Bible Strands
Psalms 129:4
The LORD is righteous; He has cut me from the cords of the wicked.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses God directly, recounting past persecution where hostile plowmen carved long furrows across his back. This declaration of deliverance follows the description of prolonged suffering and precedes a curse against Zion’s enemies.
The words — The Hebrew צַדִּיק (tza.Dik) literally means "righteous," affirming God's moral character, while קִצֵּץ (ki.Tzetz) means "he has cut off," describing the decisive removal of the speaker from the cords of the wicked.
The thread — The declaration of God’s righteousness parallels Psalms 119:137 and Daniel 9:7, where divine righteousness stands in contrast to human failure. The imagery of God cutting off oppressors aligns with the psalm’s immediate context in Psalms 129:5 and the broader biblical pattern of deliverance from the wicked.
Why it lands — The text requires the reader to acknowledge God’s righteous character as the basis for deliverance from oppression. It calls for a realistic assessment of past persecution and a clear expectation of God's decisive intervention.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
The Lord is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.
Cross-references
- Psalms 119:137 Righteous are You, O LORD, and upright are Your judgments.
- Lamentations 3:22 Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail.
- Daniel 9:7 To You, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but this day we are covered with shame—the men of Judah, the people of Jerusalem, and all Israel near and far, in all the countries to which You have driven us because of our unfaithfulness to You.
- Nehemiah 9:33 You are just in all that has befallen us, because You have acted faithfully, while we have acted wickedly.
- Psalms 124:6 Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as prey to their teeth.
- Ezra 9:15 O LORD, God of Israel, You are righteous! For we remain this day as a remnant. Here we are before You in our guilt, though because of it no one can stand before You.”
- Psalms 140:5 The proud hide a snare for me; the cords of their net are spread along the path, and lures are set out for me. Selah
- Lamentations 1:18 The LORD is righteous, yet I rebelled against His command. Listen, all you people; look upon my suffering. My young men and maidens have gone into captivity.