Psalm 129 (128):1Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Furthermore, their victories were not lasting; they could neither completely eradicate the Jewish nation, nor demolish the cities, nor annihilate the populace. Temporarily granted success by God's will, they ultimately faced defeat again. What led to their downfall? The restoration of the Jews to their former well-being. This is articulated by another translator, who states, "But they overcame me not."

Let the Spirit continue to sing, for we place our trust in God's mercy, believing He will send comfort to us. However, for those who remain entrenched in wickedness and disrupt the Church, even as they hear the Divine Word, this Psalm addresses them from the outset.

The Church has long endured hostility, as captured in the words, "They have persecuted me many times since my youth" (Psalm 127:1). She speaks of those whom She continues to bear with, as if to ask, "Is it time now?" The Church, rooted in ancient tradition, has existed throughout history. Once, Abel alone represented the Church, contending with his wicked brother Cain (Genesis 4:8). At another point, it was only Enoch; he, too, was taken from the wicked (Genesis 5:24). The Church was present in Noah's house, which faced the deluge, yet the single ark floated safely to shore (Genesis 6-8). Abraham and his nephew Lot stood alone amidst evil; Lot bore the iniquities of Sodom until God liberated him from their midst (Genesis 13-20). The Church also emerged among Israel, enduring Pharaoh and the Egyptians. With the entrance of saints like Moses, the faithful endured the trials posed by wicked Israelites. As we turn to our Lord Jesus Christ, we recognize that the Gospel, foreshadowed in the Psalms, points to Him. For this reason, let us not be surprised by present struggles; the Church, our Mother, reassures us: "Do not marvel, my child; many have fought against me since my youth."

Now, let Israel voice her thoughts. It seems as though she speaks of herself, having answered the concerns of those who lament about the grievous trials and scandals exacerbated by ungodly individuals infiltrating the Church. Let the Church respond, allowing the faithful to voice their struggles through the stronger, thus providing fortitude to the weak and reassurance to the young. Let her proclaim: "Many times have they troubled me since my youth" (Psalm 128:2). She should not shy away from this declaration. The significance of "Since my youth" attached to the phrase "many times have they warred against me" reveals that while the Church faces age-old opposition now, she should remain steadfast. If she has survived to this age, it is because the battles waged against her have failed to erase her presence from the earth. Let Israel find solace in historical examples: they battled me because they could not vanquish me.

"As for me, sinners have laid burdens upon my back; their iniquities are heavy" (Psalm 127:3). Why engage in warfare against me? Because they could not conquer me. They lacked the ability to support their evil deeds through me. Each wicked person persecutes the righteous because the latter stands firm against wrongdoing. If one commits a transgression, and the bishop refrains from reprimanding him, he is termed good; yet if the bishop does rebuke him, he is branded evil. If he remains silent, that makes him virtuous, but should he speak out against the wrongdoer, he is seen as wholly bad. It is the corrupt who accuse the righteous and the righteous who receive disparagement for speaking the truth.

"Do not lend money with interest." You might criticize the Scriptures, which state, "He who has not given his money for interest"—but it is not I but God who speaks this truth. He cautions that clergy should not exploit through usury. Should someone call themselves a lender while also adhering to God's command, their fate depends on their obedience. If they falter along with the sinners they criticize, both face judgment. As the hay is consumed by fire, the Word of the Lord remains eternal.

"The righteous Lord will sever the necks of the wicked" (Psalm 128:4). Who among us does not bow like the tax collector, pleading: "Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner"? (Luke 18:13). Since we all have faults, we should tremble before the looming judgment, as the righteous Lord will confront sin with righteousness. It is not said that "the righteous Lord shall sever the hands or feet of sinners"; rather, it is the proud who are at risk. Those filled with arrogance refuse to acknowledge their wrongdoing, justifying their actions instead. As depicted in Job, the wicked confront God outright (Job 15:26); hence, they are defined by their pride, a trait signified by the neck, showcasing their lack of humility.

"Let all who harbor evil intentions be put to shame and turned away, O Zion" (Psalm 128:5). Those who despise Zion despise the Church; thus, those who enter without reverence hate the Church. Those who disregard God’s Word also despise His sanctuary. "On my back they have built"—What can the Church do but endure the weight to the end?

What follows is an expression of their fate: "Let them be as grass on the rooftops, which withers before it is plucked" (Psalm 128:6). This grass grows on rooftops—visible but rootless; had it sprouted lower, it might have flourished better. Yet striving for elevation only hastens its demise. Though it withers before the harvest, it has yet to face divine judgment, depleted of life’s essence. Examine their actions, for they reveal withered souls. The harvesters will come but cannot fill their baskets with what has not grown.

The harvester shall gather the wheat into the granary, tying up the tares to cast into the fire. Like the grass stripped from rooftops, anything improperly cultivated will be laid to waste, with nothing retained in the hands of the reaper. "Why does the reaper not fill his hands, nor he who gathers the sheaves?" (Psalm 128:7). "The reapers are the angels," says the Lord (Matthew 13:39).

