Psalm 129:7
New International Version
a reaper cannot fill his hands with it, nor one who gathers fill his arms.

New Living Translation
ignored by the harvester, despised by the binder.

English Standard Version
with which the reaper does not fill his hand nor the binder of sheaves his arms,

Berean Standard Bible
unable to fill the hands of the reaper, or the arms of the binder of sheaves.

King James Bible
Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand; nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom.

New King James Version
With which the reaper does not fill his hand, Nor he who binds sheaves, his arms.

New American Standard Bible
With which the harvester does not fill his hand, Or the binder of sheaves his arms;

NASB 1995
With which the reaper does not fill his hand, Or the binder of sheaves his bosom;

NASB 1977
With which the reaper does not fill his hand, Or the binder of sheaves his bosom;

Legacy Standard Bible
With which the reaper does not fill his hand, Nor the binder of sheaves the fold of his garment;

Amplified Bible
With which the reaper does not fill his hand, Nor the binder of sheaves his arms,

Christian Standard Bible
and can’t even fill the hands of the reaper or the arms of the one who binds sheaves.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
and can’t even fill the hands of the reaper or the arms of the one who binds sheaves.

American Standard Version
Wherewith the reaper filleth not his hand, Nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom.

Contemporary English Version
Don't let them be like wheat gathered in bundles.

English Revised Version
Wherewith the reaper filleth not his hand, nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
It will never fill the barns of those who harvest or the arms of those who gather bundles.

Good News Translation
no one gathers it up or carries it away in bundles.

International Standard Version
not enough to fill one's hand or to bundle in one's arms.

Majority Standard Bible
unable to fill the hands of the reaper, or the arms of the binder of sheaves.

NET Bible
which cannot fill the reaper's hand, or the lap of the one who gathers the grain!

New Heart English Bible
with which the reaper doesn't fill his hand, nor he who binds sheaves, his bosom.

Webster's Bible Translation
With which the mower filleth not his hand; nor he that bindeth sheaves, his bosom.

World English Bible
with which the reaper doesn’t fill his hand, nor he who binds sheaves, his bosom.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
That has not filled the hand of a reaper, "" And the bosom of a binder of sheaves.

Young's Literal Translation
That hath not filled the hand of a reaper, And the bosom of a binder of sheaves.

Smith's Literal Translation
He harvesting filled not his hand; and he heaping together, not his arm.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand: nor he that gathereth sheaves his bosom.

Catholic Public Domain Version
with it, he who reaps does not fill his hand and he who gathers sheaves does not fill his bosom.

New American Bible
Never to fill the reaper’s hands, nor the arms of the binders of sheaves,

New Revised Standard Version
with which reapers do not fill their hands or binders of sheaves their arms,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Wherewith the reaper fills not his hand, nor he who binds sheaves his bosom.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And the reaper does not fill his palm with it, neither does the sheave binder strip it.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Wherewith the reaper filleth not his hand, Nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Wherewith the reaper fills not his hand, nor he that makes up the sheaves, his bosom.
Audio Bible



Context
The Cords of the Wicked
6May they be like grass on the rooftops, which withers before it can grow, 7unable to fill the hands of the reaper, or the arms of the binder of sheaves. 8May none who pass by say to them, “The blessing of the LORD be on you; we bless you in the name of the LORD.”…

Cross References
Isaiah 17:5
as the reaper gathers the standing grain and harvests the ears with his arm, as one gleans heads of grain in the Valley of Rephaim.

Job 24:6
They gather fodder in the fields and glean the vineyards of the wicked.

Jeremiah 9:22
Declare that this is what the LORD says: “The corpses of men will fall like dung upon the open field, like newly cut grain behind the reaper, with no one to gather it.”

Micah 6:15
You will sow but not reap; you will press olives but not anoint yourselves with oil; you will tread grapes but not drink the wine.

Amos 5:11
Therefore, because you trample on the poor and exact from him a tax of grain, you will never live in the stone houses you have built; you will never drink the wine from the lush vineyards you have planted.

