Psalms 129:3
Psalms 129:3 in Multiple Translations
The plowmen plowed over my back; they made their furrows long.
The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows.
The plowers plowed upon my back; They made long their furrows.
The ploughmen were ploughing on my back; long were the wounds they made.
They beat me on my back, leaving long furrows as if it had been plowed by a farmer.
The plowers plowed vpon my backe, and made long furrowes.
Over my back have ploughers ploughed, They have made long their furrows.
The plowers plowed on my back. They made their furrows long.
The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows.
If thou, O Lord, wilt mark iniquities: Lord, who shall stand it.
Our enemies struck us with whips that cut into our backs [MET] like a farmer uses a plow to cut deep furrows into the ground.”
Berean Amplified Bible — Psalms 129:3
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Psalms 129:3 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
עַל
גַּ֭בִּ/י
חָרְשׁ֣וּ
חֹרְשִׁ֑ים
הֶ֝אֱרִ֗יכוּ
ל/מענות/ם
לְ/מַעֲנִיתָֽ/ם
עַל
ʻal
H5921
upon
Prep
גַּ֭בִּ/י
gab
H1354
back/rim/brow
N-cs | Suff
חָרְשׁ֣וּ
chârash
H2790
to plow/plot
V-Qal-Perf-3cp
חֹרְשִׁ֑ים
chârash
H2790
to plow/plot
V-Qal
הֶ֝אֱרִ֗יכוּ
ʼârak
H748
to prolong
V-Hiphil-Perf-3cp
ל/מענות/ם
maʻănâh
H4618
furrow
Prep | N-fp | Suff
לְ/מַעֲנִיתָֽ/ם
maʻănâh
H4618
furrow
Prep | N-fs | Suff
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Psalms 129:3
עַל
ʻal
H5921
"upon"
Prep
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Definition: prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) 1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity) 1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion) 1h) to (as a dative)
Usage: Occurs in 4493 OT verses. KJV: above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-) on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, [idiom] with. See also: Genesis 1:2; Genesis 24:13; Genesis 41:33.
גַּ֭בִּ/י
gab
H1354
"back/rim/brow"
N-cs | Suff
This Hebrew word describes the back or rounded part of something, like the back of a person or an object, as seen in Exodus 28:12 where it talks about the back of the ephod. It can also refer to the rim or top of something.
Definition: 1) convex surface, back 1a) back (of man) 1b) mound (for illicit worship) 1c) boss (convex projection of shield) 1d) bulwarks, breastworks (of arguments-fig.) 1e) brow, eyebrow 1f) rim (of wheel) Aramaic equivalent: gav (גַּב "back" H1355)
Usage: Occurs in 11 OT verses. KJV: back, body, boss, eminent (higher) place, (eye) brows, nave, ring. See also: Leviticus 14:9; Ezekiel 1:18; Psalms 129:3.
חָרְשׁ֣וּ
chârash
H2790
"to plow/plot"
V-Qal-Perf-3cp
This verb can mean to be quiet or silent, but also to scratch or engrave, like a farmer plowing a field. It is used in various contexts, including being silent or deaf. The KJV translates it in different ways, including 'cease' or 'hold peace'.
Definition: 1) to cut in, plough, engrave, devise 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to cut in, engrave 1a2) to plough 1a3) to devise 1b) (Niphal) to be ploughed 1c) (Hiphil) to plot evil
Usage: Occurs in 65 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] altogether, cease, conceal, be deaf, devise, ear, graven, imagine, leave off speaking, hold peace, plow(-er, man), be quiet, rest, practise secretly, keep silence, be silent, speak not a word, be still, hold tongue, worker. See also: Genesis 24:21; Psalms 28:1; Psalms 32:3.
חֹרְשִׁ֑ים
chârash
H2790
"to plow/plot"
V-Qal
This verb can mean to be quiet or silent, but also to scratch or engrave, like a farmer plowing a field. It is used in various contexts, including being silent or deaf. The KJV translates it in different ways, including 'cease' or 'hold peace'.
Definition: 1) to cut in, plough, engrave, devise 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to cut in, engrave 1a2) to plough 1a3) to devise 1b) (Niphal) to be ploughed 1c) (Hiphil) to plot evil
Usage: Occurs in 65 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] altogether, cease, conceal, be deaf, devise, ear, graven, imagine, leave off speaking, hold peace, plow(-er, man), be quiet, rest, practise secretly, keep silence, be silent, speak not a word, be still, hold tongue, worker. See also: Genesis 24:21; Psalms 28:1; Psalms 32:3.
