Psalm 128 was joyous psalm, but this next Psalm 129 takes on a much darker hue. It describes the suffering endured, perhaps by a Jew in exile or the diaspora, and the hope they can have in Yhwh as righteous.
The psalm's structure is ABA, with the key idea coming in the central B section (v4). The first A section describes the suffering experienced (v1-3), while the second A section (v5-8) holds out the hope that is able to be said only because of the central B statement.
Suffering (129:1-3)
The description of the pilgrim's suffering includes a repetition of the summary:
Much have they been hostile to me from my youth—say it, Israel—
much have they been hostile to me from my youth. (1b-2a)
In the centre is an odd interjection "say it, Israel", which is an odd phrase which only occurs two other times in the Bible - although both nearby (Ps 118:2; 124:1). In this case it seems as if it is an encouragement to be real about the suffering, to not hide it or make excuses. The suffering happened, it was real, it hurt. The suffering was so real that it is described as if their back was the ground and the enemy was the plougher.
I wonder then, if this is what Yhwh severs in Psalm 129. It is not necessarily the cords binding the righteous, but rather the access of the wicked to their endless stores of evil. Because, again, Yhwh is righteous, and the work of the wicked will not prosper.
Hope (129:5-8)
The remaining verses of the psalm can be translated either as hopeful: "May this happen," or as certainties: "This will happen." That is, they "may be understood as statements of confidence or as prayers." (Goldingay, BCOTWP, 517-518). Although either are grammatically possible, the grounding in the centre of the psalm in the character of Yhwh means that we can be confident to read them with certainty, even as we hope they come to fruition sooner rather than later.
These verses describe a lovely little image or parable of a house which grows grass—which one might hope to one day harvest. But there is so little there (it is a roof after all!) that the harvester cannot fill their arms; indeed—most of the grass has already withered in the sun. No one would ever say “oh, nice harvest—Yhwh is giving you a great crop this year.” (v8)
It all ends in shame, a point which is highlighted through two near-homophones at the beginning of v5 and the end of v6: יבשׁו (they will be ashamed) and יבשׁ (it withers). That is, the ones who hate Zion (v5b) will be ashamed (v5a) because they will be as useless as a harvest (v7) of roof grass (v6a) which has withered (v6b).
The final verse directs the reader to the centre again:
Upon my back ploughed the ploughmen,
they caused the furrows to be long. (3)
This agricultural imagery will return in the second half as it is turned back upon the oppressors. But for now, in the song, the encouragement is that this is not the end. v2b asserts that they were not able to [conquer] me.
Truth (129:4)
In the centre is the bedrock upon which suffering must be evaluated and hope can be expressed:
Yhwh is righteous —He severs the cords of the wicked. (4)
The opponents were not named in the first three verses, but here it is clear: the wicked (רשׁעים). But what exactly does Yhwh do to the righteous? He severs their cords (קצץ עבות). This is an odd phrase, and is hard to understand without much context. Obviously it is not good for the wicked, but what does it mean?
The ESV, CSB, JPS and others leave it as is, while some translations try to suggest it is the cords with which the wicked has bound the godly. It may be implicit in those others, but the NJB for instance has "shattered the yoke of the wicked", while the NIV adds "cut me free from the cords of the wicked," which perhaps gives a certainty that is not there in the Hebrew. The LXX goes all out and reads "cords" as "necks" - "cut the necks of the sinners" (συνέκοψεν αὐχένα ἁμαρτωλῶν).
The word "cords" is in Exodus as a precious thing - the gold chains used in the ephod for instance. In Judges it's referring to ropes used to tie up Samson, and there is a similar meaning in Ezekiel 3-4 and Psalm 2. But Isaiah 5:18 is interesting, and may help us understand another possibility for this verse.
Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, and wickedness as with cart ropes (עבות) , (Isa 5.18 NIV)The lexemes for both sin (עון) and wickedness (חטאה) are different to that for the wicked (רשׁעים) in Psalm 129, but the collocation of these ideas and two different phrases for ropes/cords/chains are intriguing. The image here is again an agricultural one, that the wicked drag around carts full of evil, rejecting justice, the law of Yhwh and his Holy One. In response, Isaiah pronounces a series of "woes" upon them, describing their judgement in hellish language (Isa 5:24).
I wonder then, if this is what Yhwh severs in Psalm 129. It is not necessarily the cords binding the righteous, but rather the access of the wicked to their endless stores of evil. Because, again, Yhwh is righteous, and the work of the wicked will not prosper.
Hope (129:5-8)
The remaining verses of the psalm can be translated either as hopeful: "May this happen," or as certainties: "This will happen." That is, they "may be understood as statements of confidence or as prayers." (Goldingay, BCOTWP, 517-518). Although either are grammatically possible, the grounding in the centre of the psalm in the character of Yhwh means that we can be confident to read them with certainty, even as we hope they come to fruition sooner rather than later.
These verses describe a lovely little image or parable of a house which grows grass—which one might hope to one day harvest. But there is so little there (it is a roof after all!) that the harvester cannot fill their arms; indeed—most of the grass has already withered in the sun. No one would ever say “oh, nice harvest—Yhwh is giving you a great crop this year.” (v8)
It all ends in shame, a point which is highlighted through two near-homophones at the beginning of v5 and the end of v6: יבשׁו (they will be ashamed) and יבשׁ (it withers). That is, the ones who hate Zion (v5b) will be ashamed (v5a) because they will be as useless as a harvest (v7) of roof grass (v6a) which has withered (v6b).
The final verse directs the reader to the centre again:
nor will the passers-by say “the blessings of Yhwh be upon you; we bless you in the name of Yhwh” (v8)They will receive no blessings from Yhwh, they will be cursed and cut down by Yhwh, their evil deeds will be ended, because Yhwh is righteous. The obvious question then is, "who receives the blessings of Yhwh?" It is those who have remained faithful to the one who is eternally righteous, Yhwh of Zion.
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