Psalms 129 · Grade 4
Bent but Not Broken
Read and Think
Psalm 129 is titled A Song of Ascents and names no author. It invites Israel to remember a long history of suffering: Many times they have afflicted me from my youth up. Let Israel now say.
A painful farming picture follows: The plowers plowed on my back. They made their furrows long. Yet the key line is, they have not prevailed against me. Yahweh is righteous. He has cut apart the cords of the wicked, like cutting the ropes that tie an ox to the plow.
The singer prays that those who hate Zion will be disappointed and turned back. He pictures them as grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up. Harvesters never fill their hands with it, and no one passing by says, We bless you in Yahweh's name.
Show What You Know
What history does Israel remember?
What does the plowing picture show?
What do the cut cords picture?
Why is rooftop grass a picture of failure?
Word Bank Fill-In
Use the word bank to fill in each blank.
- It invites Israel to remember a long history of suffering: Many times they have afflicted me from my up.
- Yahweh is .
- He has cut apart the of the wicked, like cutting the ropes that tie an ox to the plow.
Think About It
Israel was afflicted many times but not defeated. How has God helped you keep going through hard times?
Yahweh cut the cords of the wicked. What would you like to ask God to set you free from?
Memory Verse
“Yahweh is righteous. He has cut apart the cords of the wicked.”
Psalms 129:4 (WEB)
Copy It
Prayer
Dear God, thank You for setting your people free. Help me . Amen.
Take It Home
For families: talk about these together.
- How can you keep trusting God when trouble comes again and again?
- How is Psalm 129 like Psalm 124?
Scripture: World English Bible, public domain, eBible.org. © 2026 The Daily Rooted. Free to print and copy for church and home use; not for resale. Original line art.