Man’s labour is vain without God’s blessing; and His blessing comes to those whom He loves they know not how (Psalm 127:1-2). A numerous family of sons is one of His special blessings: it secures for the father influence and respect (Psalm 127:3-5). The point in the first half of the Psalm is man’s dependence upon God; in the second half it is the advantage of a family: and the looseness of the connexion together with the difference of rhythm has suggested to some commentators that two originally independent Psalms have been joined together. They would hardly be shorter than Psalms 133, 134, both of which begin, like Psalm 127:3, with ‘Behold.’ The conjecture however seems to be unnecessary: in view of the importance attaching to the family in oriental countries, it is not unnatural that the Psalmist should enlarge upon its advantages, though he is led away thereby from the point with which he started.

The exhortation to trustful dependence upon God and the warning against corroding anxiety are needed in all ages: but it is not unlikely that the language of the Psalm was suggested by the circumstances of Nehemiah’s time. The houses in Jerusalem needed to be rebuilt (Nehemiah 7:4): let it be done in a spirit different from the irreligious selfishness of those who first returned from Babylon (Haggai 1:4). The city had to be carefully guarded (Nehemiah 7:3; Nehemiah 4:9 ff.): let it not be forgotten that precautions were futile without the blessing of Israel’s Watchman. The population of Jerusalem was scanty (Nehemiah 7:4), and the promises of the prophets (Jeremiah 30:19-20; Zechariah 2:1 ff; Zechariah 8:4 ff.) had not yet been fulfilled; but God could supply this need, and those to whom He granted the privilege of numerous offspring might congratulate themselves on this mark of His favour.

To the title A song of ascents the Heb. text, followed by Cod. R of LXX, Aq., Symm., Jer., Targ., adds of Solomon. The addition may have been suggested by the supposition that the house in Psalm 127:1 meant the Temple, and that his beloved in Psalm 127:2 was an allusion to Solomon’s name Jedidiah, ‘beloved of Jah’ (2 Samuel 12:25). The language of the Psalm moreover has some affinities with that of Proverbs.

The Psalm is appointed for use in the office for the Thanksgiving of Women after Child-birth.

1. The industry of the builder, the vigilance of the watchman, are in vain without Jehovah’s cooperation. A man may build a house and never live in it (Deuteronomy 28:30; Zephaniah 1:13); the watchman may patrol the city, or keep his watch on the wall, but he cannot secure it from dangers such as fire or the assault of enemies. The house is not the Temple, nor is the city specifically Jerusalem: house-building and city-guarding are examples of ordinary human undertakings. But as the examples may have been suggested (see above) by the circumstances of the time, they may well have a further figurative application to those circumstances. Without the blessing of Him Who has promised to build the house of Israel (Amos 9:11; Jeremiah 31:28) and Who is the Watchman of His people (Psalm 121:4), the most strenuous efforts of the leaders of the community can avail nothing.

the watchman] Lit. the keeper, as in Psalm 121:4-5.

1, 2. The futility of human effort without the Divine blessing.

2. Vain is it for you, O ye that rise up early and sit down late,

Eating the bread of toil.

Anxious toilers are addressed. ‘Uprising’ and ‘downsitting,’ as in Psalm 139:2, denote activity and rest. Men may begin their labours early, and continue them late; they may win their subsistence by a succession of unremitting labours (the word is plural), and lose all enjoyment of it through constant anxiety; but all this self-tormenting care is needless. For ‘toil’ cp. Proverbs 5:10 (thy labours = the results of thy toil); Proverbs 10:22 (R.V. marg.); Genesis 3:16 (sorrow), 17 (R.V. toil).

for so he giveth his beloved sleep] Omit for. This is the natural rendering of the Heb. text, but the sense of it is not obvious. Perhaps it may be, ‘Bethink yourselves! so, even while you toil and moil with sleepless energy (Ecclesiastes 8:16), Jehovah gives calm rest to those whom He loves.’ So Keble,

“Still on the favoured of His eyes

He bids sweet slumber freely wait.”

Compare Mrs Browning’s beautiful poem on the words.

Most commentators however adopt the rendering, So he giveth unto his beloved in sleep. While Jehovah’s people rest in calm dependence upon Him, He gives them all for which others toil with wearying anxiety[82] (Mark 4:26-27).