הֶ֝אֱרִ֗יכוּ
ʼârak
H748
"to prolong"
V-Hiphil-Perf-3cp
This verb means to prolong or make something long, whether it's a physical object, a period of time, or a person's life, as seen in the book of Genesis where God prolongs the lives of the patriarchs. In Exodus, it describes the lengthening of the Israelites' stay in Egypt.
Definition: 1) to be long, prolong 1a) (Qal) to be long 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to prolong (days) 1b2) to make long (tent cords) 1b3) to grow long, continue long Aramaic equivalent: a.rakh (אֲרִיךְ "be proper" H0749)
Usage: Occurs in 34 OT verses. KJV: defer, draw out, lengthen, (be, become, make, pro-) long, [phrase] (out-, over-) live, tarry (long). See also: Genesis 26:8; 1 Kings 3:14; Psalms 129:3.
ל/מענות/ם
maʻănâh
H4618
"furrow"
Prep | N-fp | Suff
This Hebrew word refers to a furrow or a plowed field, like a line of turned-over soil. It is used in the Bible to describe farming or working the land.
Definition: ploughing ground, place for task
Usage: Occurs in 2 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] acre, furrow. See also: 1 Samuel 14:14; Psalms 129:3.
לְ/מַעֲנִיתָֽ/ם
maʻănâh
H4618
"furrow"
Prep | N-fs | Suff
This Hebrew word refers to a furrow or a plowed field, like a line of turned-over soil. It is used in the Bible to describe farming or working the land.
Definition: ploughing ground, place for task
Usage: Occurs in 2 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] acre, furrow. See also: 1 Samuel 14:14; Psalms 129:3.
Study Notes — Psalms 129:3
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Psalms 129:3 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Psalms 129:3
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 129:3
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 129:3
- Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 129:3
- Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 129:3
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 129:3
- Cambridge Bible on Psalms 129:3
- Barnes' Notes on Psalms 129:3
- Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 129:3
- Sermons on Psalms 129:3
Context — The Cords of the Wicked
1Many 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.
3The plowmen plowed over my back; they made their furrows long.
4The LORD is righteous; He has cut me from the cords of the wicked. 5May all who hate Zion be turned back in shame.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 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.” |
| 2 | Psalms 141:7 | As when one plows and breaks up the soil, so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol. |
Psalms 129:3 Summary
[This verse uses a powerful image to describe the pain and hardship the psalmist has faced, comparing it to being plowed over by farmers, as seen in other scriptures like Job 31:38. Just as the earth is broken and furrowed by the plow, the psalmist's life has been deeply affected by the persecution he has endured. Despite this, we can trust that God is our deliverer and will ultimately bring us victory over our enemies, as stated in Psalms 129:4 and Deuteronomy 33:27. By trusting in God's faithfulness and righteousness, we can find hope and comfort in the midst of our own struggles and hardships.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the image of plowmen plowing over the back mean in Psalms 129:3?
This image represents the intense suffering and persecution the psalmist has endured, much like the physical pain of being plowed over, as seen in other scriptures like Isaiah 51:23 where God's people are trodden down by their oppressors.
How can we apply the concept of being plowed over by our enemies to our own lives?
As Christians, we can face similar persecution and hardship, but we can take comfort in knowing that God is our deliverer, as stated in Deuteronomy 33:27, and that He will ultimately bring us victory over our enemies.
What is the significance of the plowmen making their furrows long?
The long furrows made by the plowmen signify the depth and duration of the psalmist's suffering, emphasizing the severity of the persecution he has faced, much like the prophet Jeremiah's experience in Lamentations 3:1-20.
How does this verse relate to the rest of the psalm?
This verse is part of a larger reflection on the psalmist's experiences of persecution and God's deliverance, as seen in Psalms 129:1-2 and Psalms 129:4, highlighting God's faithfulness and righteousness in the face of adversity.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways I have felt 'plowed over' by the difficulties of life, and how can I trust God to bring me through them?
- How can I use my own experiences of hardship to minister to others who are facing similar struggles, as seen in 2 Corinthians 1:4?
- In what ways can I practically apply the concept of God's righteousness, as mentioned in Psalms 129:4, to my own life and circumstances?
- What are some 'furrows' in my life that feel particularly long and difficult, and how can I trust God to bring healing and restoration to those areas?
