Psalms 129 · Verse 3

Psalms 129:3

The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows.

Psalms 129:3, King James Version

Psalms 129:3 in other translations

BSB	The plowmen plowed over my back; they made their furrows long.
WEB	The plowers plowed on my back. They made their furrows long.
ASV	The plowers plowed upon my back; They made long their furrows.
YLT	Over my back have ploughers ploughed, They have made long their furrows.
DARBY	The ploughers ploughed upon my back; they made long their furrows.
BBE	The ploughmen were ploughing on my back; long were the wounds they made.
Webster	The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows.

What does Psalms 129:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 129:3-4

3-4. The ploughing is a figure of scourging, which most severe physical infliction aptly represents all kinds.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 3 The plowers plowed upon my back - It is possible that this mode of expression may signify that the people, during their captivity, were cruelly used by scourging, etc.; or it may be a sort of proverbial mode of expression for the most cruel usage. There really appears here to be a reference to a yoke, as if they had actually been yoked to the plouph, or to some kind of carriages, and been obliged to draw like beasts of burden. In this way St. Jerome understood the passage; and this has the more likelihood, as in the next verse God is represented as cutting them off from these draughts.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 129:1-4

The enemies of God's people have very barbarously endeavoured to wear out the saints of the Most High. But the church has been always graciously delivered. Christ has built his church upon a rock. And the Lord has many ways of disabling wicked men from doing the mischief they design against his church. The Lord is righteous in not suffering Israel to be ruined; he has promised to preserve a people to himself.

Read the full comment on Psalms 129:1-4 →

Psalms 129:3 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

עַל\־'al-onH5921

גַּ֭בִּיGa.biback myH1354

חָרְשׁ֣וּcha.re.Shuthey have plowedH2790

חֹרְשִׁ֑יםcho.re.ShimplowmenH2790

הֶ֝אֱרִ֗יכוּhe.'e.Ri.khuthey have made longH748

לְמַעֲנִיתָֽם\׃le.ma.'a.no.tam<to> furrows theirH4618

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Psalms 129:3

Isaiah 51:23
But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over.
Psalms 141:7
Our bones are scattered at the grave’s mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

The plowers.
141:7; Isa 51:23

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Psalms 129:2
Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me.
Psalms 129:3
The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows.
Psalms 129:4
The Lord is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.

Read all of Psalms 129

Psalms 129:3 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Sobre mis espaldas araron los aradores: hicieron largos surcos.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Des laboureurs ont labouré mon dos, ils y ont tracé leurs longs sillons.
German Elberfelder 1871	Pflüger haben auf meinem Rücken gepflügt, haben lang gezogen ihre Furchen.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Si iniquitates observaveris, Domine, Domine, quis sustinebit?