Worthy.Bible » STRONG » Psalms » Chapter 128 » Verse 2

Psalms 128:2 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

- Read this chapter

2 For thou shalt eat H398 the labour H3018 of thine hands: H3709 happy H835 shalt thou be, and it shall be well H2896 with thee.

Cross Reference

Judges 6:3-6 STRONG

KJV ASV YLT DARBY WEB BBE

And so it was, when Israel H3478 had sown, H2232 that the Midianites H4080 came up, H5927 and the Amalekites, H6002 and the children H1121 of the east, H6924 even they came up H5927 against them; And they encamped H2583 against them, and destroyed H7843 the increase H2981 of the earth, H776 till thou come H935 unto Gaza, H5804 and left H7604 no sustenance H4241 for Israel, H3478 neither sheep, H7716 nor ox, H7794 nor ass. H2543 For they came up H5927 with their cattle H4735 and their tents, H168 and they came H935 H935 as H1767 grasshoppers H697 for multitude; H7230 for both they and their camels H1581 were without number: H4557 and they entered H935 into the land H776 to destroy H7843 it. And Israel H3478 was greatly H3966 impoverished H1809 because H6440 of the Midianites; H4080 and the children H1121 of Israel H3478 cried H2199 unto the LORD. H3068

Ecclesiastes 5:18-19 STRONG

KJV ASV YLT DARBY WEB BBE

Behold that which I have seen: H7200 it is good H2896 and comely H3303 for one to eat H398 and to drink, H8354 and to enjoy H7200 the good H2896 of all his labour H5999 that he taketh H5998 under the sun H8121 all H4557 the days H3117 of his life, H2416 which God H430 giveth H5414 him: for it is his portion. H2506 Every man H120 also to whom God H430 hath given H5414 riches H6239 and wealth, H5233 and hath given him power H7980 to eat H398 thereof, and to take H5375 his portion, H2506 and to rejoice H8055 in his labour; H5999 this H2090 is the gift H4991 of God. H430

Isaiah 65:21-23 STRONG

KJV ASV YLT DARBY WEB BBE

And they shall build H1129 houses, H1004 and inhabit H3427 them; and they shall plant H5193 vineyards, H3754 and eat H398 the fruit H6529 of them. They shall not build, H1129 and another H312 inhabit; H3427 they shall not plant, H5193 and another H312 eat: H398 for as the days H3117 of a tree H6086 are the days H3117 of my people, H5971 and mine elect H972 shall long enjoy H1086 the work H4639 of their hands. H3027 They shall not labour H3021 in vain, H7385 nor bring forth H3205 for trouble; H928 for they are the seed H2233 of the blessed H1288 of the LORD, H3068 and their offspring H6631 with them.

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 128

Commentary on Psalms 128 Matthew Henry Commentary

John Gill   Keil & Delitzsch   Robert Jamieson: Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible  

Psalm 128

This, as 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. Those that do so, in general, shall be blessed (v. 1, 2, 4), In particular,

  • I. They shall be prosperous and successful in their employments (v. 2).
  • II. Their relations shall be agreeable (v. 3).
  • III. They shall live to see their families brought up (v. 6).
  • IV. They shall have the satisfaction of seeing the church of God in a flourishing condition (v. 5, 6).

We must sing this psalm in the firm belief of this truth, That religion and piety are the best friends to outward prosperity, giving God the praise that it is so and that we have found it so, and encouraging ourselves and others with it.

A song of degrees.

Psa 128:1-6

It is here shown that godliness has the promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.

