Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 127 – Psalm 128
PSALM CXXVII.
The Title. A Song of degrees, &c.] See the Note on the Title Pſal. 120. for Solomon, or, of Solomon, as it is in the margin of our Bibles. And indeed becauſe this pſalm treats concerning the well ordering of private families & publick ſtates, in the knowledge whereof Solomon through the grace of God did eſpecially excell, & becauſe that which is here delivered is in effect much the ſame with that which is declared in the book of Eccleſiaſtes, it may ſeem very probable that Solomon was the authour of this Pſalm; ſee the Title Pſal. 72.
Verſ. 1. Except the Lord build the houſe, they labour in vain that build it, &c.] For this phraſe of building the houſe, ſee the Notes Exod. 1.21. & 2 Sam. 7.11: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. The meaning of both clauſes is, that no care or labour of men can avail to the encreaſe & welfare of private families; & that no watchfulneſſe or endeavours of magiſtrates and others ſubordinate to them, can be ſucceſſefull for the preſervation & proſpering of publick ſtates, except the Lord give a bleſſing thereunto. And it is not improbable which ſome conceive, namely, that this Pſalm was compoſed to be uſed at the dedication of their new-built houſes: for which ſee the Notes Deut. 20.5, & on the Title of the 30. Pſalm.
Verſ. 2. It is vain for you to riſe up early, to ſit up late.] This may be underſtood as ſpoken to them which watch & ward for the preſervation of a city, or to magiſtrates that uſe to wake when others ſleep, in conſulting about the welfare of the commonwealth, according to what is ſaid in the foregoing verſe; or rather of thoſe that toil and moil themſelves in private families, for the advancing of their private eſtates, as appears by the following words, to eat the bread of ſorrows, that is, courſe homely meat, (as Dan. 10.3. that which we tranſlate there pleaſant bread, is in the Original, bread of deſires) or rather, bread gotten with much labour and ſorrow, & eaten with much grief & vexation, whilſt men out of a covetous humour do even grudge themſelves the very bread they put into their mouths. As for the following words, for ſo he gives his beloved ſleep, that hath reference to what he had ſaid concerning the providence of God, that without that all endeavours of men were in vain: for, ſaith he, ſo he gives his beloved ſleep; that is, through Gods provident care over his beloved, & their repoſing themſelves quietly thereon, they can ſeaſonably ſleep in peace, and fare better then thoſe that wear out themſelves with carking cares. And probable it is that in thoſe words, his beloved, Solomon might allude to that other name of Iedidiah, which God had given him, that is, beloved of the Lord, 2 Sam. 12.25.
Verſ. 3. Loe, children are an heritage of the Lord, &c.] This is added, becauſe by children a mans houſe is built, according to the phraſe of the Scripture; ſo to make good what was ſaid before verſ. 1. Except the Lord build the houſe, they labour in vain that build it: ſee the Note there.
Verſ. 4. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, ſo are children of the youth.] That is, children in their youth, or children begotten in the youth of their parents, as Joſeph, becauſe he was begotten by his father when he was old, is called the ſon of his old age, Gen. 37.3. and a husband married to a maid in her youth is called Joel 1.8. the husband of her youth. Now theſe are ſaid to be, to wit, when they are bleſſed of God, as arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, to imply 1. that they are alwaies ready at hand to goe whetherſoever their father will ſend them, & to doe whatſoever he will enjoyn them; 2. that they are healthfull, ſtrong, of generous diſpoſitions, vertuous, & active, fit for any ſervice he ſhall imploy them in, and able to effect the greateſt exploits; and 3. eſpecially that they are a defence to their father againſt all wrongs whatſoever, and a terrour to his enemies. And this is ſaid here of children of the youth, that is, (according to the moſt received of the Expoſitions before mentioned) children begotten by the father in his youth, either becauſe ſuch are uſually moſt ſtrong and vigorous, and are alſo often beſt qualified in other regards, by means that their father lives to ſee that they be well educated; or elſe becauſe parents ſeldome live to have any comfort or ſervice from children that are born to them in their old age.
