Psalm 129:5
ESV
May all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned backward!
NIV
May all who hate Zion be turned back in shame.
NASB
May all who hate Zion Be put to shame and turned backward;
CSB
Let all who hate Zion be driven back in disgrace.
NLT
May all who hate Jerusalem be turned back in shameful defeat.
KJV
Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion.
NKJV
Let all those who hate Zion Be put to shame and turned back.
What does Psalm 129:5 mean?
This is the beginning of the "imprecatory" section of Psalm 129. Imprecatory psalms call for the Lord to deliver some specific harm to an enemy. Most are similar to the requests in this psalm (Psalms 17:13; 35:4–6). Other imprecations (Psalm 58:6–9; 137:8–9) are much more destructive.Zion is a symbolic name for the city of Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:7; 1 Kings 8:1). Both names can also serve as references to the nation of Israel (Psalm 14:7; Zephaniah 3:14; Zechariah 8:14–15). This follows the pattern used even today, where the capital city is often a byword for the entire nation, such as "Washington" for the USA or "Moscow" for Russia. Those who hate Jerusalem probably don't despise the buildings and walls. Rather, this verse speaks of those who hate the Jewish people. The prayer offered is that those who despise the nation of Israel would suffer humiliation and defeat.
A vivid example of this happening very literally came when the Assyrian general Sennacherib attempted a siege of Jerusalem. The Lord delivered a prophecy against Sennacherib through Isaiah (2 Kings 19:28). This prophecy came true when God killed thousands of Assyrian troops overnight (2 Kings 19:35), forcing them to retreat (2 Kings 19:36). The mocking enemies who resisted Israel's rebuilding of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 4:1–4) were also embarrassed when the project was successful (Nehemiah 6:15–16).
Psalm 129:5–8 contains an "imprecatory" prayer, which asks for harm on an enemy. The nation is symbolized as Zion (2 Samuel 5:7; 1 Kings 8:1) which itself represents the capital city of Israel. The psalmist wishes disgrace and defeat on those who hate Israel. He even rejects using common greetings that mention God's blessings when dealing with such persons.
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.
