Neither do they which go by say, The blessing of the LORDbe upon you: we bless you in the name of the LORD.
Psalm 129 belongs to a group of psalms connected with the return of the Jews from captivity in Babylon, a period marked by joy, sorrow, and anxiety and by the rebuilding and dedication of the second temple. It is one of the Psalms of Ascent, songs chanted by travelers as they approached Jerusalem, and in that setting the inspired songs stirred spiritual devotion as the holy city and its temple came into view. Invoking the Lord's blessing upon another was the customary greeting given to others.
Those who go by do not pronounce the Lord's blessing upon the wicked who hate Zion. In context the wicked are cut off and pictured as grass that withers before it grows, so they receive no blessing or goodwill. The verse shows the wicked are destroyed and no longer receive blessing, contrary to the idea that they suffer endlessly in misery in God's presence.
Psalm 129 belongs to a group of psalms connected with the return of the Jews from captivity in Babylon, a period marked by joy, sorrow, and anxiety and by the rebuilding and dedication of the second temple. It is one of the Psalms of Ascent, songs chanted by travelers as they approached Jerusalem, and in that setting the inspired songs stirred spiritual devotion as the holy city and its temple came into view. Invoking the Lord's blessing upon another was the customary greeting given to others.
Those who go by do not pronounce the Lord's blessing upon the wicked who hate Zion. In context the wicked are cut off and pictured as grass that withers before it grows, so they receive no blessing or goodwill. The verse shows the wicked are destroyed and no longer receive blessing, contrary to the idea that they suffer endlessly in misery in God's presence.