The Meaning of Psalms 129:6 Explained

Psalms 129:6

KJV: Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withereth afore it groweth up:

YLT: They are as grass of the roofs, That before it was drawn out withereth,

Darby: Let them be as the grass upon the house-tops, which withereth before it is plucked up,

ASV: Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, Which withereth before it groweth up;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Let them be as the grass  [upon] the housetops,  which withereth  afore  it groweth up: 

What does Psalms 129:6 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Psalms 129

1  An exhortation to praise God for saving Israel in their great afflictions
5  The haters of the church are cursed

What do the individual words in Psalms 129:6 mean?

Let them be as the grass [on] the housetops which before it grows up withers
יִ֭הְיוּ כַּחֲצִ֣יר גַּגּ֑וֹת שֶׁקַּדְמַ֖ת שָׁלַ֣ף יָבֵֽשׁ

יִ֭הְיוּ  Let  them  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
כַּחֲצִ֣יר  as  the  grass 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: חָצִיר 
Sense: grass, leek, green grass, herbage.
גַּגּ֑וֹת  [on]  the  housetops 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: גָּג  
Sense: roof, top, housetop.
שֶׁקַּדְמַ֖ת  which  before 
Parse: Pronoun, relative, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: קַדְמָה  
Sense: antiquity, former state or estate or situation, before, origin.
שָׁלַ֣ף  it  grows  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַף  
Sense: to draw out or off, take off.
יָבֵֽשׁ  withers 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָבֵשׁ  
Sense: to make dry, wither, be dry, become dry, be dried up, be withered.