Psalms 129:1

Webster's Bible (1833)

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

📖 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 > If it had not been Yahweh who was on our side, Let Israel now say,
• Hos 2:15 : 15 I will give her vineyards from there, And the valley of Achor for a door of hope; And she will respond there, As in the days of her youth, And as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.
• Jer 2:2 : 2 Go, and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus says Yahweh, I remember for you the kindness of your youth, the love of your weddings; how you went after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.
• Hos 11:1 : 1 "When Israel was a child, then I loved him, And called my son out of Egypt.
• Ps 120:1 : 1 > In my distress, I cried to Yahweh. He answered me.
• Ps 121:1 : 1 > I will lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from?
• Ps 122:1 : 1 > I was glad when they said to me, "Let's go to Yahweh's house!"
• Ps 123:1 : 1 > To you I do lift up my eyes, You who sit in the heavens.
• Ps 125:1 : 1 > Those who trust in Yahweh are as Mount Zion, Which can't be moved, but remains forever.
• Ps 126:1 : 1 > When Yahweh brought back those who returned to Zion, We were like those who dream.
• Ps 127:1 : 1 > Unless Yahweh builds the house, They labor in vain who build it. Unless Yahweh watches over the city, The watchman guards it in vain.
• Ps 128:1 : 1 > Blessed is everyone who fears Yahweh, Who walks in his ways.
• Isa 47:12 : 12 Stand now with your enchantments, and with the multitude of your sorceries, in which you have labored from your youth; if so be you shall be able to profit, if so be you may prevail.
• Exod 1:12-14 : 12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out. They were grieved because of the children of Israel. 13 The Egyptians ruthlessly made the children of Israel serve, 14 and they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field, all their service, in which they ruthlessly made them serve.
• Exod 1:22 : 22 Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, "You shall cast every son who is born into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive."
• Exod 5:7-9 : 7 "You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick, as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 The number of the bricks, which they made before, you require from them. You shall not diminish anything of it, for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.' 9 Let heavier work be laid on the men, that they may labor therein; and don't let them pay any attention to lying words." 10 The taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, This is what Pharaoh says: "I will not give you straw. 11 Go yourselves, get straw where you can find it, for nothing of your work shall be diminished." 12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13 The taskmasters were urgent saying, "Fulfill your work quota daily, as when there was straw!" 14 The officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, "Why haven't you fulfilled your quota both yesterday and today, in making brick as before?" 15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, "Why do you deal this way with your servants? 16 No straw is given to your servants, and they tell us, 'Make brick!' and, behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people." 17 But he said, "You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say, 'Let us go and sacrifice to Yahweh.' 18 Go therefore now, and work, for no straw shall be given to you, yet shall you deliver the same number of bricks!" 19 The officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble, when it was said, "You shall not diminish anything from your daily quota of bricks!"
• Judg 2:15 : 15 Wherever they went out, the hand of Yahweh was against them for evil, as Yahweh had spoken, and as Yahweh had sworn to them: and they were sore distressed.
• Judg 3:8 : 8 Therefore the anger of Yahweh was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Cushan Rishathaim eight years.
• Judg 10:8-9 : 8 They vexed and oppressed the children of Israel that year: eighteen years [oppressed they] all the children of Israel that were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. 9 The children of Ammon passed over the Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed. 10 The children of Israel cried to Yahweh, saying, We have sinned against you, even because we have forsaken our God, and have served the Baals. 11 Yahweh said to the children of Israel, Didn't I save you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines? 12 The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, did oppress you; and you cried to me, and I saved you out of their hand.
• 1 Sam 13:19 : 19 Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears:
• Ezra 4:1-9 : 1 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building a temple to Yahweh, the God of Israel; 2 then they drew near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of fathers' [houses], and said to them, Let us build with you; for we seek your God, as you do; and we sacrifice to him since the days of Esar Haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here. 3 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers' [houses] of Israel, said to them, You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves together will build to Yahweh, the God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us. 4 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, 5 and hired counselors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. 6 In the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. 7 In the days of Artaxerxes wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions, to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Syrian [character], and set forth in the Syrian [language]. 8 Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort: 9 then [wrote] Rehum the chancellor, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions, the Dinaites, and the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Shushanchites, the Dehaites, the Elamites, 10 and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar brought over, and set in the city of Samaria, and in the rest [of the country] beyond the River, and so forth. 11 This is the copy of the letter that they sent to Artaxerxes the king: Your servants the men beyond the River, and so forth. 12 Be it known to the king, that the Jews who came up from you are come to us to Jerusalem; they are building the rebellious and the bad city, and have finished the walls, and repaired the foundations. 13 Be it known now to the king that if this city is built, and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and in the end it will be hurtful to the kings. 14 Now because we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not appropriate for us to see the king's dishonor, therefore have we sent and informed the king; 15 that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers: so shall you find in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful to kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time; for which cause was this city laid waste. 16 We inform the king that, if this city be built, and the walls finished, by this means you shall have no portion beyond the River. 17 [Then] sent the king an answer to Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions who dwell in Samaria, and in the rest [of the country] beyond the River: Peace, and so forth. 18 The letter which you sent to us has been plainly read before me. 19 I decreed, and search has been made, and it is found that this city of old time has made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein. 20 There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all [the country] beyond the River; and tribute, custom, and toll, was paid to them. 21 Make you now a decree to cause these men to cease, and that this city not be built, until a decree shall be made by me. 22 Take heed that you not be slack herein: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings? 23 Then when the copy of king Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.
• Ps 88:15 : 15 I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up. While I suffer your terrors, I am distracted.
• Jer 22:21 : 21 I spoke to you in your prosperity; but you said, I will not hear. This has been your manner from your youth, that you didn't obey my voice.
• Lam 1:3 : 3 Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude; She dwells among the nations, she finds no rest: All her persecutors overtook her within the straits.
• Ezek 23:3 : 3 and they played the prostitute in Egypt; they played the prostitute in their youth; there were their breasts pressed, and there was handled the bosom of their virginity.