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Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

Psalms 127:1

House. — A house, any house, not the Temple. The thought is a general one. Even in the common labours of men, it is the Divine blessing which contributes the success. An Gottes Segen ist alles gelegen.

Waketh. — Perhaps better, watcheth. The house that has been built with such toil, the city which has been planned with such skill, may suddenly fall before the midnight attack of the robber or the enemy, in spite of the strictest police, unless God’s vigilant providence preserve it.

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See also Psalms 127:1 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    PSALM CXXVII _The necessity of God's blessing on every undertaking, without_ _which no prosperity can be expected_, 1, 2. _Children are a heritage from the Lord_, 3, 4. _A fruitful wife is a bless...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    EXCEPT THE LORD BUILD THE HOUSE - Or rather, “a house.” The word “house” may refer either to an ordinary dwelling; to the temple, as a place of worship; or to a family, with reference to its success a...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    PSALM 120-134 The Psalms of Degrees Fifteen brief Psalms follow, called songs of degrees, or, ascents. They were in all probability used by Israel going up to Jerusalem three times a year to celebrat...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    CXXVII. A. This Ps. is, as is now generally admitted, composed of two independent Pss. In Psalms 127 A, _i.e._ in Psalms 127:1 f. the Psalmist's theme is _the vanity_ of toil without Yahweh's blessing...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    TITLE.. Song of degrees. Same as 120 ("the degrees"). App-67. The Structure, and the references to Hezekiah being childless (App-67. xiv), show that this is not. Psalm "made up of two smaller Psalms,...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    _The virtue of God's blessing. Good children are his gift._ A Song of Degrees for Solomon. _Title._ לשׁלמה המעלות שׁיר _Shiir hammangaloth lishlomoh._] This is said to have been composed by Solomon,...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    PSALMS 127 DESCRIPTIVE TITLE In Relief of Domestic and Civic Anxiety. ANALYSIS Stanza I., Psalms 127:1-2, Jehovah's Blessing Succeeds our Endeavours, Allays our Anxieties, and Gives us Sleep. Stanz...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. Psalms 127:1.-Except God gives the blessing, man's works cannot h...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    A warning against over-anxiety in any work. Let it be left in the wise hands of Jehovah, who gives the best blessings without human aid. Perhaps the Ps. was addressed to some too-zealous workers in th...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Psalms 107:150 _GORDON CHURCHYARD_ PSALMS 127 PSALMS FOR CLIMBING; PSALMS 120:134 Jesus said, "We wi

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    שִׁ֥יר הַֽ מַּֽעֲלֹ֗ות לִ שְׁלֹ֫מֹ֥ה אִם ־יְה

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    Psalms 127:1 THIS pure expression of conscious dependence on God's blessing for all well-being may possibly have special reference to the Israel of the Restoration. The instances of vain human effort...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

      “THE LORD HATH DONE GREAT THINGS FOR US” Psalms 126:1-6; Psalms 127:1-5 The circumstances under which this psalm was written are evident upon its face. The exiles, lately back from Babylon, are re...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The thought of the pilgrim centres upon the city toward which his face is turned as the place of home. The strength of the Hebrew people in the past, and all that remains of it today, largely results...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    "A Song of degrees for Solomon." Except the LORD (a) build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the (b) city, the watchman waketh [but] in vain. (a) That is, govern and...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Canticle. Being a sequel to the former [psalm], (Calmet) and similar to the 111th, as both promise felicity to the captives at their return, if they prove faithful, 2 Esdras ix. 38. (Ferrand.) --- It...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    CONTENTS This Psalm contains a pious and devout acknowledgment, that all blessings are from the Lord. Neither the builder, nor the soldier, nor the master of a family, can be successful in their seve...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    1._Except Jehovah build the house. _There is no reason why the Jews should deny that this Psalm was composed by Solomon. They think that the letter ל, _lamed, _which we translate of, is equivalent to,...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    These full blessings thus sought, the building the house, the keeping the city, the desired abundance of children, are all (Psalms 127) Jehovah's doing and gift, or man labors and watches in vain. The...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    EXCEPT THE LORD BUILD THE HOUSE, THEY LABOUR IN VAIN THAT BUILD IT,.... Whether it be understood literally of an artificial house, as Solomon's own house; or the house of the Lord, or any other: let a...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Psalms 127:1 «A Song of degrees for Solomon. » Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh [but] in vain. _A Sony of degrees...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Except the Lord build the house_ That is, assist and bless those that build it, whether an artificial house, such as the temple, or the royal palace, or any of those numerous structures which Solomon...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Except the Lord build the house, Himself watching over the erection of every building executed by men and prospering their labors, THEY LABOR IN VAIN THAT BUILD IT, there being so many possibilities o...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE DIVINE BLESSING NEEDED FOR HUMAN ENTERPRISES. A song of degrees for Solomon, a hymn written by him probably in connection with the building of the Temple, but applicable to all similar conditions...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    THAT BUILD IT: _ Heb._ are builders of it in it...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    PSALM 127 Or rather, _of Solomon_, as this particle is generally used in this book. Nor is there any thing in this Psalm which gives us just ground to question whether Solomon was the author of it or...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Psalms 127:1 Song H7892 Ascents H4609 Solomon H8010 LORD H3068 builds H1129 (H8799) house H1004 labor H5998 ...

  • Scofield's Bible Commentary

    A SONG OF DEGREES Literally, "of ascents." Perhaps chanted by the people as they went up to Jerusalem to the feasts. See, for example (Psalms 112:1); (Psalms 112:2)....

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Psalms 127:1 There is progress in life, there is progress in history, because the Lord is building, working, and watching with man; and man is learning. slowly, alas! and by stages that seem impercep...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Psalms 127:1. _Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you, to rise up early, to sit up late,...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: The vanity of worldly care and the wisdom of dependence on God for all things in the home. CHARACTERS: God. CONCLUSION: The best designed home will be a failure unless God crowns it with H...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    REFLECTIONS. The man who begins the world aright, must begin with God. The stately house is built in vain, and the family multiplied for wickedness, unless it be done in the Lord's counsel, and with...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Except the Lord build the house._ AUTHORSHIP OF THIS PSALM Various considerations taken together require the opinion that this middle Song of Degrees was composed by Solomon. It suits the time of pe...

  • The children's great texts of the Bible by James Hastings

    WATCHMEN I have made thee a watchman. Ezekiel 3:17. Except the Lord keep the city, The watchman waketh but in vain. Psalms 127:1. The words of our first text were spoken to the prophet Ezekiel. Go...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PSALM PSALM—NOTE ON PSALMS 127:1. The basic theme of this wisdom psalm is that without the Lord’s blessing, all human toil is worthless. This is seen clearly in vv. Ps

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    INTRODUCTION Various considerations taken together require the opinion that this middle Song of Degrees was composed by Solomon. It suits the time of peaceful house-building and civil settlement and p...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION A DIDACTIC psalm, preaching a contented trust in God as more conducive to the prosperity of a man, or a state, than any amount of fussy activity. The ascription to Solomon is borne out (1...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Psa 127:1-5 is a psalm that is important for all of us to really get implanted deep in our hearts. Except the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that build it (Psalms 127:1): I spent far too ma...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Chronicles 22:10; 1 Chronicles 22:11; 1 Chronicles 28:10; 1 Chronicles 28:20;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Build — Assist and bless those that build it....

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