Psalms

PSALM 127^*

The Need of God’s Blessing

I

Unless the LORD build the house,

they labor in vain who build.

Unless the LORD guard the city,

in vain does the guard keep watch.

and put off your rest at night,

To eat bread earned by hard toil—

all this God gives to his beloved in sleep.^a

II

the fruit of the womb, a reward.^b

are the sons born in one’s youth.

He will never be shamed

for he will destroy his foes at the gate.^*

* [Psalm 127] The Psalm puts together two proverbs (Ps 127:1–2, 3–5) on God establishing “houses” or families. The prosperity of human groups is not the work of human beings but the gift of God.

* [127:5] At the gate: the reference is not to enemies besieging the walls of a city but to adversaries in litigation. Law courts functioned in the open area near the main city gate. The more adult sons a man had, the more forceful he would appear in disputes, cf. Prv 31:23.

a. [127:2] Eccl 2:24.

b. [127:3] Ps 115:14; 128:3; Dt 28:11; Prv 17:6.