A song of ascents. Of Solomon.

1 Unless the Lord builds the house,

    the builders labor in vain.

Unless the Lord watches over the city,

    the guards stand watch in vain.

2 In vain you rise early

    and stay up late,

toiling for food to eat—

    for he grants sleep to those he loves.

3 Children are a heritage from the Lord,

    offspring a reward from him.

4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior

    are children born in one’s youth.

5 Blessed is the man

    whose quiver is full of them.

They will not be put to shame

    when they contend with their opponents in court.

Footnotes

1. Psalm 127:2 Or eat— / for while they sleep he provides for

Psalm 127 lies within the 5th section of the Book of Psalms, most of which are songs set to music. We see this clearly from the heading ‘A song of ascents.’ Quite atypical of a Psalm, 127 is credited to Solomon. After reviewing the organization and content, 127 reads like excerpts from the other works of Solomon. Verses 1-2 sound like Ecclesiastes, focusing on God’s (here using the name Yahweh translated as LORD) ultimate authority and power over the concerns and efforts of mankind and the vanity of one’s toil for control over his own life. Verses 3-5 remind the reader of the idealized reality presented in Proverbs, focusing on the blessings of God to those who are righteous.

Verse 1:

Solomon is pointing out here the natural human inclination to seek security. In a healthy setting, one’s house or home is seen as a refuge and safe place in the midst of the chaos of everyday life. Similarly, in the ancient world, city walls were the only thing that kept out a determined enemy. These things can be a method of security, but Solomon reminds the reader that God is the ultimate source of our security. When humans rely on their own efforts, failure is guaranteed; when God sets a plan in motion, his victory is certain.

Verse 2:

         Humans were commanded to work from their creation. God entrusted Adam and Eve to tend to his creation, to work and take care of the Garden of Eden. A consequence of the Fall is that the ground has been cursed, and man must toil for food to eat; Solomon nearly steals the words directly from Genesis 3:17. Work is not what Solomon takes issue with here: it is mankind’s temptation to incessantly and foolishly seek control through effort. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 6 that humans have no power to change their lives by worrying. Solomon affirms this with the last line.

Verse 3:

         Children, especially viewed through the lens of the ancient world, are seen as evidence of God’s blessing and reward to the righteous. This holds some merit, but an absence of children does not necessarily denote unrighteousness or a curse from God. In the Bible, we often see God using couples struggling with infertility. In Genesis 15 for example, Abraham believed God’s promise that he would be the father of a great nation, “and [God] credited it to him as righteousness”. Abraham still had to wait until he was ninety-nine years old for the son God would give.

Verses 4-5:

To the warrior, his arrows are his most cherished possessions. He must put time and effort into their care and maintenance, or he will be ineffective when the battle begins. Raising children is similar: Though it requires much sacrifice and hard work on the part of parents, children are to be viewed as the valuable gifts they are. They should be shaped, sharpened, and tuned until it is time for them to be sent out, like arrows. Jesus affirms the importance and value of children in Matthew 18. The phrase translated “when they contend with their opponents in court” could also be translated as meeting an enemy at the city gate for battle, furthering the arrow imagery.

Personal Reflection:

         Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are two of my favorite books of the Bible. The ideal mode of existence presented in Proverbs (the way things should be) contrasts beautifully with the harsh reality of the Fall portrayed in Ecclesiastes (the way things are). One does not nullify the other, but both ultimately work together to encourage the reader to live lives of wisdom, contentment, and trust in the Lord for justice and our daily and eternal security. These sentiments are echoed in the first half of Psalm 127.

I suffer bouts of anxiety and sleeplessness. I often fail to feel the truth in the last line of Verse 5. If God grants sleep to those he loves, why do I sometimes struggle to sleep and rest? This is especially hard to deal with when multiple nights in a row, sleep doesn't come even though I am mentally and physically tired. Solomon reminds me with this Psalm that ultimately I have no control over my security and daily provision. I must relinquish my desire for control over them and trust in God to actually do what he promises: never leave me nor forsake me. Even still, I maintain a God-given responsibility to work and do my part to act in conjunction with faith.

Some of my favorite language of the apostle Paul is his teachings to the churches in Rome and Galatia. In both he reminds them of the Christians’ adoption to sonship through Christ; that He is the firstborn of the Father, but we have become His siblings and co-heirs of His reward. This especially registers with me since I am the adopted son to a father and am a witness to the amount of love a good father can provide. I also really appreciate the extremely positive view that Solomon puts on children. He seems to suggest in his arrow analogy that one can’t have enough kids. It seems that a commonly held contemporary American view of children is that they drain time and resources. Children require investment and sacrifice, but ultimately they are a gift and must be treated and viewed as such. I say that now as a man with no kids! Whether through biological or adoptive means, my wife and I are confident that parenthood is a calling upon our lives, and we look forward to receiving the gift of children in whatever way God chooses.

by Brandon Williams