1 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say:
2 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me.
3 The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows.
4 The Lord is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.
5 Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion.
6 Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withereth afore it groweth up:
7 Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand; nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom.
8 Neither do they which go by say, The blessing of the Lord be upon you: we bless you in the name of the Lord.
<html><b>the plowmen…they lengthened their furrow</b> That is the hill of the plowshare, as (I Sam. 13: 14): “about half a furrow (מענה) [which] a yoke [of oxen plow in] a field.”</html>
<html><b>which, before it is plucked, withers</b> Which, before they pluck it and uproot it from its place, is withered.</html>
<html><b>his arm</b> Like (Isa. 49:22): “and they will bring your sons in [their] arms (בחצן),” aisselle in French, and so (Neh. 5:13): “Also I shook out my arm (חצני).”</html>