What does Psalm 129:4 mean?
It may seem strange that Scripture so often refers to God as loyally loving and merciful (Exodus 15:13; Psalms 36:5; 86:15; 118:1). Israel's history of persecution was nearly constant; likened to how a plow makes long cuts in a field, with only tiny breaks in between each path of destruction (Psalm 129:3). Despite this, attempts to imprison or destroy Israel have ultimately been thwarted. The nation survived because of God's influence.Cords are associated with imprisonment (2 Samuel 22:6; Psalms 18:4–5; 119:61). That God cut the cords of the wicked evokes His work in freeing Israel from their various captors (Exodus 12:41; Jeremiah 29:10; Ezra 2:1). It may also be a way of extending the metaphor of plowing from the prior verse. To cut the cords might mean to sever the lines connecting the plow to the oxen. Either makes the same point: that the Lord upholds His vows (Genesis 12:1–3; 2 Samuel 7:16–17; Jeremiah 29:11–14).
Psalm 129:1–4 looks back on persecution and hardship. Both the psalmist and the nation of Israel have a history of being victimized (Exodus 1:8–14; Judges 2:16–19; 2 Chronicles 36:17–21). This is compared to the way fields are plowed with long, ongoing channels torn into the soil. Yet the Lord did not allow this to last forever; those bindings were cut so Israel could live on (Ezra 2:1).
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.