Deuteronomy 28:38-40
You will sow much seed in the field but harvest little, because the locusts will consume it. / You will plant and cultivate vineyards, but will neither drink the wine nor gather the grapes, because worms will eat them. / You will have olive trees throughout your territory but will never anoint yourself with oil, because the olives will drop off.

Joel 1:11-12
Be dismayed, O farmers, wail, O vinedressers, over the wheat and barley, because the harvest of the field has perished. / The grapevine is dried up, and the fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, palm, and apple—all the trees of the orchard—are withered. Surely the joy of mankind has dried up.

Haggai 1:6
You have planted much but harvested little. You eat but never have enough. You drink but never have your fill. You put on clothes but never get warm. You earn wages to put into a bag pierced through.”

Leviticus 26:16
then this is what I will do to you: I will bring upon you sudden terror, wasting disease, and fever that will destroy your sight and drain your life. You will sow your seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it.

Proverbs 20:4
The slacker does not plow in season; at harvest time he looks, but nothing is there.

Matthew 13:30
Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat into my barn.’”

Luke 3:17
His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

John 4:35
Do you not say, ‘There are still four months until the harvest’? I tell you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ripe for harvest.

Matthew 9:37-38
Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. / Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest.”

James 5:7
Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer awaits the precious fruit of the soil—how patient he is for the fall and spring rains.


Treasury of Scripture

With which the mower fills not his hand; nor he that binds sheaves his bosom.

he that bindeth

Psalm 126:6
He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

Isaiah 17:10,11
Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set it with strange slips: …

Hosea 8:7
For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up.

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Psalm 129
1. An exhortation to praise God for saving Israel in their great afflictions
5. The haters of the church are cursed














so that no reaper
The term "reaper" refers to one who harvests crops, a common occupation in ancient agrarian societies. In the Hebrew context, the reaper symbolizes the culmination of hard work and the gathering of rewards. The absence of a reaper in this verse suggests a lack of harvest, indicating judgment or divine displeasure. Historically, Israel's prosperity was often tied to agricultural success, and a failed harvest would be seen as a sign of God's disfavor or a consequence of the nation's disobedience.

can fill his hand
The phrase "fill his hand" evokes the image of abundance and sufficiency. In Hebrew, the hand is often a symbol of power and capability. To fill one's hand implies having enough to meet one's needs or to accomplish a task. The inability to fill the hand here suggests scarcity and unfulfilled potential, reflecting a divine withholding of blessing due to the nation's actions or spiritual state.

or the binder of sheaves
A "binder of sheaves" is one who gathers and ties together the harvested grain. This task is essential for securing the crop and preparing it for storage or sale. In the biblical context, sheaves often symbolize the fruits of labor and God's provision. The absence of a binder indicates a disruption in the cycle of work and reward, pointing to a deeper spiritual barrenness or judgment.

his arms
The "arms" represent strength and the ability to carry or bear burdens. In the Hebrew tradition, arms are often associated with might and the capacity to uphold or support. The inability to fill one's arms with sheaves suggests a lack of strength or resources, highlighting the futility of efforts without divine blessing. This imagery serves as a reminder of the dependence on God for sustenance and success.

Verse 7. - Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand. Which is so worthless that no one takes the trouble to mow it. Nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom. Much less does any one bind it into sheaves and store it away.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
unable
שֶׁלֹּ֤א (šel·lō)
Pronoun - relative | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

to fill
מִלֵּ֖א (mil·lê)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 4390: To fill, be full of

the hands
כַפּ֥וֹ (ḵap·pōw)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 3709: Hollow or flat of the hand, palm, sole (of the foot), a pan

of the reaper,
קוֹצֵ֗ר (qō·w·ṣêr)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 7114: To dock off, curtail, to harvest

or the arms
וְחִצְנ֥וֹ (wə·ḥiṣ·nōw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2683: Bosom (of a garment)

of the one who binds sheaves.
מְעַמֵּֽר׃ (mə·‘am·mêr)
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 6014: To gather grain


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OT Poetry: Psalm 129:7 With which the reaper doesn't fill his (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 129:6
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