Gill's Exposition on Psalms 129:3
The ploughers ploughed upon my back,.... "Sinners", as the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and Arabic versions, render it; such that plough iniquity, and sow wickedness, Job 4:8; which may be understood
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 129:3
The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows. The plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows. The stripes laid on Israel's back are compared to the furrows made by the plow.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 129:3
Ploughed upon my back; they have not only thrown me down, and trod me under foot, but have cruelly tormented me, wounded and mangled me, and had no more pity upon me than the ploughman hath upon the earth which he cuts up at his pleasure. He saith, upon my back, either because they did literally scourge the captives upon their backs with such cords as are mentioned , although we do not read that the Israelitish captives were thus used by any of their enemies; or by way of allusion to that usage, which made a sort of furrows in their backs, upon which they used to lay on their strokes. They made long their furrows; they oft repeated their injuries and prolonged my torments.
Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 129:3
Psalms 129:3 The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows.Ver. 3. The plowers plowed upon my back] Which was never without some cross upon it, yea, some plough passing over it. The Church is God’ s husbandry; and he will be sure to plough his several, whatever becometh of the wild waste. She is his threshingfloor, Isaiah 21:10, and hath but little rest or respite. Enemies are flails to thresh off our husks, files to brighten our graces, ploughs and harrows, without which we should bear but a very thin crop. God’ s people do γεωργεινταςσυμφορας, sow the seed of prayer in the long furrows which those ploughers made on their backs; like as the Jews in their feasts break their glasses, as Jerusalem was broken. They made long their furrows] Heb. furrow; as if there were totum pro vulnere corpus. Here, haply, the psalmist alludeth to those exquisite torments whereunto many of the martyrs were put, sulcati fidiculis.
Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 129:3
(3) Furrows.—The Hebrew word only occurs once besides, in 1 Samuel 14:14, where the margin renders as here, furrow—a rendering which plainly there is not intelligible. “Half a furrow of an acre of land,” as a space in which twenty men were killed, gives no clear idea to the mind. But Dr. J. G. Wettstein, in his excursus at the end of Delitzsch’s Commentary, explains the ma’an to be the strip of ground which the ploughman takes in hand at one time, and round which consequently at the end of each furrow the plough turns. Delitzsch’s “furrow-strip,” therefore, more exactly reproduces the word, though here doubtless it is used with a poetic freedom and may be translated furrow. The double image, suggesting the lash given to a slave, and at the same time the actual and terrible imprints of oppression left on the country as well as the race, is as striking as poetry ever produced. It, in fact, combines two separate prophetic figures, Isaiah 1:6; Isaiah 51:23.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 129:3
Verse 3. The plowers plowed upon my back] It is possible that this mode of expression may signify that the people, during their captivity, were cruelly used by scourging, c. or it may be a sort of proverbial mode of expression for the most cruel usage. There really appears here to be a reference to a yoke, as if they had actually been yoked to the plough, or to some kind of carriages, and been obliged to draw like beasts of burden. In this way St. Jerome understood the passage; and this has the more likelihood, as in the next verse God is represented as cutting them off from these draughts.
Cambridge Bible on Psalms 129:3
3. Plowers have plowed upon my dock] A bold metaphor for cruel maltreatment. Israel is imagined as thrown prostrate upon its face, while the remorseless foe drives the plough up and down over it, brutally lacerating its back. Cp. the similar figure in Isaiah 51:23. The use of the metaphor may have been facilitated by the common identification of the people with the land, and it may be intended to suggest the thought of the slave’s back torn and furrowed by the lash (Isaiah 50:6). We are reminded also of Mic 3:12, and of the story that a plough was driven over the site of the Temple by Terentius Rufus after the capture of Jerusalem by Titus, and again by Hadrian after the suppression of Bar Cocheba’s revolt. they made long their furrows] According to Delitzsch, the word means more exactly the strip of land which is ploughed at one time, but the meaning will be the same: they did their cruel work thoroughly and spared nothing.
Barnes' Notes on Psalms 129:3
The plowers plowed upon my back - The comparison here is undoubtedly taken from the “plowing” of land, and the idea is that the sufferings which they had endured were such as would be well
Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 129:3
3. Ploughed upon my back—In Psalms 66:11-12 and Isaiah 51:23, the figure of riding over the prostrate bodies of the people is used, which is here exchanged for ploughing furrows upon their backs, in
Sermons on Psalms 129:3
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
Psalm 129 by Henry Law | Henry Law preaches about the enduring nature of God's Church and His people despite facing constant troubles and afflictions. Using powerful imagery, he illustrates how the Church, |