Thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands; thy labour shall not be vain and fruitless, and the fruit of thy labours shall not be taken away from thee, and possessed by others, as God threatened to the disobedient, Deuteronomy 28:0, but enjoyed by thyself with comfort and satisfaction. Well with thee, both in this world and in the world to come, as even the Chaldee paraphrast explains these words. read more
INTRODUCTIONThis, like the former, is a Psalm for families. In that, we were taught that the prosperity of our families depends upon the blessing of God: in this, we are taught that the only way to obtain that blessing which will make our families comfortable, is to live in the fear of God, and in obedience to Him. It is thought by many to have been sung at the marriages of the Israelites, as it is a part of the matrimonial service used in modern times.THE BLESSEDNESS OF THE GOOD(Psalms... read more
Psalms 128:1-6 Continuing to deal with the family and all, the next psalm.Blessed is every one that feareth [or reverences] the LORD; and walks in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labor of your hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee ( Psalms 128:1-2 ).Who is that? The man who reverences the Lord and walks in the ways of the Lord. You'll eat the fruit of your own labor. You'll be happy. It will be well with you.Your wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of your house:... read more
REFLECTIONS. We have here another family psalm. It compresses all the blessings of the Hebrew covenant into a short compass. (1) We have the character: he fears the Lord. He is in every view a truly religious man. (2) He shall be blessed in his affairs. His lands, his cattle, his commerce, shall prosper under God’s peculiar care. (3) He shall be blessed with children, and ten thousand gifts in a virtuous wife. (4) His children shall be blessed with health, and shall flourish like olive... read more
Psalms 128:1-6Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord.The blessed tendency of true pietyThe subject is the blessed tendency of true piety, and the truly pious man is described as one that “feareth the Lord” and “walketh in His ways.”I. Its tendency is to make business prosperous (verse 2). This stands in splendid contrast to the terrible threat which Moses addressed to the Israelites of old, should they break God’s law (Exodus 25:35; Deuteronomy 18:40).II. Its tendency is to make the family... read more
Psalms 128:2-3For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands.Piety the charm of the poor man’s homeHere are three things which are essential materials to make a good home.I. A godly and industrious father. He is blessed--1. In himself.2. In his business.3. In his family.4. In his Church.5. In his country.II. A godly, home-keeping mother. Here are two features of a Christian wife: what she is--“a fruitful vine”; and where she is--“by the side of her house.” As the fruitful vine afforded shade as... read more
Psa 128:2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy [shalt] thou [be], and [it shall be] well with thee. Ver. 2. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands ] That is, thou shalt reap and receive the sweet of thy sweat, whether it be of the brow or of the brain, according to the kind of thy calling. And although thou be forced to live by the labour of thine hands (whence man’s life is called the life of his hands, Isa 57:10 ), yet that shall be no hindrance to thy happiness, but a... read more
thou shalt eat: Genesis 3:19, Deuteronomy 28:4, Deuteronomy 28:11, Deuteronomy 28:39, Deuteronomy 28:51, Judges 6:3-Joshua :, Ecclesiastes 5:18, Ecclesiastes 5:19, Isaiah 62:8, Isaiah 65:13, Isaiah 65:21-: and it shall: Ecclesiastes 8:12, Isaiah 3:10, Jeremiah 22:15, 1 Corinthians 15:58, Ephesians 6:3 Reciprocal: Genesis 2:15 - put Deuteronomy 12:7 - ye shall Judges 19:16 - his work Ruth 3:1 - may be Nehemiah 5:2 - our sons Psalms 1:3 - whatsoever Proverbs 12:11 - tilleth Proverbs 13:11 - he... read more
2. Thou shall eat Literally, Thou shalt surely eat the labour of thy hands. The clause is strongly asseverating. This is the true dignity of man to support himself by his own labour; and this is the faithfulness of God to his children, to assure the rewards of their labour to them. It is “the promise of the life that now is,” 1 Timothy 4:8; opposed to the threatening of Deuteronomy 28:33; Leviticus 26:16 read more
Get Bible verse every day in your inbox
Read on Mobile
Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 128:1-6
CXXVIII. The Blessing of a Pious Home. Psalms 128:2 a. i.e. without being robbed by the oppressor. This shows how low peasant life in Israel has sunk. Psalms 128:3 . Observe the seclusion of women.— olive plants are a type of fruitfulness. As the parent tree decays, new plants sprout from the roots. They are also an image of beauty and freshness. read more