Verſ. 5. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them, &c.] That is, his houſe; or, that hath many ſuch children: they shall not be ashamed; that is, all that are parents of ſuch children ſhall not need to be aſhamed, as thoſe parents muſt needs be that are uſually reproached with the wickedneſſe of their children; or, they, that is, ſuch children, shall not be ashamed, to wit, becauſe being vertuous & good, they ſhall be able therefore to give an account of their lives, & to ſtop the mouths of falſe accuſers; or, (joyning both together) ſuch a father & his children ſhall not be aſhamed, & why? the reaſon is implyed in the following words, but they shall ſpeak with the enemies in the gate: that is, they ſhall plead their fathers cauſe before the tribunal of the magiſtrate, & defend him from the wrongs & oppreſſions of his enemies; or, they ſhall be able to oppoſe any enemies that ſhall aſſault the city: & indeed ſome read this laſt clauſe thus, they shall ſubdue (or deſtroy) the enemies in the gate. See the Note Gen. 22.17.
PSALM CXXVIII.
Verſ. 1. BLeſſed is every one that feareth the Lord, &c.] This Pſalm ſome conceive to have been compoſed for the uſe of the Jews at their marriages.
Verſ. 2. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands, &c.] Many bleſſings are implyed in this: as 1. that God ſhould proſper the labours of ſuch a man, that he ſhould reap the fruit of his labours; 2. that what he gets ſhould be preſerved to him for his uſe; 3. that by this means he ſhould be able to live of his own, and neither depend upon the bounty of others, nor be chargeable to others; 4. that this eſtate of his own whereon he lived ſhould not be gotten by any unjuſt means, but by his honeſt labours, which is of all the moſt comfortable; 5. that he ſhould live contentedly though he had no more then what he earned with his daily labours; & 6. that God ſhould give him a heart to enjoy with comfort what he hath gotten.
Verſ. 3. Thy wife shall be as a fruitfull vine by the ſides of thine houſe, &c.] That is, ſhe ſhall bear thee many children, & ſhall be an ornament to thy family, and the continuall delight of thine eyes, and gladneſſe of thy heart. This I conceive is chiefly intended here in theſe words. Yet withall obſervable it is how fitly a wife is compared to a vine by the ſides of the houſe, both becauſe it is the praiſe of the wife to be much at home in the houſe, & there her buſineſſe continually lyes; & becauſe as the vine, being a weak plant, cannot grow up by it ſelf, but as it is by ſome means born up & ſupported, ſo doth the wife, by reaſon of the weakneſſe of her ſex, ſtand in continuall need of being upheld and born up by the care of her husband. And ſo for the next clauſe, thy children like olive plants round about thy table, as it implyes the bleſſing of many children; ſo alſo that the children he had ſhould be healthfull, fair, freſh & flouriſhing, (ſee the Note Pſal. 52.8.) hopefully ſprouting, & growing up continually, ſo that their father ſhould delight to look upon them, & to have them with him; as likewiſe that they ſhould be well qualified & vertuous, & ſuch as in time ſhould yield the ſweet fruit of much comfort & benefit to their parents: to which ſome adde too, becauſe olive branches were uſed as emblems of peace, that they ſhould be the means of keeping peace between their parents.
Verſ. 5. The Lord shall bleſſe thee out of Zion, &c.] See the Note Pſal. 20.2. Theſe words out of Zion are added, to put them in mind of the Covenant which God had made with them: ſo that it is as if he had ſaid, Our God that dwelleth in Zion ſhall from thence heare the prayers which there thou offereſt up unto him, and ſhall bleſſe thee with all the bleſſings of his people, according to his covenant, and the promiſes he hath made to us: & thou shalt ſee the good of Ieruſalem all the daies of thy life, meaning that he ſhould delight to ſee the flouriſhing eſtate of Gods Church, & that he ſhould have a ſhare in her bleſſings.