CORPUS-PSALTERIUMVol. VI
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Corpus Psalterium · Vol. VI

Psalm CXXIX (129)

Cantillated — Communal Confidence with Imprecation

Paul Whitehorn

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Psalm 129 in Hebrew and English, and the words as they are sung.

A Song of Ascents.

1

Many times they have afflicted me from my youth up. Let Israel now say:

שִׁ֗יר הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת רַ֭בַּת צְרָר֣וּנִי מִנְּעוּרַ֑י יֹֽאמַר־נָ֝א יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

2

many times they have afflicted me from my youth up, yet they have not prevailed against me.

רַ֭בַּת צְרָר֣וּנִי מִנְּעוּרָ֑י גַּ֝ם לֹא־יָ֥כְלוּ לִֽי׃

3

The plowers plowed on my back. They made their furrows long.

עַל־גַּ֭בִּי חָרְשׁ֣וּ חֹרְשִׁ֑ים הֶ֝אֱרִ֗יכוּ למענותם׃

4

Yahweh is righteous. He has cut apart the cords of the wicked.

יְהוָ֥ה צַדִּ֑יק קִ֝צֵּ֗ץ עֲב֣וֹת רְשָׁעִֽים׃

5

Let them be disappointed and turned backward, all those who hate Zion.

יֵ֭בֹשׁוּ וְיִסֹּ֣גוּ אָח֑וֹר כֹּ֝֗ל שֹׂנְאֵ֥י צִיּֽוֹן׃

6

Let them be as the grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up,

יִ֭הְיוּ כַּחֲצִ֣יר גַּגּ֑וֹת שֶׁקַּדְמַ֖ת שָׁלַ֣ף יָבֵֽשׁ׃

7

with which the reaper doesn’t fill his hand, nor he who binds sheaves, his bosom.

שֶׁלֹּ֤א מִלֵּ֖א כַפּ֥וֹ קוֹצֵ֗ר וְחִצְנ֥וֹ מְעַמֵּֽר׃

8

Neither do those who go by say, “The blessing of Yahweh be on you. We bless you in Yahweh’s name.”

וְלֹ֤א אָֽמְר֨וּ ׀ הָעֹבְרִ֗ים בִּרְכַּֽת־יְהוָ֥ה אֲלֵיכֶ֑ם בֵּרַ֥כְנוּ אֶ֝תְכֶ֗ם בְּשֵׁ֣ם יְהוָֽה׃

Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain), from the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. English: World English Bible (public domain). Verse numbers follow the English Bible; the Hebrew numbering is shown beneath where it differs.

Over and over

they came at me

ever since I was a child

now let Israel say it

Over and over

they came at me

ever since I was a child

Over and over

they came at me

ever since I was a child

and still

they could not win!

they could not win!

(over and over)

They ran their plows

down my back

dragging the rows out long

The LORD does right

He slashed the cords

the wicked tied!

Over and over

they came at me

ever since I was a child

and still

they could not win!

they could not win!

Let all who hate Zion

blush and back away

let them be grass on the roof

dry before anyone pulls it

never a handful for the reaper

never an armload for the one who binds

Over and over

they came at me

ever since I was a child

and still

they could not win!

they could not win!

and nobody walking by will say

the LORD's blessing on you

we bless you

in the LORD's name

Lyrics by Paul Whitehorn: a singable English rendering of the Hebrew, as sung on this recording.

Corpus Psalterium sets each psalm to music by its Hebrew grammar. Didactic psalms teach; Cantillated psalms are spoken, sung or performed before God. Hear all 150 psalms free.

About these songs. They are a summary and a commentary on the Psalms, not a word-for-word translation. Read what these songs are →

What These Songs Are, and What They Are Not

These songs are not a word-for-word translation of the Psalms. They were never meant to be. Nor do they try to capture every idea in every psalm. In a song, that would be impossible.

What we have done is capture the essence of each psalm: what matters most in it. Think of each song as a summary. Think of it as a cheat sheet. The purpose of the psalm is still being met. God's word to mankind is still being heard.

Behind many of these lines is word research: deep study of the meaning of the Hebrew. So where a line sounds different from your translation, and you think it is wrong, study it. We believe you will find that the essence of what we sing is true.

The truth is that no one can set the Psalms to music without also becoming a commentator. That is what this is. It is a modern commentary on the Psalms: not only the Psalms themselves, and not only the Psalms being sung. So do not think that every word of the psalm is here. It is not. Read the psalm itself, in full.

Why do this at all? Because we believe God intended humanity to be surrounded by His word. This was always the entertainment He wanted us to have: not hours of television, not a day lost in a phone looking at nonsense. The blessed man of Psalm 1 meditates on God's word day and night. How can we meditate on His word if we do not surround ourselves with it?

As ministers, our first responsibility is to share God's word with people. That is what these songs are for.

Paul Whitehorn