Psalms 128 (NET)

Psalm 1281

128

1 A song of ascents.2

How blessed is every one of the Lord’s loyal followers,3

each one who keeps his commands!4

2 You5 will eat what you worked so hard to grow.6

You will be blessed and secure.7

3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine8

in the inner rooms of your house;

your children9 will be like olive branches,

as they sit all around your table.

4 Yes indeed, the man who fears the Lord

will be blessed in this way.10

5 May the Lord bless you11 from Zion,

that you might see12 Jerusalem13 prosper

all the days of your life,

6 and that you might see14 your grandchildren.15

May Israel experience peace!16

1sn Psalm 128. The psalmist observes that the godly individual has genuine happiness because the Lord rewards such a person with prosperity and numerous children. 2sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21. 3tn Heb “every fearer of the Lord.” 4tn Heb “the one who walks in his ways.” 5tn The psalmist addresses the representative God-fearing man, as indicated by the references to “your wife” (v. 3) and “the man” (v. 4), as well as the second masculine singular pronominal and verbal forms in vv. 2-6. 6tn Heb “the work of your hands, indeed you will eat.” 7tn Heb “how blessed you [will be] and it will be good for you.” 8sn The metaphor of the fruitful vine pictures the wife as fertile; she will give her husband numerous children (see the next line). 9tn One could translate “sons” (see Ps 127:3 and the note on the word “sons” there), but here the term seems to refer more generally to children of both genders. 10tn Heb “look, indeed thus will the man, the fearer of the Lord, be blessed.” 11tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive of prayer (note the imperatives that are subordinated to this clause in vv. 5b-6a). Having described the blessings that typically come to the godly, the psalmist concludes by praying that this ideal may become reality for the representative godly man being addressed. 12tn The imperative with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding jussive. 13map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4. 14tn The imperative with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the jussive in v. 5a. 15tn Heb “sons to your sons.” 16tn Heb “peace [be] upon Israel.” The statement is understood as a prayer (see Ps 125:5).