Psalms 127

Unless the Lord builds the house

nless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.a 2It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.b 3Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.c

4Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.d 5How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.

Commentary
Psalm 127 is a wisdom psalm attributed to Solomon that confronts the futility of human effort apart from divine blessing. It opens with the famous image of building a house and watching a city — work that is meaningless unless the Lord is its foundation. The psalm then pivots to the
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Bible Dictionary· Psalms 127(1)

References· Psalms 127

New Living Translation (NLT) © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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