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Easy-to-Read Version
Psalms 127:5
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- AmericanEncyclopedias:
- InternationalParallel Translations
Happy is the man who has filled his quiver with them.They will never be put to shamewhen they speak with their enemies at the city gate.
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. They won't be put to shame when they speak with their enemies in the gate.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
Happy is the man who has his bag full of arrows. They will not be defeated when they fight their enemies at the city gate.
How blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! They will not be put to shame when they confront enemies at the city gate.
How blessed [happy and fortunate] is the man whose quiver is filled with them; They will not be ashamed When they speak with their enemies [in gatherings] at the [city] gate.
Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed When they speak with their enemies in the gate.
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. They won't be put to shame when they speak with their enemies in the gate.
Blessed is the man, that hath his quiuer full of them: for they shall not be ashamed, when they speake with their enemies in the gate.
How blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them;They will not be ashamedWhen they speak with enemies in the gate.
Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. He will not be put to shame when he confronts the enemies at the gate.
The more you have, the better off you will be, because they will protect you when your enemies attack with arguments.
How blessed is the man who has filled his quiver with them; he will not have to be embarrassed when contending with foes at the city gate.
Happy is the man that hath filled his quiver with them. They shall not be ashamed when they speak with enemies in the gate.
Blessed is the man who has his quiver full of them; he shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with enemies in the gate.
Happy is the man who has many such arrows. He will never be defeated when he meets his enemies in the place of judgment.
Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them. They shall not be put to shame when they speak with enemies at the gate.
Blessed is the man who has filled his quiver with them; they shall not be ashamed, for they shall speak with their enemies in the gate.
Like as the arowes in the hode of the giaute, eue so are the yonge childre. Happie is the ma, yt hath his quyuer full of them: they shal not be ashamed, when they speake with their enemies in the gate.
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.
Happy is the man who has a good store of them; he will not be put to shame, but his cause will be supported by them against his haters.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them; {P}
Happie is the man that hath his quiuer full of them, they shall not be ashamed: but they shall speake with the enemies in the gate.
Happy is the man that hath filled his quiuer with them: they shall not be ashamed when they speake with their enemies in the gate.
Blessed is the man who shall satisfy his desire with them: they shall not be ashamed when they shall speak to their enemies in the gates.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, when they speak with their enemies in the gate.
Blessid is the man, that hath fillid his desier of tho; he schal not be schent, whanne he schal speke to hise enemyes in the yate.
Happy is the [noble] man that has his quiver full of them: They shall not be put to shame, When they speak with their enemies in the gate.
Happy [is] the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.
How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.
Happy is the man who has many of them. They will not be put to shame when they speak in the gate with those who hate them.
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
How happy the man who hath filled his quiver with them! They will not be ashamed, but will speak with enemies in the gate.
(126-5) Blessed is the man that hath filled the desire with them; he shall not be confounded when he shall speak to his enemies in the gate.
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
O the happiness of the man Who hath filled his quiver with them, They are not ashamed, For they speak with enemies in the gate!
How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed When they speak with their enemies in the gate.
Contextual Overview
A song from Solomon for going up to the Temple.
If it is not the Lord who builds a house, the builders are wasting their time. If it is not the Lord who watches over the city, the guards are wasting their time. 2 It is a waste of time to get up early and stay up late, trying to make a living. The Lord provides for those he loves, even while they are sleeping. 3 Children are a gift from the Lord , a reward from a mother's womb. 4 A young man's sons are like the arrows in a soldier's hand. 5 The man who fills his quiver with sons will be very blessed. He will never be defeated when he opposes his enemy at the city gates.Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Happy: Genesis 50:23, Job 1:2, Job 42:12-16
his quiver full of them: Heb. filled his quiver with them, they shall. Job 5:4, Proverbs 27:11
speak: or, subdue, Psalms 18:47, or, destroy
Reciprocal: Psalms 128:3 - round about Psalms 144:12 - as plants Ecclesiastes 6:3 - a man Matthew 16:18 - and the
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Happy [is] the man that hath his quiver full of them,.... That is, his house full of them; called a quiver, referring to arrows before mentioned, this being the case in which they are put up: to have many children was always reckoned a great temporal blessing and happiness; see Job 1:2. The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Ethiopic, and Arabic versions, render it, "that fills his desire" has as many as he desires or wishes for: the Targum,
"who fills his school of them:''
so Jarchi interprets the children, of the disciples of the wise men. It may be applied to young converts, the children of Christ and of the church; which, when numerous, is a blessing to him and her; see
Isaiah 49:20;
they shall not be ashamed; the father and his children, as Aben Ezra; parents rather are meant, who are not ashamed when they have many children: with the Romans z, those that had wives and children were preferred in honour to senior persons that had none; and they that had most to those that had fewest; and so with the Persians;
Isaiah 49:20- :;
but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate: where courts of judicature were kept; and so the Targum,
"in the gate of the house of judgment.''
