◄ Psalm 115:14 ►
May the LORD give you increase, both you and your children.
Study Bible
May the LORD
This phrase begins with an invocation of divine blessing, emphasizing the personal and covenantal name of God, "Yahweh" in Hebrew. The use of "LORD" in all caps signifies this sacred name, which is deeply rooted in the history of Israel as the God who revealed Himself to Moses in the burning bush (Exodus 3:14). This invocation is a reminder of God's eternal presence and faithfulness to His people. It is a call to the One who is sovereign and capable of bestowing blessings, underscoring the relationship between God and His covenant people.

give you
The phrase "give you" suggests a direct and personal bestowal of blessings from God to the individual or community. In the Hebrew context, the verb "natan" (to give) is often used in the context of God's generosity and grace. It implies not just a passive reception but an active, divine initiative to provide for His people. This reflects the biblical theme of God as the ultimate provider, who knows the needs of His people and responds with abundance.

increase
The word "increase" in this context is derived from the Hebrew root "yasaph," which means to add or augment. This is not merely a quantitative increase but also a qualitative one, suggesting growth in prosperity, influence, and spiritual depth. Historically, the idea of increase is tied to the Abrahamic covenant, where God promised to multiply Abraham's descendants and bless them (Genesis 22:17). It is a reminder of God's ongoing commitment to fulfill His promises and expand His kingdom through His people.

you and your children
This phrase extends the blessing beyond the individual to their descendants, highlighting the biblical principle of generational blessing. In Hebrew culture, the family unit was central, and blessings were often seen as multi-generational, impacting not just the immediate recipient but also future generations. This reflects the scriptural emphasis on legacy and the transmission of faith and blessings from one generation to the next, as seen in Deuteronomy 6:6-7, where parents are instructed to teach God's commandments to their children. It underscores the enduring nature of God's promises and the hope that His favor will continue through the lineage of His people.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal presence and faithfulness to His people.

2. The Psalmist
The author of Psalm 115, traditionally attributed to David or another Israelite leader, who is expressing a prayer or blessing for the people.

3. The Israelites
The original audience of the Psalm, God's chosen people, who are recipients of the blessing.

4. Children
The descendants of the Israelites, highlighting the generational aspect of God's blessings.

5. The Temple in Jerusalem
While not directly mentioned in this verse, the context of the Psalm suggests a setting of worship and blessing associated with the Temple.
Teaching Points
God's Desire for Our Growth
God desires to bless and increase His people, not just materially but spiritually and relationally. This reflects His nature as a loving Father who cares for His children.

Generational Blessings
The verse emphasizes the importance of thinking beyond ourselves to the impact of our faith and actions on future generations. We are called to invest in the spiritual growth of our children and community.

Faithfulness and Obedience
While God's blessings are gracious, they often accompany a life of faithfulness and obedience. We are encouraged to live in a way that aligns with God's will to experience His full blessings.

Spiritual and Material Increase
The increase mentioned can be both spiritual and material. We should seek God's wisdom to steward any increase for His glory and the benefit of others.

Prayer for Increase
This verse can be a model for our prayers, asking God to bless and increase us in ways that align with His purposes and kingdom.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding God's covenant name, Yahweh, enhance our trust in His promise of increase?

2. In what ways can we actively contribute to the spiritual growth of our children and future generations?

3. How do the promises of increase in the Old Testament relate to the spiritual growth described in the New Testament?

4. What are some practical steps we can take to ensure that any increase we receive is used for God's glory?

5. How can we incorporate prayers for increase into our daily spiritual practices, and what should be the focus of these prayers?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Genesis 17
God's promise to Abraham about multiplying his descendants connects to the theme of increase and blessing.

Deuteronomy 7
God's covenant faithfulness and blessings upon obedience are echoed in the promise of increase.

Proverbs 13
The idea of generational blessings and the righteous leaving an inheritance for their children.

Acts 2
The promise of the Holy Spirit and the growth of the early church as a form of spiritual increase.

