Psalm 129 (128):3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

We have played a tune for you, yet you chose not to dance; we mourned for you, yet you did not weep (Matthew 11:17). Thus, let His song resound; we find assurance in God's mercy, knowing that He will bring comfort through others. However, those who persist in wrongdoing, despite hearing God’s message, continually disrupt the Church with their transgressions. This Psalm addresses such individuals, as it commences by stating, "They have fought against me many times since my youth" (Psalm 127:1). The Church speaks about those whom she tolerates, almost questioning, "Is it now?" The Church has a long-standing history; from the time the saints were designated as such, the Church has existed on earth. At one point, only Abel represented the Church while his unrighteous brother Cain opposed it (Genesis 4:8). In another instance, the Church was embodied solely by Enoch, who was taken away from ungodliness (Genesis 5:24). There was a time when Noah alone held the Church, enduring the loss of those overwhelmed by the flood, while one ark alone navigated the waters to salvation (Genesis 6-8). Abraham also bore witness to the Church in solitude, alongside his nephew Lot, who experienced the depravity of Sodom until God mercifully rescued him (Genesis 13-20). The Church began amongst the Israelites, enduring the oppression of Pharaoh and the Egyptians. Saints such as Moses exemplified this, standing firm against a corrupt Israel. Finally, we arrive at our Lord Jesus Christ, where the Gospel is conveyed in the Psalms.

For that reason, let anyone wishing to be a faithful member of the Church heed her voice, saying, “Do not be astonished at this, my son: many times they have fought against me since my youth.” Now, let Israel voice her own reflections, answering those who lament the severity of trials and scandals that arise as ungodly individuals infiltrate the Church. Allow the Church to respond through the voices of the strong, comforting the weak, and affirming the unstable through the steadfast. Let her declare, “They have vexed me many times since my youth” (Psalm 128:2). The Church should boldly profess this, undeterred. What significance lies in the phrase “from my youth” accompanying the assertion, “They have warred against me”? The Church may find herself in the twilight of her age, but let her not cower in fear. Has her longevity not been marked by enduring opposition since her inception? Have they succeeded in erasing her from the earth? Let Israel find solace in the historical examples of perseverance. Why do they wage war against me? It is because they cannot conquer me.

Sinners fabricate their transgressions against me (Psalm 127:3). Why engage in battle against me? It is simply because they cannot subdue me. The root of this is that they cannot rely on me. I do not concur with their sinful ways. Every wicked individual harbors animosity towards a good person because the latter does not share in their wrongdoing. For instance, if a person commits an offense and the bishop refrains from rebuking him, the bishop is deemed righteous; conversely, should the bishop denounce him, he becomes the target of scorn. If he seizes from others and remains silent about it, he is praised, but let him speak out against such injustice, and he is condemned entirely. Evil thrives within him whom accuses the blameless, while he who is dishonorable is lauded. Dismiss the words of such individuals; it is an immoral voice that speaks through them. Yet, the divine message you receive is not tainted. Challenge God if you can.

You may accuse a man of greed, and he retaliates by blaming God for creating gold. “Do not covet,” you respond, asserting that God is not responsible for the existence of such wealth. These criticisms persist because you cannot control your own sinful actions, leading you to defame the goodness of God. The Creator and Designer of the world displeases you; you might even suggest He should never have created the sun, for some quarrel over the light filtering through their windows, dragging one another to court. Oh, if only we could control our vices! All creation bears witness to the goodness of a righteous God; His works extol Him when contemplated by those who possess a spirit of reflection, godliness, and wisdom.

“Do not lend money with interest.” You challenge the Scripture that states, “He that hath not given his money in increase.” This is not my decree; such words did not originate from my mouth, but rather, hear God's response: let not the clergy engage in usury. It may be that he who advises you refrains from charging interest; yet if he does lend, does he follow the commands given to you? Should he follow his own instructions yet you fail to comply, you bring condemnation upon yourself. Should he disregard his duties equally to yours and preach obligations he neglects, both of you would face the same judgment. The transient nature of worldly deeds will perish, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.

“The righteous Lord will cut off the hangings of sinners” (Psalm 128:4). Who among us is not like the publican, bowing his head and pleading, “Lord have mercy upon me, a sinner?” (Luke 18:13). If all have fallen short and none are without sin, each should tremble at the imminent judgment, for the righteous Lord shall sever the necks of sinners. My friends, I do not envision all sinners collectively; rather, I speak of those whom His justice will strike. It is stated, “The righteous Lord will cut off the hangings of sinners,” not their hands or feet; rather, symbolically, it refers to the prideful, for the arrogant often uplift their heads while engaging in wrongdoing yet justify their actions when reproached.

As it is declared in Job, the wicked sinner charges against God (Job 15:26). So, the neck represents those who elevate themselves and fail to humbly reflect upon their actions. One ought to cry out as expressed in another psalm, “Lord, have mercy on me, for I have sinned against You.” But if you will not admit this, and continue to justify your actions in contradiction to the Word of God, you shall be subject to the truth in Scripture: “the righteous Lord will cut off the hangings of sinners.”

"Let all who harbor malice be put to shame and turned back, O Zion” (Psalm 128:5). Those who detest Zion detest the Church; Zion represents the Church. Hypocrites who enter the Church harbor hatred towards her. Those who disregard God’s commandments manifest a disdain for the Church: on my back they have built. What more can the Church do but bear the burden until the end?

