---
title: "Trapp"
description: "Psalms 129:1 « A Song of degrees. » Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say: Ver. 1.  Many a time ] Or, much, and long.   Hav"
image: "/images/missing.jpg"
url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/commentaries/trapps-complete-commentary/psalms/129"
---

[Psalms 129:1](../../../kjv/psalms/129/1) « A Song of degrees. » Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say:
Ver. 1. **Many a time** ] Or, much, and long.
****
**Have they** ] *i.e.* The persecutors that deserve not a name. The rich man is not named (as Lazarus is), because not worthy, [Luke 16:19](../../../kjv/luke/16/19) . They shall be written in the earth, [Jeremiah 17:13](../../../kjv/jeremiah/17/13) .
****
**Afflictcted me** ] *i.e.* The whole community of saints; spoken of here in the singular, for their, 1. unity; 2. paucity.
****
**From my youth** ] The first that ever died, died for religion; so early came martyrdom into the world.
****
**May Israel now say** ] Who yet are promised peace, [Psalms 128:6](../../../kjv/psalms/128/6) ; but so was Josiah, and yet he died in battle, [2 Chronicles 34:28](../../../kjv/2-chronicles/34/28) . But the very God of peace had sanctifed him throughout, and so altered the property of his affliction, that it was subservient to his salvation.

Psa 129:2 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me.
Ver. 2. **Many a time, &c.** ] *Anadiplosis ad exaggerationem,* *q.d.* They have done it and done it again, but could never achieve their design, viz. to supplant and eradicate me; which might not be. *Oppugnarunt (non expugnarunt,* however the Vulgate so rendereth here). The Church is invincible. Athens took upon her of old to be so; and Venice alate boasteth the like; but time hath confuted the one, and may soon do the other; when the Church shall stand firm, because founded on a rock. More truly may it be said of it than it was once of Troy,
*Victa tamen vinces, eversaque Troia resurges:*
Obruet hostiles illa ruina domes
(Ovid. de Fast.).

**
Psa 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](../../../kjv/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 γεωργειν τας συμφορας , 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.*

**
Psa 129:4 *The LORD [is] righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.*
Ver. 4. **The Lord is righteous** ] That is a ruled case, and must be held for a certain truth, whatever we are, or our persecutors.
****
**He hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked** ] That is, their harness, their plough traces ( *nam continuatur tropus rusticus* ), so that the plough is loose and the horses at liberty; all their forces and designs are broken.

Psa 129:5 Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion.
Ver. 5. **Let them all be confounded, &c.** ] And if those that hate Zion, how much more those that hurt her with their virulent tongues or violent hands!

Psa 129:6 Let them be as the grass [upon] the housetops, which withereth afore it groweth up:
Ver. 6. **Let them be as the grass, &c.** ] They are cursed with a witness whom the Holy Ghost thus curseth in such an emphatic manner, in such exquisite terms.

Psa 129:7 Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand; nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom.
Ver. 7. **Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand** ] As holding it not worth gathering in. Wicked men are useless creatures; as Stratonicus, in Athenaeus, saith, that the hill Haemus was for eight months in the year very cold, and for the other four it was winter.

Psa 129:8 Neither do they which go by say, The blessing of the LORD [be] upon you: we bless you in the name of the LORD.
Ver. 8. **Neither do they which go by say, &c.** ] As they use to do to harvestmen, [Ruth 2:1-23](../../../kjv/ruth/2/1-23) . Christianity is no enemy to courtesy; yet in some cases saith not, God speed, [3 John 1:10](../../../kjv/3-john/1/10) .

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