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Psalms 127

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God Must Establish the Work 1–2

1
Except Jehovah build the house, They labor in vain that build it: Except Jehovah keep the city, The watchman waketh but in vain. ​
2
It is vain for you to rise up early, To take rest late, To eat the bread of toil; Forso he giveth unto his beloved sleep. ​

Children Are God's Heritage 3–5

3
Lo, children are a heritage of Jehovah; Andthe fruit of the womb ishisreward. ​
4
As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, So are the children of youth. ​
5
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: They shall not be put to shame, When they speak with their enemies in the gate. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Psalms 127

Verse 1

Except the LORD build the house — The psalm is 'for Solomon' (Shelomoh), who built the LORD's house. Bayith, 'house', also means a household, and banah, 'build', is the root of ben, 'son', so the psalm moves from building a house to the sons of v.3. Shamar, 'keep', is the verb of Ps 121; here even the watchman's vigil (shaqad) is 'in vain' without the LORD.

Verse 2

his beloved sleep — Yedid, beloved, is the word behind the name Jedidiah, 'beloved of Jah', which the LORD gave Solomon through Nathan (2 Sam 12:25). 'Bread of sorrows' (etseb) is food eaten with toil and anxiety, and the verse sets it against the sleep given to the beloved, as in 'The sleep of a labouring man is sweet' (Eccl 5:12).

Verse 3

an heritage of the LORD — Nachalah, a heritage, is the word for land given by the LORD as an inheritance. The 'reward' (sakar) is a wage paid. The children come from the LORD's hand, which fits the opening claim that the builders' own labour is 'vain' without him. Ps 128:3 applies the same picture, 'thy children like olive plants round about thy table'.

Verse 4

As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man — The 'mighty man' (gibbor) is a warrior who keeps his arrows in hand, ready to loose. 'Children of the youth' (neurim) are sons born while their father is young. Ps 120:4 has 'sharp arrows of the mighty' for the weapons of war; here the arrows are the sons, who stand with him in v.5 when he speaks with his enemies.

Verse 5

speak with the enemies in the gate — The gate (shaar) was where Israel's business and judgments were done: Boaz went up to the gate to settle a claim (Ruth 4:1), and a brother's widow brings her case 'unto the elders' there (Deut 25:7). Bush, 'ashamed', is what a man with no defenders risks. 'Happy' is esher, the word that opens Psalm 1.