Psalm 127

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.

1 Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.

In Hebrew the first line is literally, “If YHWH doesn’t build the house, in vain they labor who build it. If YHWH doesn’t watch the city, in vain stays awake the watchmen.” Solomon places the accent on YHWH, where it should be, placing his name first in each line, even though standard Hebrew word order is verb-subject-object (VSO). The second half of each line has the standard VSO word order. The syntax reinforces the meaning: YHWH must be central or all that we do is in vain. Building a house probably says more about raising a family than putting together a structure given what is said about children in verse 3-5. And watching over the city is ultimately talking about social structures, larger units of society. The family is the smallest and most powerful unit of culture, the building block on which a city (society) rests. Solid families form the foundation and walls of a healthy community. The psalmist asserts that in order for these families and communities to be well built they must involve YHWH as the master builder. We labor with him for sure, but it is according to his plan and by his grace. This seems to be man’s problem from the beginning -- asserting his own authority over that of God’s, always to disastrous results. We live in the silliest of times. The ideas of family, marriage, sexuality, identity are all quite nebulous according to our wise elites. You can be whatever you want and arrange your family any way you want. Expressive individualism is the rule of the day and the consequences to children are secondary if anything at all. This effort to remake the family and society is based on the assumed right of an individual to pursue their vision of happiness, and that is not conducive to building healthy, long-term family structures. This is where the church must speak and model YHWH’s plan for family and society. We must be a bulwark against these ideas, trusting that the master architect and builder of the family and society knows best. We have reality and history on our side to prove our case. 

2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.

Continuing with the key word “in vain”, Solomon states that it is meaningless to rise up early, sit up late and eat the bread of painful sorrows. The verse seems to be describing what we might call today a workaholic, someone who’s meaning, existence, and identity are wrapped up in their work. On the one hand we admire the dedication, discipline and drive of such individuals. They appear to be the most successful among us, accumulating wealth through hard work. But we know that inwardly all is not well. Such a lifestyle is unhealthy physically, socially, and does particular damage to the family, the raising of children is compromised. This is not the ideal way to live. We were made to rest, and so the LORD gives his beloved sleep. Meaning and significance in life is not found in building things, building societies or in work in general. As the following verses tell us, it is found in our families. They are our heritage and reward, our strength and our shelter. Work is a good thing. God works and he has commanded us to work. But remember God rested after his work (Genesis 2:1-4), not because he needed to but to show us that we do. God has designed us to rest. Our bodies need it and are healthier for it. Embrace sleep as God’s gift to his beloved. Work as well as you can, but accept rest as your reward for a job well done. Overindulging in this gift is not good either, so balance is clearly in order. The word translated “anxious toil” is the same word that is used in Genesis 3:16 for the pain that women experience in childbirth. The creation and nurturing of a family is hard, painful work at times, but the promise of God’s rest is there as well. The family is God’s gift to each of us. May we steward that gift well. 

3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.

4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children [Or sons] of one's youth.

The psalmists describe the blessings of children in these verses. The literal Hebrew is “sons”, but as in other languages, the masculine plural in Hebrew may be used to refer to both genders. First, children are a heritage from YHWH. An inheritance is something that you receive that you did not earn. It is a gift based on your identity, your belonging to a family, something over which you have not control. In other words, it is grace. Children are a gift from God, an unearned favor that we receive from him. The phrase “fruit of the womb” obviously includes daughters as well, and they are cited as a “reward”. This is the same word used for “wages” or “compensation”. They are payment for a job well done. It’s a bit ironic because in the modern world, they say that children cost about $250K each to bring to adulthood. That probably wasn’t the case in the ancient world where children performed valuable labor in the home. Still, children are a net cost initially because they can’t do anything for themselves. Their value is experienced as they grow up and become adults. Of course, the psalmist is not speaking of the monetary value of children. There are so many intangibles they bring that can’t be quantified materially. Second, children are like arrows in the hand of a warrior. The metaphor suggests that they are a weapon that can strike a great distance from us. Children grow up and leave the home and extend our influence and effect wherever they go. This is one way in which humans experience immortality -- they live on in their children. Children share our DNA and when we raise them they pick up our characteristics, habits, traits, and ways of thinking. Some in the modern world think that children are better shaped by the state via the school system, because they understand the power of influence when children are young and impressionable. Being a godly parent is one of the most powerful things you do for the sake of your children and for the sake of the world. Being a parent never ends, even after your children have flown from the quiver.  

5 Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. [Or They shall not be put to shame when they speak with their enemies in the gate]

If children are a blessing (a heritage, a reward, arrows in the hand of a warrior), then someone with a lot of children is blessed, having a full quiver of arrows at his disposal. The final reward of having children is that you will avoid shame in the community. The literal Hebrew uses the plural here, “they shall not be put to shame when they speak with their enemies in the gate”. The closest “they” is the “them” at the end of the first line. This leaves us with two interpretations. First, if “they” refers to the blessed man, then the “he” translation makes the most sense. The gate was the place of judgment, where the elders of the town met to decide issues and settle disputes. In this case, a man with many children will have many who will vouch for his character, his children will speak up for him. In fact, the very character of the children often says something about the character of the parent. His children can speak in his defense. Second, if “they” refers to the children, then it means that they won’t be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate. They will have the kind of impeccable character that their parents have and so they have nothing to be ashamed of. The family system has worked well and raised good citizens, men and women of good reputation who have nothing to be ashamed of.