Psalm 129:2 They have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not gained the victory over me.
This song of ascents is again brief and to the point. It is also an imprecatory psalm. It begins with the statement that they have greatly oppressed me from my youth with the call and response style found back in Psalm 124 - let Israel say - (epaphanora is the technical term). Though there has been great oppression (2) they have not gained the victory over me. It has been like ploughmen ploughing his back but (4) the LORD is righteous; he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked. The final verses call down a curse on the wicked who have done these things, all who hate Zion. He prays that they will be turned back in shame. May they be like grass on the roof, he says (7) which withers before it can grow (like the grass between the paving stones we might say). When someone pulls it up there is not enough for him to fill his hands or for the collector to fill his arms with all they gather. The cryptic closing verse may those who pass by not say, The blessing of the LORD be upon you; we bless you in the name of the LORD probably refers to how poor such a harvest would be - no happy exchanges in the fields regarding this one. Leaving the imprecations to one side for now, verse 2 says two things. First, negatively, they have greatly oppressed me from my youth. There has been persecution and it has gone on for a long time. Anyone who wants to be godly must expect such an experience. But then secondly, and positively, he says but they have not gained the victory over me. Because the Lord is constantly at our side setting us free then victory eludes these oppressors. The saints persevere. They cannot be stopped.
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