the LORD to bless you.”

Footnotes

Intro Notes for Psalms

Intro Notes for Book 5 of 5 In Psalms

Intro Notes for Road Trip Songs

1129:1

The subtitle wasn’t part of the original psalm. Psalms 120-134 are called songs of ascent, possibly because Jewish pilgrims sang these songs while traveling up into the Judean hills to celebrate a Jewish holiday in Jerusalem.

2129:5

Literally “Zion.” “Zion” is a term of endearment, and another name for Jerusalem. It’s a bit like “The Big Apple” for New York City.

3129:6

Plants can pop up quickly on a warm roof covered in clay and soil. But the dirt is too shallow for the plants to develop strong roots. So, as the plants grow larger and need more water and nutrients, which they can’t get, they wither and die.