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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>Psalm 127 Pulpit Commentary</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/5001com.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link media="handheld, only screen and (max-width: 4800px), only screen and (max-device-width: 4800px)" href="/4801.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" /><link media="handheld, only screen and (max-width: 1550px), only screen and (max-device-width: 1550px)" href="/1551.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" /><link media="handheld, only screen and (max-width: 1250px), only screen and (max-device-width: 1250px)" href="/1251.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" /><link media="handheld, only screen and (max-width: 1050px), only screen and (max-device-width: 1050px)" href="/1051.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" /><link media="handheld, only screen and (max-width: 900px), only screen and (max-device-width: 900px)" href="/901.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" /><link media="handheld, only screen and (max-width: 800px), only screen and (max-device-width: 800px)" href="/801.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" /><link media="handheld, only screen and (max-width: 575px), only screen and (max-device-width: 575px)" href="/501.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" /><link media="handheld, only screen and (max-height: 450px), only screen and (max-device-height: 450px)" href="/h451.css" type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /><script type="application/javascript" src="https://scripts.webcontentassessor.com/scripts/8a2459b64f9cac8122fc7f2eac4409c8555fac9383016db59c4c26e3d5b8b157"></script><script src='https://qd.admetricspro.com/js/biblehub/biblehub-layout-loader-revcatch.js'></script><script id='HyDgbd_1s' src='https://prebidads.revcatch.com/ads.js' type='text/javascript' async></script><script>(function(w,d,b,s,i){var cts=d.createElement(s);cts.async=true;cts.id='catchscript'; 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rather, <span class="accented">a house</span>; <span class="accented">i</span>.<span class="accented">e</span>. any house whatsoever. <span class="cmt_word">They labor in vain that build</span> it. They will effect nothing - no house will be built. Except the Lord keep the city; rather, a city. <span class="cmt_word">The watchman waketh but in vain</span>. Human watching is of no use unless accompanied by Divine watching. </div> <div class="versenum"><a href="/psalms/127-2.htm">Psalm 127:2</a></div><div class="verse"><i>It is</i> vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: <i>for</i> so he giveth his beloved sleep.</div><div class="comm"><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 2.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late</span> (comp. <a href="/isaiah/5-11.htm">Isaiah 5:11</a>); <span class="accented">i</span>.<span class="accented">e</span>. to be "careful and troubled" about your work in the world, whatever it is. <span class="cmt_word">To eat the bread of sorrows</span>. To feed, as it were, on sorrow - and trouble and care - to make your lives a burden to yourselves through your carefulness. <span class="cmt_word">For so he giveth his beloved sleep</span>; rather, <span class="accented">surely he giveth to his beloved in sleep</span>; <span class="accented">i</span>.<span class="accented">e</span>. in their sleep. The teaching is similar to that of <a href="/exodus/14-14.htm">Exodus 14:14</a>; <a href="/isaiah/30-7.htm">Isaiah 30:7, 15</a>; <a href="/matthew/6-25.htm">Matthew 6:25-34</a>. God gives to men that which he knows they have need of, if they have only the faith to "sit still" and "wait." </div> <div class="versenum"><a href="/psalms/127-3.htm">Psalm 127:3</a></div><div class="verse">Lo, children <i>are</i> an heritage of the LORD: <i>and</i> the fruit of the womb <i>is his</i> reward.</div><div class="comm"><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 3.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord</span>. The teaching is enforced by an example. The prosperity, alike of states and of individuals, depends on nothing so much as on an abundant progeny of children. But children are manifestly the free gift of God. <span class="cmt_word">And the fruit of the womb is his reward.</span> One of the ways in which he rewards his faithful ones (see <a href="/deuteronomy/28-10.htm">Deuteronomy 28:10</a>:11). </div> <div class="versenum"><a href="/psalms/127-4.htm">Psalm 127:4</a></div><div class="verse">As arrows <i>are</i> in the hand of a mighty man; so <i>are</i> children of the youth.</div><div class="comm"><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 4.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth</span>; rather, <span class="accented">the children of youth</span>; <span class="accented">i</span>.<span class="accented">e</span>. children born to a man in his youth. Such children protect their aged parents as effectually as arrows in the hand of a warrior. </div> <div class="versenum"><a href="/psalms/127-5.htm">Psalm 127:5</a></div><div class="verse">Happy <i>is</i> the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.</div><div class="comm"><span class="cmt_sub_title">Verse 5.</span> - <span class="cmt_word">Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them</span>. Happy the man whose quiver contains many such arrows, and who is thus sure of abundant protection. <span class="cmt_word">They shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate</span>; rather, when <span class="accented">they shall</span> speak (Hengstenberg, Kay, Cheyne, Revised Version). "The gate" was the place where judgment was given, and where consequently adversaries were apt to meet, as they pushed their respective causes. There might be collisions on such occasions; and, in any case, a man with several lusty sons to take his part would have an advantage. <span class="p"><br /><br /></span> <span class="p"><br /><br /></span> </div></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">The Pulpit Commentary, Electronic Database. 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