Psalm 128:4

The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 128:4

The present blessings of the pious. Dr. Binney, in his day, made some commotion by his book on 'Making the Best of Both Worlds.' And yet he did but write in the line of all Old Testament teaching; in accordance with the teaching of our Divine Lord, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you;" and after the firm declaration of St. Paul, "Godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 128:4

Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed ... - As if he had said, “Look upon this picture. See the farmer cultivating his fields; see him gathering in the grain; see him at his own table calmly, quietly, and gratefully enjoying the fruit of his toil. Look upon that picture of a happy family - numerous, cheerful, beloved - giving promise of upholding the name of the family in future years - and see all this as coming from the Lord - and you have an illustration of the blessedness which follows... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Psalms 128:1-6

Psalms 125-128 Lessons from JerusalemAs the worshippers journey towards Jerusalem, they recall some of the varied experiences that the city has passed through. They see these as typical of the experiences of God’s people as a whole. Believers are like Jerusalem in that they are completely secure and fully protected (125:1-2). Although Jerusalem sometimes came under the rule of its enemies, God never allowed these enemies to control it for long, in case God’s people lost their devotion to him... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Psalms 128:4

Behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6 . man = a strong man (plural) Hebrew. geber. App-14 . blessed. Not the same word as in Psalms 128:1 . That is happy ( Beatitudo ); this is blessed ( Benedictio ). read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Psalms 128:1-6

Psalms 128In this wisdom ascent psalm, the writer rejoiced in the Lord’s blessings. He reviewed previously received blessings and then prayed for greater blessings (cf. Numbers 6:24-26)."In one form or another, the word ’bless’ is used four times, but it is the translation of two different Hebrew words. In Psalms 128:1-2, it is the word asher which is often translated ’happy’ (Genesis 30:12-13), and in Psalms 128:4-5, it is barak, which means ’blessed of the Lord.’" [Note: Ibid., p. 348.] read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Psalms 128:2-4

2. Some specific blessings 128:2-4The work of the person who fears and obeys God will be productive. It will yield joy and well-being to him (Psalms 128:2; cf. Psalms 127:1-2). Such a man’s wife will also be fruitful. Vines were everywhere in Israel, and grape production was one of its chief industries. The implication of this statement is that the wife would bear children. Likewise, the children of the godly would make beneficial contributions symbolized by olives, another one of the most... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 128:1-6

The man who fears God will be blessed in his family life. The Ps. has been called the ’Home, Sweet Home ’of Judaism.3. By the sides of thine house] RV ’in the innermost parts of thine house,’ i.e. in the women’s apartment. Olive plants] a precious tree in Palestine. 5. ’May the Lord bless thee out of Zion,’ i.e. from His dwelling-place.6. The Psalmist closes with a note of patriotism: RV ’Peace be upon Israel.’ read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Psalms 128:4

(4) Behold, that.—Better, Look! for thus, &c. The poet calls attention to the charming picture he has drawn of domestic bliss and then points his moral. read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Dictionary of Texts - Psalms 128:1-6

The Reward of the God-fearing Psalms 128:4 I. Questions of a Future Life. It is an interesting and curious problem to explain the absence or dimness of the belief in a future life among the Jews for so many centuries, especially when we consider the great place which the doctrines of the immortalities of the soul and of reward and punishment after death held in the religion of Egypt. A long life, a prosperous life was all that they looked for. In the earlier stages of Jewish thought the... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Bible Commentary - Psalms 128:1-6

Psalms 128:1-6THE preceding psalm traced all prosperity and domestic felicity to God’s giving hand. It painted in its close the picture of a father surrounded by his sons able to defend him. This psalm presents the same blessings as the result of a devout life, in which the fear of Jehovah leads to obedience and diligence in labour. It presents the inner side of domestic happiness. It thus doubly supplements the former, lest any should think that God’s gift superseded man’s work, or that the... read more

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