Psalm 129:5-8

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 129:5-8

The psalmist, having triumphed in the defeat of the many designs that had been laid as deep as hell to ruin the church, here concludes his psalm as Deborah did her song, So let all thy enemies perish, O Lord! Jdg. 5:31. I. There are many that hate Zion, that hate Zion's God, his worship, and his worshippers, that have an antipathy to religion and religious people, that seek the ruin of both, and do what they can that God may not have a church in the world. II. We ought to pray that all their... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 129:5

Let them all be confounded ,.... Or "ashamed": as all the enemies of God's people will be sooner or later, either in this world, or however when Christ shall come in the clouds of heaven; or let them be disappointed of their views, aims, and ends, when they will be confounded, as disappointed persons are; and turned back ; from pursuing their designs and accomplishing them; as the Assyrian monarch was, who had a hook put into his nose, and a bridle in his lips, and was turned back by the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 129:6

Let them be as the grass upon the housetops ,.... The tops of the houses in Judea were flat, and so grass grew upon them, being covered with plaster of terrace; though it was but small and weak, and being on high was exposed to the scorching sun, and soon withered F2 See Shaw's Travels, p. 210, 211. ; and Menochius says F3 De Republica Heb. l. 7. c. 5. p. 666. he saw such roofs in the island of Corsica, flat, and having earth upon them, smoothed and pressed, on which grass grew... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 129:7

Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand ,.... Such grass never rises high enough to be mowed, nor is of that account to have such pains taken with it; nor the quantity so large as to fill a mower's hand, and carry it away in his arms; nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom ; when corn is mowed or reaped, the binders come and gather it up in their arms, and bind it in sheaves, and then bring it into the barn; but nothing of this kind is done with grass on the housetops. This represents... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 129:8

Neither do they which go by say, the blessing of the Lord be upon you ,.... As was usual with passengers, when they went by where mowers, and reapers, and binders, were at work in the field in harvest time; who used to wish the presence and blessing of God with them, and upon their labours; and who returned the salutation, as may be seen in Boaz and his reapers, 2:4 ; we bless you in the name of the Lord ; which is either a continuation of the blessing of the passengers, or the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 129:5

Let them all be confounded - They shall be confounded. They who hate Zion, the Church of God, hate God himself; and all such must be dealt with as enemies, and be utterly confounded. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 129:6

As the grass upon the housetops - As in the east the roofs of the houses were flat, seeds of various kinds falling upon them would naturally vegetate, though in an imperfect way; and, because of the want of proper nourishment, would necessarily dry and wither away. If grass, the mower cannot make hay of it; if corn, the reaper cannot make a sheaf of it. Let the Babylonians be like such herbage - good for nothing, and come to nothing. Withereth afore it groweth up - Before שלק shalak ... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 129:8

Neither do they which go by say - There is a reference here to the salutations which were given and returned by the reapers in the time of the harvest. We find that it was customary, when the master came to them into the field, to say unto the reapers, The Lord be with you! and for them to answer, The Lord bless thee! Rth 2:4. Let their land become desolate, so that no harvest shall ever more appear in it. No interchange of benedictions between owners and reapers. This has literally taken... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 129:5

Verse 5 5.All who hate Zion shall be confounded, and tutored backward. Whether we take this as a prayer or a promise, the Prophet has a respect to the time to come. Since all the verbs are in the future tense, it is certainly a very appropriate interpretation to understand him as deriving from times past instruction as to what is to be hoped for in future, even to the end. In whichever way we understand the passage, he declares that the faithful have no reason to be discouraged when they behold... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 129:7

Verse 7 7With which the mower hath not filled his hand. (116) We have here an additional confirmation of the truth, that although the wicked mount high or elevate themselves, and form an extravagant opinion of their own importance, yet they continue mere grass, not bringing forth any good fruit, nor reaching a state of ripeness, but swelling only with fresh appearance. To make this obvious, the Psalmist sets them in opposition to fruit-bearing herbs, which in valleys and low grounds produce... read more

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