Psalm 129:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: nor do those who pass by say, "The blessing of the Lord be upon you! We bless you in the name of the Lord!"

NIV: May those who pass by not say to them, "The blessing of the Lord be on you; we bless you in the name of the Lord."

NASB: Nor do those who pass by say, 'The blessing of the Lord be upon you; We bless you in the name of the Lord.'

CSB: Then none who pass by will say, "May the Lord’s blessing be on you. We bless you in the name of the Lord."

NLT: And may those who pass by refuse to give them this blessing: 'The Lord bless you; we bless you in the Lord’s name.'

KJV: Neither do they which go by say, The blessing of the Lord be upon you: we bless you in the name of the Lord.

NKJV: Neither let those who pass by them say, “The blessing of the Lord be upon you; We bless you in the name of the Lord!”

The psalmist is praying for those who hate Israel and her people (Psalm 129:5) to suffer consequences (Psalms 129:6–7). Here, that even extends to social customs and manners. Most cultures use a customary greeting and response when people meet, even in passing. In English-speaking areas, this is often something like, "Good morning. How are you?" with a response of, "Good. How are you?" In Israel, it involved a similarly casual expression of God's blessings (Ruth 2:4). The psalmist wants to deny hateful enemies from even a hint of divine approval.

When the Lord called Abram—later renamed Abraham (Genesis 17:5)—God promised to make him a great nation, bless him, and make his name great. The Lord's blessing would flow through Abram to those who blessed Abram. He promised to curse those who dishonored Abram. Further, the Lord told Abram, "in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:2–3).

Psalm 129:5–8 contains an "imprecatory" prayer, which asks for harm on an enemy. The nation is symbolized as Zion (2 Samuel 5:7; 1 Kings 8:1) which itself represents the capital city of Israel. The psalmist wishes disgrace and defeat on those who hate Israel. He even rejects using common greetings that mention God's blessings when dealing with such persons.

The psalmist reflects on the nation of Israel, which has always been persecuted and attacked (Exodus 1:8–14; Judges 2:16–19; 2 Chronicles 36:17–21). Despite this, God preserved the people (Jeremiah 29:12–14; Ezra 2:1). This psalm includes a prayer that those who despise Israel—identified with Mount Zion (2 Samuel 5:7; 1 Kings 8:1)—would be defeated (Genesis 12:1–3). The psalmist sees no reason to offer them God's blessing, even in a casual greeting.

This is one of the songs "of ascents" and is also identified as an imprecatory psalm (Psalms 5; 10; 17; 35; 58; 59; 69; 70; 79; 83; 109; 137; 140). It looks back on Israel's history of suffering and prays for defeat and humiliation for their enemies. Many of these songs "of ascents" (Psalms 120—134) were composed after the people returned from exile in Babylon (2 Chronicles 36:17–21; Ezra 2:1). The nation had also been afflicted by others (Judges 2:16–19; 2 Chronicles 28:18; Ezekiel 25:12), since their earliest days (Exodus 1:8–14; 17:8). Yet God preserved the people through hard times (Jeremiah 29:12–14).

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 4/16/2025 3:22:54 PM