Psalms — Chapter 127

Loading ESV text...

1A song of ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain; unless the LORD protects the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain.

2In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for bread to eat—for He gives sleep to His beloved.

3Children are indeed a heritage from the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is His reward.

4Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are children born in one’s youth.

5Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. He will not be put to shame when he confronts the enemies at the gate.

1Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

2It 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.

3Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

4As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

5Happy 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.

1Except Jehovah build the house, They labor in vain that build it: Except Jehovah keep the city, The watchman waketh but in vain.

2It is vain for you to rise up early, To take rest late, To eat the bread of toil; [For] so he giveth unto his beloved sleep.

3Lo, children are a heritage of Jehovah; [And] the fruit of the womb is [his] reward.

4As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, So are the children of youth.

5Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: They shall not be put to shame, When they speak with their enemies in the gate. Psalm 128 A Song of Ascents.

1A song of ascents; by Solomon. If the Lord does not build a house, then those who build it work in vain. If the Lord does not guard a city, then the watchman stands guard in vain.

2It is vain for you to rise early, come home late, and work so hard for your food. Yes, he provides for those whom he loves even when they sleep.

3Yes, sons are a gift from the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward.

4Sons born during one’s youth are like arrows in a warrior’s hand.

5How blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them. They will not be put to shame when they confront enemies at the city gate.

1Unless Yahweh builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. Unless Yahweh watches over the city, the watchman guards it in vain.

2It is vain for you to rise up early, to stay up late, eating the bread of toil; for he gives sleep to his loved ones.

3Behold, children are a heritage of Yahweh. The fruit of the womb is his reward.

4As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are the children of youth.

5Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. They won’t be disappointed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

This Song of Ascents, attributed to Solomon, warns that without the LORD's blessing, building a house or guarding a city is pointless labor, even for those who rise early and stay up late in anxious toil — for God gives rest to those he loves (vv. 1-2). It then calls children a heritage and reward from the LORD, like arrows in a warrior's hand, and pronounces the man blessed whose household is full of them (vv. 3-5).

Authorship & Background

Author: Multiple authors — primarily David (73 psalms attributed), plus Asaph (12), Sons of Korah (11), Solomon (2), Moses (1), Heman (1), Ethan (1), and anonymous. The Psalter was compiled over approximately 1000 years and served as Israel's hymnal and prayer book. The book is divided into five 'books' (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150), paralleling the five books of Moses.
Classification: Song of Ascents / Wisdom Psalm
Attributed Author: Solomon (superscription: "A Song of degrees for Solomon")
Key Themes: The futility of human effort without God, trust vs. anxiety, children as God's blessing, the family as divine gift, rest in God's sovereignty
Historical Context: Psalm 127 is one of only two psalms attributed to Solomon in the Songs of Ascents (the other being possibly 72, which is in Book II). As the builder of the temple, Solomon is uniquely qualified to declare that building without God is useless. The irony is powerful: the greatest builder in Israel's history says, "Unless the LORD builds the house, you labor in vain." The psalm has two halves: vv.1-2 address anxious self-reliance in work/security; vv.3-5 address the blessing of children. Both halves make the same point: what matters most comes from God, not from human striving. This psalm directly challenges the workaholic, the anxious, and the self-made person.
Except the LORD Build the House (v.1): 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. The superscription reads for Solomon, and the Hebrew preposition can mean of, for or about him, which matters because the two examples are a house and a city and Solomon built both. The verse does not say the labour is unnecessary. It says it is decisive only if God is in it, which is a narrower claim and a harder one.
So He Giveth His Beloved Sleep (v.2): 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. The three phrases describe overwork exactly: the early start, the late finish, and food eaten anxiously. The last clause can be read as KJV has it, or as giving to his beloved in sleep, which is how several older versions took it and which sharpens the contrast with the sleepless work just described. Either way what is offered is rest rather than a better method.
Children Are an Heritage of the LORD (vv.3-5): Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. The psalm moves from a house that has to be built to a household that is given, and the word heritage is inheritance language, used of land. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. The image is practical rather than sentimental: a large family meant support in a dispute, which the last line spells out, they shall speak with the enemies in the gate, the gate being where legal cases were heard.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Verse-by-verse commentary on this chapter, written for the everyday reader and freely available online.
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

Psalms 125-129 | God's Righteous Kingdom | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Psalm 127 - God’s Work in Building Houses, Cities, and Families
David Guzik

Articles

  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of Psalms -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • Building Without God Is Empty Effort (v.1) — Solomon, the greatest builder in Israel's history, admits that without the Lord building the house or guarding the city, the labor is wasted. Where are you working hard on something without first inviting God into it?
  • Rest as an Act of Trust (v.2) — Anxious overwork that eats "the bread of sorrows" is contrasted with the rest God gives to those he loves. Is your inability to slow down actually a sign of unbelief rather than diligence?
  • Children as a Gift, Not a Burden (vv.3-4) — Children are described as a heritage and reward from the Lord, like arrows placed in a warrior's hand. Do you view the children in your life as an inconvenience to manage or a gift entrusted to you?
  • The Blessing of a Full Quiver (v.5) — The psalm calls the man blessed whose quiver is full of them, secure and unashamed even in confrontation. What would it look like to see your family responsibilities as strength rather than a drain?