The sense is, that their children should stand and plead the cause of their parents against their adversaries in courts of judicature; or publicly before the eyes of all, as Aben Ezra: and spiritually may design such of Christ's seed who are set for the defence of the Gospel, are valiant for the truth on earth, and earnestly contend for it; meet the enemy in the gate, publicly oppose him, and behave themselves like men, and are strong.
z A. Gell. Noct. Attic. l. 2. c. 15.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Happy is the man - Hebrew, The happiness of the man. See the notes at Psalms 1:1.
That hath his quiver full of them - The quiver is a case in which arrows are carried; and as a man - a hunter or warrior - feels secure when he has his quiver full of arrows, so a man is blessed in proportion to the number of his sons. This is in accordance with the idea often presented in the Bible, and the promise often made there of a numerous posterity as a proof of the divine favor.
They shall not be ashamed - They shall not turn back discomfited, hanging their heads with shame and confusion. See the notes at Job 6:20.
But they shall speak with the enemies in the gate - Margin, “shall subdue, or destroy.” The Hebrew word, however, means “to speak;” and the meaning is, that they would “speak” to their foes in the place of conflict - for a battle occurred often in the gate of a city, as the possession of a gate, or an entrance to a city was of so much importance to those who attacked, and those who defended it. The idea is, that they would speak with effect; they would distinguish themselves; they would let their presence be known. The connection does not allow us to understand this of forensic controversy, or of transactions in business, though these were usually performed at the gates of cities. The meaning is, that they would do honor to the family, and gratify the heart of the parent, by their valor in defending their city and home, or in attacking the cities of the enemies of their country. The psalm is designed to inculcate the lesson of dependence on God for success in everything.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Psalms 127:5. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them — This is generally supposed to mean his house full of children, as his quiver if full of arrows; but I submit whether it be not more congenial to the metaphors in the text to consider it as applying to the wife: "Happy is the man who has a breeding or fruitful wife;" this is the gravida sagittis pharetra "the quiver pregnant with arrows." But it may be thought the metaphor is not natural. I think otherwise: and I know it to be in the Jewish style, and the style of the times of the captivity, when this Psalm was written, and we find the pudendum muliebre, or human matrix, thus denominated, Ecclus 26:12: Κατεναντι παντος πασσαλου καθησεται, και εναντι βελους ανοιξει φαρετραν. The reader may consult the place in the Apocrypha, where he will find the verse well enough translated.
With the enemies in the gate. — "When he shall contend with his adversaries in the gate of the house of judgment."-Targum. The reference is either to courts of justice, which were held at the gates of cities, or to robbers who endeavour to force their way into a house to spoil the inhabitants of their goods. In the first case a man falsely accused, who has a numerous family, has as many witnesses in his behalf as he has children. And in the second case he is not afraid of marauders, because his house is well defended by his active and vigorous sons. It is, I believe, to this last that the psalmist refers.
This Psalm may be entitled, "The Soliloquy of the happy Householder: - The poor man with a large loving family, and in annual expectation of an increase, because his wife, under the Divine blessing, is fruitful." All are blessed of the Lord, and his hand is invariably upon them for good.
ANALYSIS OF THE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVENTH PSALM
The Jews were at this time very busy in rebuilding their temple, and the houses and walls of their city; and the prophet teaches them that without the assistance of God, nothing will be blessed or preserved, and that their children are his especial blessing also. This the prophet shows by these words repeated, nisi, nisi, frustra, frustra, and proves it by an induction.
I. In civil affairs, whether in house or city.
1. "Except the Lord build the house," c. God must be the chief builder in the family his blessing and help must be prayed for, for the nourishment of wife, children, servants, cattle, &c.
2. "Except the Lord keep the city," &c. And so it is in kingdoms and commonwealths. The Jews had now a trowel in one hand, and a sword in the other, for fear of their enemies: but the prophet tells them that the Lord must be their protector and keeper, else their watch, magistrates, judges, &c., would be of little value.
And this he illustrates by an elegant hypothesis of an industrious man who strives to be rich, but looks not to God.
1. "He riseth early." He is up with the rising of the sun.
2. "He sits up late." Takes little rest.
3. "He eats the bread of sorrow." Defrauds himself of necessary food. His mind is full of anxiety and fear: but all this without God's blessing is vain: "It is vain for you to rise up early," &c. On the contrary, he who loves and fears God has God's blessing: "For so he gives his beloved sleep," in the place of fear and distraction.
II. The prophet then sets down the blessing a man possesses in his children. In reference to their birth,
1. "Lo, children are a heritage," &c. They are alone the Lord's gift.
2. As regarding their education: being brought up in the fear of the Lord, they become generous spirits: "As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man," &c. enabled to do great actions, and to defend themselves and others.
And the benefit will redound to the father in his old age.
1. "Happy is the man that hath," &c. Of such good children.
2. "He shall not be ashamed," &c. He shall be able to defend himself, and keep out all injuries, being fortified by his children. And if it so happen that he has a cause pending in the gate, to be tried before the judges, he shall have the patronage of his children, and not suffer in his plea for want of advocates: his sons shall stand up in a just cause for him.
