Psalm 129:1
New International Version
A song of ascents. “They have greatly oppressed me from my youth,” let Israel say;

New Living Translation
From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me. Let all Israel repeat this:

English Standard Version
“Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth”— let Israel now say—

Berean Standard Bible
A song of ascents. Many a time they have persecuted me from my youth—let Israel now declare—

King James Bible
A Song of degrees. Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say:

New King James Version
A Song of Ascents. “Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth,” Let Israel now say—

New American Standard Bible
A Song of Ascents. “Many times they have attacked me from my youth up,” Let Israel say,

NASB 1995
A Song of Ascents. “Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up,” Let Israel now say,

NASB 1977
“ Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up,” Let Israel now say,

Legacy Standard Bible
A Song of Ascents. “Many times they have assailed me from my youth up,” Let Israel now say,

Amplified Bible
A Song of Ascents. “Many times they have persecuted me (Israel) from my youth,” Let Israel now say,

Christian Standard Bible
A song of ascents. Since my youth they have often attacked me — let Israel say —

Holman Christian Standard Bible
A song of ascents. Since my youth they have often attacked me— let Israel say—

American Standard Version
A Song of Ascents. Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth up, Let Israel now say,

Contemporary English Version
Since the time I was young, enemies have often attacked! Let everyone in Israel say:

English Revised Version
A Song of Ascents. Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth up, let Israel now say;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
[A song for going up to worship.] "From the time I was young, people have attacked me..." (Israel should repeat this.)

Good News Translation
Israel, tell us how your enemies have persecuted you ever since you were young.

International Standard Version
"Since my youth they have often persecuted me," let Israel repeat it,

Majority Standard Bible
A song of ascents. Many a time they have persecuted me from my youth?let Israel now declare?

NET Bible
A song of ascents. "Since my youth they have often attacked me," let Israel say.

New Heart English Bible
[A Song of Ascents.] Many times they have afflicted me from my youth up. Let Israel now say,

Webster's Bible Translation
A Song of degrees. Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say:

World English Bible
A Song of Ascents. Many times they have afflicted me from my youth up. Let Israel now say:
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
A SONG OF THE ASCENTS. Often they distressed me from my youth, "" Pray, let Israel say:

Young's Literal Translation
A Song of the Ascents. Often they distressed me from my youth, Pray, let Israel say:

Smith's Literal Translation
Song of ascensions. Much they pressed me from my youth, shall Israel now say:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Often have they fought against me from my youth, let Israel now say.

Catholic Public Domain Version
A Canticle in steps. They have often fought against me from my youth, let Israel now say:

New American Bible
A song of ascents. Viciously have they attacked me from my youth, let Israel say now.

New Revised Standard Version
“Often have they attacked me from my youth” —let Israel now say—
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
MY oppressors have been many from my youth, may Israel now say;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Israel will say, "My torturers have increased from my youth!"
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
A Song of Ascents. 'Much have they afflicted me from my youth up', Let Israel now say;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
A Song of Degrees. Many a time have they warred against me from my youth, let Israel now say:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Cords of the Wicked
1A song of ascents. Many 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.…

Cross References
Exodus 1:12
But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and flourished; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites.

Isaiah 51:23
I will place it in the hands of your tormentors, who told you: ‘Lie down, so we can walk over you,’ so that you made your back like the ground, like a street to be traversed.”

Jeremiah 30:16
Nevertheless, all who devour you will be devoured, and all your adversaries—every one of them—will go off into exile. Those who plundered you will be plundered, and all who raided you will be raided.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9
We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; / persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.

Romans 8:35-37
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? / As it is written: “For Your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” / No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

2 Timothy 3:11
my persecutions, and the sufferings that came upon me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.

Acts 14:22
strengthening the souls of the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith. “We must endure many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.

Matthew 5:10-12
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. / Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. / Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.

John 15:18-20
If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first. / If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. / Remember the word that I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well; if they kept My word, they will keep yours as well.

1 Peter 4:12-14
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial that has come upon you, as though something strange were happening to you. / But rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed at the revelation of His glory. / If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

Isaiah 49:25-26
Indeed, this is what the LORD says: “Even the captives of the mighty will be taken away, and the plunder of the tyrant will be retrieved; I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children. / I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh; they will be drunk on their own blood, as with wine. Then all mankind will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”

Micah 7:8-10
Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will arise; though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light. / Because I have sinned against Him, I must endure the rage of the LORD, until He argues my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me into the light; I will see His righteousness. / Then my enemy will see and will be covered with shame—she who said to me, “Where is the LORD your God?” My eyes will see her; at that time she will be trampled like mud in the streets.

Lamentations 3:34-36
To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the land, / to deny a man justice before the Most High, / to subvert a man in his lawsuit—of these the Lord does not approve.

Nehemiah 9:27
So You delivered them into the hands of enemies who oppressed them, and in their time of distress they cried out to You. From heaven You heard them, and in Your great compassion You gave them deliverers who saved them from the hands of their enemies.