Ephesians 3
Paul's prayer for spiritual growth and strength, paralleling the idea of increase in spiritual maturity.
Sermons
Genuine Religious ConsciousnessHomilistPsalm 115:1-18
Giving God the GloryT. De Witt Talmage.Psalm 115:1-18
Glory to God for Public BlessingsBishop Smalridge.Psalm 115:1-18
Non Nobis, DominePsalm 115:1-18
The Heathen Taunt, and What Came of itS. Conway Psalm 115:1-18
The Honor Due to GodC. Short Psalm 115:1-18
People
Aaron, Psalmist
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Add, Addeth, Greater, Increase, Sons
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Psalm 115:14-16

     5081   Adam, life of

Library
The Warning
"And when they had sung a hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered abroad. Howbeit, after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee. But Peter said unto Him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I. And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, that thou today, even this night, before the cock crow twice, shalt deny me thrice. But he spake exceeding …
G. A. Chadwick—The Gospel of St. Mark

Letter xxxiv. To Marcella.
In reply to a request from Marcella for information concerning two phrases in Ps. cxxvii. ("bread of sorrow," v. 2, and "children of the shaken off," A.V. "of the youth," v. 4). Jerome, after lamenting that Origen's notes on the psalm are no longer extant, gives the following explanations: The Hebrew phrase "bread of sorrow" is rendered by the LXX. "bread of idols"; by Aquila, "bread of troubles"; by Symmachus, "bread of misery." Theodotion follows the LXX. So does Origen's Fifth Version. The Sixth …
St. Jerome—The Principal Works of St. Jerome

Christian Graces.
FAITH. FAITH! Peter saith, faith, in the very trial of it, is much more precious than gold that perisheth. If so, what is the worth or value that is in the grace itself? Faith is so great an artist in arguing and reasoning with the soul, that it will bring over the hardest heart that it hath to deal with. It will bring to my remembrance at once, both my vileness against God, and his goodness towards me; it will show me, that though I deserve not to breathe in the air, yet God will have me an heir …
John Bunyan—The Riches of Bunyan

Impiety of Attributing a visible Form to God. --The Setting up of Idols a Defection from the True God.
1. God is opposed to idols, that all may know he is the only fit witness to himself. He expressly forbids any attempt to represent him by a bodily shape. 2. Reasons for this prohibition from Moses, Isaiah, and Paul. The complaint of a heathen. It should put the worshipers of idols to shame. 3. Consideration of an objection taken from various passages in Moses. The Cherubim and Seraphim show that images are not fit to represent divine mysteries. The Cherubim belonged to the tutelage of the Law. 4. …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

Stedfastness in the Old Paths.
"Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls."--Jer. vi. 16. Reverence for the old paths is a chief Christian duty. We look to the future indeed with hope; yet this need not stand in the way of our dwelling on the past days of the Church with affection and deference. This is the feeling of our own Church, as continually expressed in the Prayer Book;--not to slight what has gone before, …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VII

Messiah Derided Upon the Cross
All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head saying, He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. F allen man, though alienated from the life of God, and degraded with respect to many of his propensities and pursuits, to a level with the beasts that perish, is not wholly destitute of kind and compassionate feelings towards his fellow-creatures. While self-interest does not interfere, and the bitter passions …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

Triumph Over Death and the Grave
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin: and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. T he Christian soldier may with the greatest propriety, be said to war a good warfare (I Timothy 1:18) . He is engaged in a good cause. He fights under the eye of the Captain of his salvation. Though he be weak in himself, and though his enemies are many and mighty, he may do that which in other soldiers …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

Divine Support and Protection
[What shall we say then to these things?] If God be for us, who can be against us? T he passions of joy or grief, of admiration or gratitude, are moderate when we are able to find words which fully describe their emotions. When they rise very high, language is too faint to express them; and the person is either lost in silence, or feels something which, after his most laboured efforts, is too big for utterance. We may often observe the Apostle Paul under this difficulty, when attempting to excite …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2

The Last Supper
189. On Thursday Jesus and his disciples returned to Jerusalem for the last time. Knowing the temper of the leaders, and the danger of arrest at any time, Jesus was particularly eager to eat the Passover with his disciples (Luke xxii. 15), and he sent two of them--Luke names them as Peter and John--to prepare for the supper. In a way which would give no information to such a one as Judas, he directed them carefully how to find the house where a friend would provide them the upper room that was needed …
Rush Rhees—The Life of Jesus of Nazareth

Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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