[82] This rendering is certainly not the natural rendering of the Heb. text. Wellhausen condemns it as “quite inadmissible.” It requires the supplement of an object to the verb, and שֵׁנָא must be taken as accus. of manner. If it were not for the exegetical difficulty, no one would hesitate to take ‘sleep,’ as the Ancient Versions take it, as the object of the verb ‘giveth.’ Some word however seems to be needed to correspond to the results of anxious toil, and though the Ancient Versions already had the present reading, the text may be corrupt. The anomalous form of the word for sleep (שנא for שנה) may point in this direction.

his beloved] The singular may be collective, His beloved ones, or individualising, each of His beloved ones. The epithet applied to Israel (Psalm 60:5; Deuteronomy 33:12; Jeremiah 11:15) is transferred to each faithful Israelite who responds with unwavering confidence to the love which has chosen him.

It is hardly necessary to say that no sanction of idleness or depreciation of industry is here expressed or implied. What the Psalmist rebukes is the anxious spirit of those who toil restlessly as though they could ensure success by their own efforts, forgetting that God’s blessing is needed to prosper those efforts, and that He is ever ready to give that blessing to those who trust Him. It is the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 6:25-34. Cp. 1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 33:16 ff; Psalm 60:11 ff; Psalm 147:10-11; Proverbs 21:31 : and in particular Proverbs 10:22, “The blessing of Jehovah, it maketh rich, and He addeth no toil therewith.”

3. Lo, sons axe an inheritance from Jehovah;

The fruit of the womb is a reward.

As He bestowed upon Israel the possession of Canaan (Exodus 15:17; Deuteronomy 4:21), not as an hereditary right, but of His own free-will, in accordance with His promise, so of His free gift and grace does He bestow the blessing of numerous children. The P.B.V. well expresses the sense, “Lo, children and the fruit of the womb are an heritage and gift that cometh of the Lord.” If the thought of recompence is included at all in ‘reward,’ it is, in accordance with the spirit of Psalm 127:1-2, as a recompence for the fear of God (cp. 128) that children are given, not, as the Targum glosses, introducing the later Jewish doctrine of merit, as a reward for good works.

the fruit of the womb] A more general expression including daughters. Cp. Psalm 132:11; Genesis 30:2; Deuteronomy 7:13.

3–5. All blessings are God’s gift, but especially the blessing of a numerous family. In dilating upon its advantages the Psalmist passes away from the primary theme of the Psalm.

4. children of the youth] The sons of youth; sons born while their parents are young and vigorous (Genesis 49:3; contrast ‘the son of his old age,’ Genesis 37:3), not only as being themselves more vigorous, but because they grow up in time to be the defence and succour of their parents’ old age. The figure of the arrows in the hand of the warrior was a natural one when the restoration of the state had to be carried on in face of opposition from within and from without.

5. his quiver] The figure of the preceding verse is continued.

they] i.e. the fathers of such numerous families.

but they shall speak &c.] Rather, when they speak with enemies in the gate. The open space by the city gate was the place where justice was administered and the citizens met for business or social intercourse (Deuteronomy 21:19; Psalm 69:12). ‘Speak’ may be used in the technical sense of ‘pleading a cause’ (Joshua 20:4), or in a general sense; and the meaning will be that a man with a stalwart family to support him runs no risk of being wronged by powerful enemies through the maladministration of justice, as was too commonly the case (Job 5:4, and the prophets passim): or that in ordinary business and intercourse he will meet with respect as a man of influence and consideration. This explanation is preferable to that which supposes the reference to be to war. In that case ‘speak’ must denote the ‘parley’ which might take place before the assault on a town. When the enemy demands the surrender of the town, it may boldly defy its assailants if it is well manned by a numerous population.

Professor Bevan suggests that the allusion may be to ‘boasting-matches’ like the Mufâchara of the Arabs. Before a battle the champion of the tribe would step in front of the ranks, and proclaim to the enemy the nobility and prowess of his tribe. Even in times of peace it was a common occurrence in Arab society for poets to engage in such rivalries, and sometimes they led to fierce and bloody tribal feuds. In such contests the strength of a family would naturally form an important element. See Goldziher, Muhammedanische Studien, 1. 54 ff.