Ps. 129:0 THE ARGUMENT This Psalm contains a joyful and thankful remembrance of the church’s former and manifold calamities from barbarous enemies, and of God’s wonderful mercy in delivering them out of their hands.

They; mine enemies or oppressors; which is easily understood, both from the nature of the thing, and from Ps. 129:3, where they are expressed under the name of ploughers.

Ploughed upon my back; they have not only thrown me down, and trod me under foot, but have cruelly tormented me, wounded and mangled me, and had no more pity upon me than the ploughman hath upon the earth which he cuts up at his pleasure.

Righteous; faithful or merciful, as that word is frequently used. Cut asunder the cords wherewith the plough was drawn; by which means they were stopped in their course. So he persists in the same metaphor of a plough. By these cords he understands all their plots and endeavours.

Forced to retreat with shame and disappointment.

The house-tops there were flat, and therefore more capable of grass or green corn growing between the stones than ours are. Which withereth afore it groweth up; which having no deep root, never comes to maturity. And so all their designs shall be abortive, and never come to perfection.

Which was a usual salutation given by passengers to reapers, as Ruth 2:4. So the meaning is, It never continues till the harvest comes.