Psalms 129:1

Bishops' Bible (1568)

A song of high degrees. Israel may now say: they haue troubled me often from my youth vp.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

שִׁ֗יר הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת רַ֭בַּת צְרָר֣וּנִי מִנְּעוּרַ֑י יֹֽאמַר־נָ֝א יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Transliteration

šîr the hammaʿălôt rabbat ṣərārûnî from nəʿûray yōʾmar-nāʾ yiśrāʾēl

Grammar Details

• *šîr*: construct noun, masculine singular - song of
• *hammaʿălôt*: definite article + noun, feminine plural - the ascents/steps/degrees
• *rabbat*: adverb, intensive form - greatly/much/many times
• *ṣərārûnî*: verb, Qal perfect, 3rd person plural with 1st person singular suffix - they have afflicted/oppressed me
• *nəʿûray*: noun, masculine plural construct with 1st person singular suffix - my youth
• *yōʾmar*: verb, Qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular - let say/speak
• *nāʾ*: particle of entreaty - now/please
• *yiśrāʾēl*: proper noun - Israel

Word Meanings

• *šîr* *hammaʿălôt*: song of ascents/pilgrim song/song of degrees
• *rabbat*: greatly/much/many times
• *ṣərārûnî*: afflicted me/oppressed me/harassed me/bound me
• *yōʾmar*-*nāʾ*: let say now/may say now/should say now