"Lest those passing by proclaim, 'The blessing of the Lord is upon you; we bless you in the name of the Lord'" (Psalm 128:8). It has long been customary for those traversing fields to bless laborers: "The blessing of the Lord be upon you." This practice was especially cherished among the Jewish people. No passerby witnessing labor could avoid offering a blessing. Who are these passersby? They are those who have already crossed over from this life to their eternal home. The Apostles and Prophets represented such travelers. Who did they bless? Only those in whom they recognized true mercy—unlike the proud, whose very height condemned them. The wicked, whom the Church has confronted and declared as cursed, align themselves with Antichrist, the devil, and the tares. Those asserting that only God can sanctify and that no one is good apart from His grace are the ones who truly bless in the Lord's name, standing as friends of the bridegroom and rejecting the path of spiritual infidelity.

One must engage in the contest, endure wounds, and feel the blood streaming down; such bruises merit a crown, and sorrow transforms into joy. ‘Many a time have they fought with me from my youth.’ Let the virgin of the Lord testify to these words; let the monk who has dedicated himself to God from a young age proclaim them. But for me, who began to serve Him at forty or fifty, how can I express these sentiments? Thus the virgin declares, as the monk, pure in body and spirit, would affirm.

He then questions, why have many struggled with me since my youth? If one were to ask, ‘O monk, how do the demons and the devil contend against you?’ it becomes evident that while I face hostility from others, I discern the true adversary operating through them. Consequently, when subjected to persecution by individuals, we ought not to harbor resentment towards our pursuers, but rather feel compassion for them and grieve for their plight, as something greater is at work within them. If a demon-possessed person were to confront me and harm me, would I allow anger to take hold? Though he fights, my heart weeps for the one causing harm, recognizing he suffers more deeply from his affliction than I do from his assault. Therefore, in times of trial, when we encounter suffering or tribulations, we should recognize that it is the enemy, along with those who conspire against us, that we are truly contending with.

Some may argue that our assertions must be validated by Scripture. Indeed, Judas was a traitor, as Satan entered into him, leading him to betrayal. At the moment Potiphar’s wife seized Joseph, the holy man understood that he was ensnared by the devil’s influence. Why do I share these thoughts? So that in our sufferings inflicted by others, we may choose not to react with irritation, but rather mourn for them, perceiving the true force behind their actions. ‘Many times have they wrestled with me from my youth, for they have not overcome me.’ They assailed me with degrading thoughts and challenged me in anger. I found solace in the knowledge that had I succumbed to temptation, had I acted on anger and wronged my brother, I could not claim, ‘for they did not overcome me’—indeed, they would have triumphed over me.

Therefore, it is just for her to proclaim, “I have had many companions since my youth.” From the moment of her inception, she faced persecution, notably from Cain against Abel, and continued to endure frequent assaults from others. The Prophet thus provides insight into why the foes have launched such repeated attacks, affirming that they were never successful; had they triumphed even once, and annihilated God’s chosen, there would have been no need for them to wage war repeatedly. It is not without purpose that the Prophet reiterates, “They fought against me in great numbers,” illustrating that the people of God have not merely faced their adversaries once or twice, but rather have been shaped in endurance through countless trials.

The term Delasha ετεκτενον signifies creation or building, hinting at the oppressive burdens experienced during their Egyptian bondage. This unjust suffering, termed ανομία, persisted for an extended period (εμάκριναγ) and included struggles against the Philistines and others throughout the judges’ era. From the Hebrew, the expression reflects the harsh reality of the wicked plowing long furrows upon the backs of the oppressed, leaving marks akin to lashes. In light of this historical suffering, the oppressed express their trust and hope that the Lord will bring shame upon the Samaritans and all Israel's adversaries, swiftly and definitively ending their hostility (v.6 - v.8). Grass growing on rooftops symbolizes fragility in the eastern context where roofs are often lightly covered with soil, allowing for quick growth yet lacking deep roots that cause it to wither away without care. No one harvests it or binds it into sheaves, nor do they exchange pleasantries during the harvest season (Ruth 2:4) (v.8). This serves as a metaphor: may the enemies soon be rendered powerless (εξηρανθη) and insignificant (ουκ επληροσε την χειρα, etc.), stripped of all blessing (v.8).

From the moment of His birth, Christ faced opposition from the Jews, who failed to acknowledge Him as their true God incarnate. Throughout its history, the Holy Church has been targeted by the wicked, yet the divine nature of Christ remains unconquered, ensuring that the gates of hell will not prevail against the Holy Church. Christ the Redeemer endured pain for the healing of the world (Is. 53:4). The Jews persist in their wrongdoing, declaring, “His blood is on us and on our children” (Matthew 27:25). These sinners, in their pride, refuse to humble themselves in repentance and will face destruction through anguish. Zion symbolizes the Holy Church, whose oppressors will inevitably suffer as they hear the dreadful words, “Depart from Me, ye cursed.”

The wicked are unproductive, with weakened hands; they fail to extend their hands to assist those in need for Christ’s sake. Thus, they will miss the grace of God before their earthly demise and, after death, will find themselves withered and deprived of eternal life, unable to enter Abraham's bosom. Like grass that withers prematurely atop roofs, so too does the prosperity of the wicked fade away along with their material glory (Chrysostom). In the life to come, the ungodly will not be honored or blessed for eternity.