Bible Commentaries
Psalms 127

Verses 1-5

CXXVII. A. This Ps. is, as is now generally admitted, composed of two independent Pss. In Psalms 127 A, i.e. in Psalms 127:1 f. the Psalmist’ s theme is the vanity of toil without Yahweh’ s blessing. The house was taken to mean the Temple: hence in the received text, but not in the LXX, the Ps. is ascribed to Solomon. At the end of Psalms 127:2 render, “ So,” i.e. as fully as others get by their toil—“ he giveth to his beloved in sleep.” But the text is almost certainly corrupt.

B. Psalms 127:3-5 . Sons a Gift Bestowed by Yahweh.

Psalms 127:4 . children of youth, i.e. begotten in the vigorous youth of the fathers, are a stalwart bodyguard round their parent. They are compared to arrows in a warrior’ s hand and quiver. But the Ps. points to a time of peace rather than of war. It is not in the battlefield but in “ the gate,” where legal cases are decided, that a man with many sons finds redress, corrupt as Oriental courts have usually been. His numerous progeny prevent his being put to “ shame,” i.e. disappointed ( Job 5:4 *).