King James Version

Psalms 129:6

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

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Hebrew

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יִ֭הְיוּyihyvbeהָיָהverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “be”, an unfinished actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.כַּחֲצִ֣ירkachatsiras grassחָצִירpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “as grass”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2682grass; also a leek (collectively)grass, hay, herb, leek.גַּגּ֑וֹתgagotroofגָּגnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “roof”, the ordinary formH1406a roof; by analogy, the top of an altarroof (of the house), (house) top (of the house).שֶׁקַּדְמַ֖תsheqadmatwho aforeקַדְמָהparticle, relative, noun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “who afore”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6927priority (in time); also used adverbially (before)afore, antiquity, former (old) estate.שָׁלַ֣ףshalafdrawשָׁלַףverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “draw”, a completed actionH8025to pull out, up or offdraw (off), grow up, pluck off.יָבֵֽשׁyaveshbe ashamedיָבֵשׁverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be ashamed”, a completed actionH3001to be ashamed, confused or disappointed; also (as failing) to dry up (as water) or wither (as herbage)be ashamed, clean, be confounded, (make) dry (up), (do) shame(-fully), [idiom] utterly, wither (away).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withereth afore it springeth up;

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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

Young’s Literal Translation

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

World English Bible

Let them be as the grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up,

Darby Translation

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

Douay-Rheims

From the morning watch even until night, let Israel hope in the Lord.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withereth afore it springeth up;

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Let them be as the grass of the house-tops, which withers before it is plucked up.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Γενηθήτωσαν ὡσεὶ χόρτος δωμάτων, ὃς πρὸ τοῦ ἐκσπασθῆναι ἐξηράνθη·