Referenced Verses

• Ps 124:1 : 1 A song of high degrees, of Dauid. If God him selfe had not ben of our side Israel may now say:
• Hos 2:15 : 15 From thence wyll I geue her her vineyardes agayne, yea and the valley of Achor for an entry of hope: and she shall sing there as in the dayes of her youth, and as in the day when she came vp out of the lande of Egypt.
• Jer 2:2 : 2 Go thy way, crye in the eares of Hierusalem, and say, Thus saith the Lorde: I remember thee, the kindnesse of thy youth, and the loue of thy despousyng, in that thou folowedst me through the wildernesse in an vntylled lande.
• Hos 11:1 : 1 When Israel was young, I loued him, and called my sonne out of the lande of Egypt.
• Ps 120:1 : 1 A song of high degrees. When I was in trouble I called vpon God: and he hearde me.
• Ps 121:1 : 1 A song of high degrees. I will lift vp myne eyes vnto the hilles: from whence my helpe shall come.
• Ps 122:1 : 1 A song of high degrees of Dauid. I was glad when they sayde vnto me: we wyll go into the house of God.
• Ps 123:1 : 1 A song of high degrees. I lyft vp myne eyes vnto thee: who dwellest in heauen.
• Ps 125:1 : 1 A song of high degrees. They that put their trust in God be as the mount Sion: whiche may not be remoued but must stande fast for euer.
• Ps 126:1 : 1 A song of high degrees. When God shall cause them of Sion that were led into captiuitie for to returne: we shalbe as men that dreamed.
• Ps 127:1 : 1 A song of high degrees (made) for Solomon. If GOD wyll not buylde the house, they labour in vayne that buylde it: if God kepe not the citie, the watchman waketh in vayne.
• Ps 128:1 : 1 A song of high degrees. He is blessed whatsoeuer he be that feareth God: walking in his waies.
• Isa 47:12 : 12 Nowe go to thy coniurers, and to the multitude of thy witches with whom thou hast weeryed thy selfe from thy youth, if thei may helpe thee or strength thee.
• Exod 1:12-14 : 12 But the more they vexed them, the more they multiplied and grewe: so that they abhorred at the syght of the chyldren of Israel. 13 And the Egyptians helde the children of Israel in bondage without mercie, 14 And they made their lyues bytter vnto them in that cruell bondage, in claye, and bricke, and all maner of worke in the fielde: for all their bondage wherein they serued them was ful of tirannie.
• Exod 1:22 : 22 And Pharao charged all his people, saying: All the men chyldren that are borne, cast into the ryuer, and saue the mayde chyldren alyue.
• Exod 5:7-9 : 7 Ye shall geue the people no more strawe to make brycke withal, as ye did in tyme passed: let them go and gather them strawe them selues. 8 And the number of bricke which they were wont to make in tyme passed, lay vnto their charges also, and minishe nothing therof: for they be idell, and therfore crye, saying: we wyll go, and do sacrifice vnto our God. 9 They must haue more worke layed vpon them, that they may labour therin, and not regarde vayne wordes. 10 Then went the taskemaisters of the people, and the officers out, and tolde the people, saying: Thus sayeth Pharao, I wyll geue you no more strawe. 11 Go your selues and gather you straw where ye can finde it: yet shall none of your labour be minished. 12 And so were the people scattered abrode throughout all ye land of Egypt, for to gather stubble in steade of strawe. 13 And the taskemaisters hasted them forwarde, saying: fulfyll your worke, your dayly taskes in their due tyme, as if you had strawe. 14 And the officers of the children of Israel which Pharaos taskemasters had set ouer them, were beaten. And they sayde vnto them: wherfore haue ye not fulfilled your taske in makyng of brycke both yesterday and to day, as well as in tymes past? 15 The officers also of the children of Israel, came & complayned vnto Pharao, saying: Wherfore dealest thou thus with thy seruauntes? 16 There is no strawe geuen vnto thy seruauntes, and they say vnto vs, make brycke: and thy seruauntes are beaten, and the fault is thyne owne people. 17 He sayde: you are idle, idle are you: and therfore you say, we will go, and do sacrifice vnto the Lorde. 18 Go therfore nowe, & worke, and there shall no strawe be geuen you, & yet shall ye deliuer the whole tale of bricke. 19 And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in worse case, after it was sayde, ye shall minishe nothyng of your brycke, of your dayly taske in due tyme:
• Judg 2:15 : 15 But whythersoeuer they went out, the hand of the Lord was sore against them, euen as the Lord promised them, and as he sware vnto them: And he punished them sore.
• Judg 3:8 : 8 Therfore the Lorde was angry with Israel, and he solde them into the handes of Chusan Risathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel serued Chusan Risathaim eyght yeres.
• Judg 10:8-9 : 8 Which from that yere foorth, pilde and oppressed the children of Israel eyghtteene yeres, al that were on the other side Iordane, in the lande of the Amorites whiche is in Gilead. 9 Moreouer, ye children of Ammon went ouer Iordane to fight agaynst Iuda, Beniamin, and the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was sore cumbred. 10 And the children of Israel cryed vnto ye Lord, saying: We haue sinned against thee, for we haue forsaken our owne God, and haue carued Baalim. 11 And the Lorde sayde vnto the childre of Israel: Dyd not I ryd you from the Egiptians and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines? 12 The Sidonites also, and the Amalekites, & the Maonites dyd oppresse you, and ye cryed to me, and I deliuered you out of their handes.
• 1 Sam 13:19 : 19 There was no smith founde throughout all the lande of Israel: For the Philistines sayde, Lest the Hebrues make them swordes or speares.
• Ezra 4:1-9 : 1 But the aduersaries of Iuda and Beniamin, heard that the children of the captiuitie builded the temple vnto the Lorde God of Israel: 2 And they came to Zorobabel and to the principall fathers, and saide vnto them: We wyll builde with you, for we seeke the Lorde your God, as ye do, and we haue done sacrifice vnto him since the time of Asor Hadon the king of Assur which brought vs vp hither. 3 And Zorobabel, and Iesua, and the other auncient fathers of Israel, sayde vnto them: It can not be, that you and we together shoulde builde the house vnto our God: for we our selues wyll builde alone vnto the Lorde our God of Israel, as Cyrus the king of Persia hath commaunded vs. 4 And it came to passe, that the folke of the lande discouraged the people of Iuda, & troubled them as they were building: 5 And hyred counsellers against them, to hinder their deuice as long as Cyrus the king of Persia liued, vntil the raigne of Darius king of Persia. 6 And in the raigne of Ahasuerus, euen at the beginning of his raigne, wrote they vnto him a complaynt against the inhabiters of Iuda and Hierusalem. 7 And in the dayes of Artaxerxes, wrote Mithridach, Tabel, and the other of his counsell, vnto Artaxerxes the king of Persia with faire wordes: And the writing of the letter was in the Syrians speache, and interpreted in the language of the Syrians: 8 Rehum the recorder, and Samsai the scribe wrote a letter from Hierusalem to Artaxerxes the king, as it foloweth. 9 Then Rehum the recorder, and Samsai the scribe, and other of their company, they of Dina, of Apharsath, of Tharpelai, of Persia, of Arache, of Babylon, of Susan, of Deha, of Elan, 10 And other of the people whom the great & noble Asnappar brought ouer, and set in the cities of Samaria, and other that are nowe beyond the water, and Cheeneth. 11 This is the copie of the letter that they sent vnto king Artaxerxes: Thy seruauntes, and the men that are nowe beyond the water, and Cheeneth. 12 Be it knowen vnto the king that the Iewes which came vp from thee to vs, are come vnto Hierusalem, a citie seditious and froward, and builde the same, and set vp the walles thereof, and lay the foundations. 13 Be it knowen now vnto the king, that if this citie be builded, and the walles made vp againe, then shal not they geue toule, tribute, and custome, & the kinges profite shall incurre damage. 14 And now in the meane season we haue destroyed the temple, and woulde no longer see the kinges dishonour, therefore sent we out also and certified the king, 15 That it may be sought in the booke of the cronicles of thy progenitours, and so shalt thou finde in the booke of the cronicles, and perceaue that this citie is seditious and noysome vnto the kinges and landes, and that they cause other also among them to rebell of olde: and for the same cause was this citie destroyed. 16 Therfore do we certifie the king, that if this citie be builded againe, and the walles thereof made vp, thou shalt hereafter haue no portion beyond the water. 17 Then sent the king an aunswere vnto Rehum the recorder and Samsai the scribe, and to the other of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and vnto the other that were beyond the water in Selam and Cheeth. 18 The letter which ye sent vnto vs, hath ben openly read before me. 19 And I haue commaunded to make searche, and it is found that this citie of olde hath made insurrection against kinges, and that rebellion and sedition hath ben committed therein. 20 There haue ben mightie kinges also at Hierusalem, which haue raigned ouer all countreys beyond the water: and toule, tribute, and custome was geuen vnto them, 21 Geue ye nowe therefore commaundement, that the same men be forbidden, and that the citie be not builded againe, till I haue geuen another commaundement. 22 Take heede now that ye be not negligent to do this: for why should the king haue harme there through? 23 Nowe when the copie of king Artaxerxes letter was read before Rehum & Simsai the scribe, and their companyons, they went vp in all the haste to Hierusalem vnto the Iewes, and forbad them with violence and power.
• Ps 88:15 : 15 I am in miserie, I labour euen from my youth with the panges of death: I haue suffered thy terrours, and I am styll in doubt.
• Jer 22:21 : 21 I gaue thee warning whyle thou wast yet in prosperitie: but thou saidest, I wyll not heare: And this maner hast thou vsed from thy youth, that thou wouldest neuer heare my voyce.
• Lam 1:3 : 3 Iuda went away by reason of the affliction and great bondage: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest, all they that persecuted her, toke her in strayte places where she coulde not escape.
• Ezek 23:3 : 3 And they committed fornication in Egypt, they played the harlottes in their youth: there were their breastes pressed, and there they bruised the teates of their virginitie.