תהלים, פרק קכ״ט, פסוק ד׳

Divine justice often reveals itself precisely when the power of the wicked seems impossible to break. At the very moment when oppression feels permanent, God intervenes to shatter the tools of control used by the oppressors. This divine intervention is an act of absolute severing [מצודת ציון]. Even when this action is described as an event from the past, it serves as a firm guarantee for the future, promising that God will inevitably step in to cut away the restraints imposed by hateful enemies [רד״ק, מאירי].

The primary approach among commentators understands these restraints through the imagery of working the land. Just as heavy harnesses tie oxen to a plow, the wicked use binding forces to drive their oppression forward. By cutting these specific ties, God ruins their plans, brings their trampling of the innocent to an immediate halt, and lifts the crushing burden off the Israelites [רד״ק, מלבי״ם, מאירי]. A closely related perspective views these restraints not as parts of a plow, but as the actual, thick ropes used to physically bind and imprison the innocent. In His perfect justice, God slices through these heavy knots to set the captives free [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

A different perspective shifts the focus away from physical ropes entirely, interpreting the idea of thick bindings as a symbol of strength, high rank, and concentrated power. Because God is perfectly just, He does not ignore the faults of the Israelites, who were not entirely without blame. Consequently, He does not wipe out their enemies completely. Instead, He targets only their most powerful elements. God strikes down the heavenly forces that represent these hostile nations and destroys the elite ranks of their armies, while allowing the common people to survive [אלשיך].