Judges 2:18
Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for the Israelites, He was with that judge and saved them from the hands of their enemies while the judge was still alive; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning under those who oppressed them and afflicted them.


Treasury of Scripture

Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say:

A.

Ezra 4:1
Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity builded the temple unto the LORD God of Israel;

Psalm 120:1
A Song of degrees. In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and he heard me.

Psalm 121:1
A Song of degrees. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

many.

Exodus 1:12-14,22
But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel…

Exodus 5:7-19
Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves…

Judges 2:15
Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed.

from

Jeremiah 2:2
Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.

Ezekiel 23:3
And they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth: there were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teats of their virginity.

Hosea 2:15
And 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.

may

Psalm 124:1
A Song of degrees of David. If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say;

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Psalm 129
1. An exhortation to praise God for saving Israel in their great afflictions
5. The haters of the church are cursed














A song of ascents.
This phrase indicates that Psalm 129 is part of the Songs of Ascents, a collection of Psalms (120-134) traditionally sung by Hebrew pilgrims as they ascended to Jerusalem for the three major feasts: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. The ascent is both physical, as Jerusalem is situated on a hill, and spiritual, symbolizing drawing closer to God. The term "ascents" may also reflect the spiritual journey of the believer, moving towards a deeper relationship with God.

Many a time they have persecuted me from my youth—
This phrase reflects the historical suffering and persecution of Israel, beginning from its early formation as a nation. The "youth" of Israel can be seen as the period of the Exodus and the subsequent settlement in the Promised Land. Throughout history, Israel faced numerous adversities, including slavery in Egypt, oppression by surrounding nations, and later exiles. This persecution is a recurring theme in the Old Testament, highlighting the resilience and faithfulness of God's people despite adversity. It also foreshadows the suffering of Christ, who was persecuted from His youth, fulfilling the prophecy of the suffering servant in Isaiah 53.

let Israel now declare—
This call to declaration serves as a communal affirmation of shared experiences and faith. It invites the nation of Israel to collectively acknowledge their history of persecution and God's deliverance. This communal aspect is significant in Jewish culture, where oral tradition and collective memory play crucial roles in maintaining identity and faith. The phrase encourages unity and solidarity among the people, reminding them of God's past faithfulness and inspiring hope for future deliverance. This declaration can also be seen as a type of testimony, paralleling the Christian call to witness and proclaim God's works in one's life.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Israel
The nation of Israel is central to this verse. It represents the collective people of God who have faced persecution throughout their history, from their early days in Egypt to various captivities and oppressions.

2. Persecutors
While not named specifically, the persecutors are those who have oppressed Israel throughout its history. This includes various nations and peoples who have sought to harm or subjugate Israel.

3. Youth of Israel
This refers to the early history of Israel, possibly alluding to the time of the patriarchs, the Egyptian bondage, or the early days in the Promised Land.
Teaching Points
Historical Perseverance
The history of Israel is marked by perseverance through persecution. Believers today can draw strength from this legacy, knowing that God is faithful through trials.

Collective Testimony
The call for Israel to declare their persecution is a reminder of the power of collective testimony. Sharing our struggles and God's deliverance can strengthen the faith community.

God's Faithfulness
Despite repeated persecution, Israel's survival is a testament to God's unwavering faithfulness. Christians can trust in God's promises and protection in their own lives.

Spiritual Warfare
The persecution of Israel is a reminder of the spiritual warfare believers face. We must remain vigilant and rely on God's strength to overcome.

Endurance in Faith
Just as Israel endured, Christians are called to endure in their faith, trusting that God will ultimately deliver and vindicate them.(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."

Verse 1. - Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth. Israel's recollection is one of frequent, almost constant, "affliction." She has been downtrodden beneath the feet of Egyptians, Moabites, Mesopotamians, Canaanites, Ammonites, Philistines, Syrians. Assyrians, Babylonians. Her sufferings began in her extreme youth, as soon as she was a nation (Exodus 1:11-22). May Israel now say; rather, let Israel now say. The psalmist directs his countrymen to look back upon their past history.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
A Song
שִׁ֗יר (šîr)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7892: A song, singing

of Ascents.
הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת (ham·ma·‘ă·lō·wṯ)
Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 4609: Elevation, the act, the condition, a climactic progression

Many a time
רַ֭בַּת (rab·baṯ)
Adjective - feminine singular construct
Strong's 7227: Much, many, great

they have persecuted me
צְרָר֣וּנִי (ṣə·rā·rū·nî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural | first person common singular
Strong's 6887: To bind, tie up, be restricted, narrow, scant, or cramped

from my youth—
מִנְּעוּרַ֑י (min·nə·‘ū·ray)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5271: Youth, the state, the persons

let Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

now
נָ֝א (nā)
Interjection
Strong's 4994: I pray', 'now', 'then'

declare—
יֹֽאמַר־ (yō·mar-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say


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OT Poetry: Psalm 129:1 A Song of Ascents (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 128:6
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