INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 127
Psalm 127 is a short psalm about dependence upon God in everyday life. As the eighth of the fifteen psalms identified as Songs of Degrees (or Ascents) in their superscriptions it occupies the central position in that group. It is thought that the Songs of Degrees (Psalms 120-134) were sung by Israelites as they journeyed up to Jerusalem to celebrate the annual religious festivals, for example; Passover, Weeks and Tabernacles.
It is also one of only two psalms (see also Psalm 72) attributed to Solomon. The psalm seems to consist of several linked folk sayings; about work and about family. It is categorised as a wisdom psalm, one of three in the Songs of Degrees (see also 128 and 133), and it includes meditation and instruction but does not address the Lord directly.
SUPERSCRIPTION OF PSALM 127
A Song of degrees for Solomon. KJV
The title reads ‘a Song of Degrees, of Solomon.’ This can mean either ‘for’ or ‘by’ Solomon. The general consensus is that he was the author. Solomon succeeded his father David as King of Israel around 970 BCE and, according to 1 Kings 11:42, ruled for 40 years. Some see a particular reference to Solomon in the description his beloved in v.2 as Solomon was given the name Jedidiah, meaning ‘beloved of the Lord’ (2 Sam 12:25).
STRUCTURE OF PSALM 127
1-2 THE HOUSE – ADMONITIONS
3-5 THE CHILDREN – DECLARATIONS
EXPLANATION OF PSALM 127
1-2 THE HOUSE
Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
These verses contain three proverbs about three activities that are futile unless the Lord is involved: house building. guarding a city and anxious toil. Note the threefold repetition of the word ‘vain.’
In verse 1 the first two sayings are parallel (staircase parallelism):
If the Lord does not – build a house – uselessly – the builders have laboured.
If the Lord does not – keep watch over a city – uselessly – the keeping watch ones have watched.
The word ‘house’ has a wide range of meanings. It can be taken as meaning house (a dwelling), household, family, dynasty, temple, community or society (e.g. house of Israel). In its immediate context it possibly refers either to the Temple (towards which the pilgrims were travelling) or to a household (this would naturally connect with the second part of the psalm which speaks about family life and the gift of children).
The word ‘city’ would therefore refer either to Jerusalem (to which the pilgrims were journeying) or to a wider community made up of households in one location – which requires safety.
The psalmist does not dismiss or minimise the need for building and guarding as these are necessary tasks. People should not stop building or protecting others. Rather, he says that these things, by themselves, do not guarantee survival and recommends that human beings include and trust the Lord in all their daily activities; acknowledging their dependence on him. God is the ultimate source of security rather than their own effort.
In verse 2 the third admonition is against anxious toil. The image is that of a workaholic toiling from early morning to late at night, eating ‘bread’ earned by anxious and exhausting work. Again, the psalmist is not denigrating work but questioning whether it alone can bring security. Anxious striving smacks of self-reliance that excludes the Lord. It is useless (‘vain’) for human beings to become trapped in a cycle of painful and anxious toil because the Lord gives restorative rest (‘sleep’) at the end of a day’s hard labour (Eccles 5:12). We can peacefully entrust our work to him while we rest.
In the New Testament the Lord Jesus addressed this topic of anxious fretting – see Matt 6:25-31 and Luke 12:22-31 and in his first epistle the apostle Peter wrote the memorable line: Casting all your care upon him [God]; for he careth for you. 1 Peter 5:7
3-5 THE SONS
(3) Lo, children are a heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
Following on from the idea of ‘house’ the psalmist begins a new stanza with an emphatic Behold! (‘Lo!’) and moves our attention on to the subject of family. He declares that sons are an inheritance of the Lord – they are not things that can be manufactured or guaranteed by human planning and effort but come as a blessing from YHWH. In English translations ‘sons’ is usually translated generically as ‘children’ – but that translation does not reflect the patriarchal social world of the psalm.
The fruit of the womb is a reward (wages) – notice that the mother is only acknowledged indirectly in the expression ‘the fruit of the belly’ (i.e. womb) as the one who bears the sons. There is no suggestion in the use of the word ‘reward’ or ‘wages’ that a couple receive children as payment for for personal virtue or that a childless couple is not favoured by the Lord. This psalm is not to be used as a basis for judging those who do not have children, that is not its focus. The psalmist is celebrating the privilege of receiving sons from God and of being entrusted with the responsibility of caring for those who will eventually work the family land and perpetuate the family name.
(4) As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
This is a poetic image that compares the sons of one’s youth to arrows in the hands of a warrior. In the culture of that day a large family of sons born while the parents were still young would provide not only continuity but strength and support for the parents in old age. A mighty man is a strong warrior, champion or hero (cf. 2 Sam 1:21; 23:8; 2 Kings 24:16). With sons to support him the father could look forward to a secure future.
(5) 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.
‘Content or blissful is the man (i.e. the warrior) that has his quiver full of them: they (i.e. the sons of vv.3-4) will not be put to shame when they speak with the enemies in the gate’ This continues the image of a warrior with arrows and suggests that a full quiver represents a large family. As in the previous verse the main thought is of strength, support and influence. ‘The gate’ refers to the main gate of a town which was where judicial proceedings took place (Gen 19:1; Prov 22:22; 31:23; Zech 8:16). A man with a large family of sons to defend and speak up for him would be treated with respect. His sons would ‘not be ashamed’ i.e. speak their minds freely to those opposing their father.
SUMMATION
Psalm 127 begins with words of advice that building a ‘house,’ protecting a community and working obsessively cannot by themselves bring about lasting security; without the Lord these efforts are empty. It goes on to depict rest as a gift from God and children as blessings (building projects!) entrusted to their parents by God.
The second part of the psalm continues the idea of security but looks at it from the perspective of an Ancient Near Eastern male head of household. Reflecting the patriarchal social setting of his time the psalmist sees ‘sons’ as a father’s ‘heritage’ in v.3 and in vv.4-5 focuses on 1) sons as arrows, 2) the father as a mighty warrior with quiver and arrows and 3) sons as defence against enemies in the public sphere. In his view a large family of sons will provide social standing, defence and support in later life and family continuity.
The central lesson for us today is that we should work and raise our family responsibly without imagining that every outcome depends entirely on us. Instead, just as Jesus told us in Matthew 6 and Luke 12, we can entrust our work, rest, family and community to God; realising that these are gifts from him and not measures of personal achievement. This psalm emphasises the contrast between the vanity of human efforts made without the Lord and the fruitfulness and security that come from dependence upon him; for he is the source of all our blessings.
