Tehillim 129 | “I Have Suffered So Much Torment Since My Youth”

This reflective psalm is spoken in the voice of Israel: “Let Israel say it.” The people of Israel recall their past suffering at the hands of their enemies. Note the repetition of Israel’s claim: “I have suffered so much torment since my youth.” Their suffering is described through an agricultural metaphor: the enemies plowed — not on a field, but metaphorically on Israel’s back: “Plowmen plowed across my back” (verse 3). This might allude to the prophecy of destruction in Mikha: “Zion will be plowed over like a field” (Mikha 3:12).

In the second half of the psalm, Israel expresses a hope for the future — that the haters of Zion will not succeed in their schemes. Here too, a farming metaphor is used: the poet likens Israel’s enemies to weeds growing on rooftops — weeds that may sprout quickly and appear healthy, but wither prematurely (compare with Psalm 92:8).