Yet, what does the Psalmist convey about them? The subsequent words state: “Let them be as the grass of the roofs of houses which withers before it is plucked” (Psalm 128:6). The grass that grows on rooftops is visible from above but lacks roots. How much better it would thrive if it grew lower, flourishing with joy! However, as it stretches upward, it withers away more swiftly. It remains unharvested but is already fading; they have not yet encountered divine judgment and possess no residual vigor in their works. Observe their actions and recognize their decay. The reapers will arrive, yet they shall reap no harvest from them. Instead, the reapers will gather the wheat into the barn, binding the tares to be cast into the fire. Similarly, the grass from rooftops will be collected and burned, having withered before it could be harvested; the reaper cannot fill his hands with it. The next verses highlight, “The reaper fills not his hand, nor he who binds the sheaves” (Psalm 128:7). And the reapers are angels, as the Lord states (Matthew 13:39).

To prevent onlookers from declaring, “The blessing of the Lord be upon you; we have blessed you in the name of the Lord” (Psalm 128:8). You know, dear ones, that it is customary to bless those working in fields or vineyards, especially among the Jewish community, where no one passed by without extending goodwill to those laboring.

Who, then, are these passers-by? They represent those who have traversed from this life to their eternal home: the Apostles and the Prophets were indeed travelers in this existence. To whom did the Prophets and Apostles bestow blessings? Only upon those who exhibited the roots of mercy. However, for the arrogant elevated to the heights of their own pride, they received no blessings; rather, the pronouncement of their impending doom. Thus, if you read the Holy Scriptures, you will discover that all the wicked whom the Church has birthed and denounced belong to Antichrist, to the devil, to the tares. And those proclaiming, “No one is sanctified unless God sanctifies, and no one can be good apart from God’s grace,” bless in the name of the Lord, rather than in their own name; as friends of the bridegroom (John 3:29), they avoid the betrayal of faithfulness to the bride.

This opponent never appeared within my sight, unable to endure the light, but consistently followed in the darkness. ‘Behind my back sinners worked.’ Those who gossip against a brother operate in secrecy. There were evildoers scheming against me, yet I remained unaware of their treachery. They devised plots behind me while I lifted my gaze to heaven, aiming for the reward. ‘They continued in their iniquity.’ What truth does the psalmist convey with these words? If I transgress and later repent, my wrongdoing is brief, not prolonged. However, if I sin repeatedly, the length of my transgressions extends. This is echoed in another passage: ‘The cords of the wicked have surrounded me’ (Psalm 118:61). Consider the psalmist's declaration: ‘The cords of the wicked have enveloped me.’ Additionally, it is stated, ‘A man is ensnared in the bonds of his own sins’ (Proverbs 5:22). Ponder what is being said: ‘A man is ensnared in the bonds of his own sins.’ These ropes of wickedness, if our misdeeds are few, cannot ensnare us. If I commit a single sin, it does not yet form a rope, but resembles a solitary thread. In such instances, it is easily severed and cannot entrap. However, if numerous transgressions occur and iniquity persists, many sins intertwine like a thread, forming a rope that ensnares and is not easily broken. Why do I articulate all of this? Because we see in this verse, ‘continued in their iniquity.’

However, according to Nicetas in the Vault, there is a profound significance here: it is no small honor for the righteous to endure the trials imposed by the devil, while the wicked receive no such acknowledgment, as they remain friends and compliant with him. The assertion "They have not overcome me" can only be uttered by one who has been granted authority by the Word of God to triumph over all the powers of darkness. It is indeed accurate to say they acted upon my backbone. The demons dare not confront the righteous directly; instead, they resort to subterfuge, crafting plots in secret. If sinners were to confront directly, they might strike at the heart with lethal force, launching harmful thoughts and inundating the mind with destructive images, as well as enticing others through worldly pleasures they control. Yet, I remain focused on the Lord, overlooking what lies behind me as I advance forward. St. Basil remarks that they continue in their iniquity—those who intertwine their sins like a long rope, adding one sin upon another. Isaiah laments: Woe to those who draw their sins along like a lengthy cord, akin to a strap from the yoke of a young cow—their injustices are ever-increasing. Origen notes that the more one persists in sin, the farther they distance themselves from God.

The term Delasha ετεκτενον reflects the labor imposed upon them, referring to their burdens under Egyptian bondage. This severe and unjust affliction, ανομία, persisted for a significant duration (εμάκριναγ), and included hardships faced from the Philistines and others during the judges' era. The phrase "on my back the wicked ploughmen ploughed long furrows" illustrates the deep marks left from their lashes. In light of this assured truth, the oppressed beseech the Lord to bring shame upon the Samaritans and all of Israel's enemies, seeking a swift and decisive resolution (v.6 - v.8). Grass on the ground (on the roofs) symbolizes how, in the East, rooftops are often coated with a thin layer of soil where grass can easily grow. However, lacking deep roots, it quickly withers; it is neglected, not harvested, nor bundled into sheaves (the reaper, while gathering, sometimes holds the sheaf close to them), leading to the absence of customary congratulatory remarks during the harvest season (Ruth 2:4) (v.8). This signifies a call for their adversaries to soon become powerless (εξηρανθη) and held in contempt (ουκ επληροσε την χειρα, etc.), stripped of every blessing (v.8).

Christ the Savior endured affliction for the healing of humanity (Isaiah 53:4). The Jews persist in their wrongdoing, exclaiming, "His blood be on us and on our children" (Matthew 27:25). Those who remain in sin and pride, refusing to humble themselves in repentance, will face dire consequences. Zion symbolizes the Holy Church, whose adversaries will retreat in anguish hearing the words: "Depart from Me, ye cursed." The wicked are unfruitful, with feeble hands; they do not extend aid to those in need for the sake of Christ. Consequently, they are deprived of God’s grace before death, and after death, they will wither away from eternal life, unable to enter Abraham's bosom. Just as grass that grows on rooftops withers prematurely, so too is the prosperity of the wicked and the fleeting glory of worldly possessions (Chrysostom). In the life to come, the unrighteous shall not be honored nor blessed for eternity.