1Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say:
2Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me.
3The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows.
4The Lord is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.
5Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion.
6Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withereth afore it groweth up:
7Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand; nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom.
8Neither do they which go by say, The blessing of the Lord be upon you: we bless you in the name of the Lord.
📖 Chapter study
Summary
A song recalling the many afflictions Israel has suffered since its youth (Egypt), comparing its enemies to plowmen who plowed its back, yet declaring that they never prevailed and will be like grass without root.
Explanation
This tenth 'Song of Degrees' uses strong agricultural imagery to describe both suffering (a back 'plowed' like a field) and the hope that the enemies' plans will fail, like plants that grow on clay rooftops (common on ancient houses) without deep roots, quickly withering in the sun. The repeated refrain 'many a time have they afflicted me... but they have not prevailed' celebrates the people's historical resilience despite repeated suffering. The application for today is to find strength in remembering that past hardships, however intense, did not have the final word.