  • I. It is here again and again laid down as an undoubted truth that those who are truly holy are truly happy. Those whose blessed state we are here assured of are such as fear the Lord and walk in his ways, such as have a deep reverence of God upon their spirits and evidence it by a regular and constant conformity to his will. Where the fear of God is a commanding principle in the heart the tenour of the conversation will be accordingly; and in vain do we pretend to be of those that fear God if we do not make conscience both of keeping to his ways and not trifling in them or drawing back. Such are blessed (v. 1), and shall be blessed, v. 4. God blesses them, and his pronouncing them blessed makes them so. They are blessed now, they shall be blessed still, and for ever. This blessedness, arising from this blessing, is here secured,
    • 1. To all the saints universally: Blessed is everyone that fears the Lord, whoever he be; in every nation he that fears God and works righteousness is accepted of him, and therefore is blessed whether he be high or low, rich or poor, in the world; if religion rule him, it will protect and enrich him.
    • 2. To such a saint in particular: Thus shall the man be blessed, not only the nation, the church in its public capacity, but the particular person in his private interests.
    • 3. We are encouraged to apply it to ourselves (v. 2): "Happy shalt thou be; thou mayest take the comfort of the promise, and expect the benefit of it, as if it were directed to thee by name, if thou fear God and walk in his ways. Happy shalt thou be, that is, It shall be well with thee; whatever befals thee, good shall be brought out of it; it shall be well with thee while thou livest, better when thou diest, and best of all to eternity.' It is asserted (v. 4) with a note commanding attention: Behold, thus shall the man be blessed; behold it by faith in the promise; behold it by observation in the performance of the promise; behold it with assurance that it shall be so, for God is faithful, and with admiration that it should be so, for we merit no favour, no blessing, from him.
  • II. Particular promises are here made to godly people, which they may depend upon, as far as is for God's glory and their good; and that is enough.
    • 1. That, by the blessing of God, they shall get an honest livelihood and live comfortably upon it. It is not promised that they shall live at ease, without care or pains, but, Thou shalt eat the labour of thy hands. Here is a double promise,
      • (1.) That they shall have something to do (for an idle life is a miserable uncomfortable life) and shall have health, and strength, and capacity of mind to do it, and shall not be forced to be beholden to others for necessary food, and to live, as the disabled poor do, upon the labours of other people. It is as much a mercy as it is a duty with quietness to work and eat our own bread, 2 Th. 3:12.
      • (2.) That they shall succeed in their employments, and they and theirs shall enjoy what they get; others shall not come and eat the bread out of their mouths, nor shall it be taken from them either by oppressive rulers or invading enemies. God will not blast it and blow upon it (as he did, Hag. 1:9), and his blessing will make a little go a great way. It is very pleasant to enjoy the fruits of our own industry; as the sleep, so the food, of a labouring man is sweet.
    • 2. That they shall have abundance of comfort in their family-relations. As a wife and children are very much a man's care, so, if by the grace of God they are such as they should be, they are very much a man's delight, as much as any creature-comfort.
      • (1.) The wife shall be as a vine by the sides of the house, not only as a spreading vine which serves for an ornament, but as a fruitful vine which is for profit, and with the fruit whereof both God and man are honoured, Jdg. 9:13. The vine is a weak and tender plant, and needs to be supported and cherished, but it is a very valuable plant, and some think (because all the products of it were prohibited to the Nazarites) it was the tree of knowledge itself. The wife's place is the husband's house; there her business lies, and that is her castle. Where is Sarah thy wife? Behold, in the tent; where should she be else? Her place is by the sides of the house, not under-foot to be trampled on, nor yet upon the house-top to domineer (if she be so, she is but as the grass upon the house-top, in the next psalm), but on the side of the house, being a rib out of the side of the man. She shall be a loving wife, as the vine, which cleaves to the house-side, an obedient wife, as the vine, which is pliable, and grows as it is directed. She shall be fruitful as the vine, not only in children, but in the fruits of wisdom, and righteousness, and good management, the branches of which run over the wall (Gen. 49:22; Ps. 80:11), like a fruitful vine, not cumbering the ground, nor bringing forth sour grapes, or grapes of Sodom, but good fruit.
      • (2.) The children shall be as olive plants, likely in time to be olive-trees, and, though wild by nature, yet grafted into the good olive, and partaking of its root and fatness, Rom. 11:17. It is pleasant to parents who have a table spread, though but with ordinary fare, to see their children round about it, to have many children, enough to surround it, and those with them, and not scattered, or the parents forced from them. Job makes it one of the first instances of his former prosperity that his children were about him, Job 29:5. Parents love to have their children at table, to keep up the pleasantness of the table-talk, to have them in health, craving food and not physic, to have them like olive-plants, straight and green, sucking in the sap of their good education, and likely in due time to be serviceable.
    • 3. That they shall have those things which God has promised and which they pray for: The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion, where the ark of the covenant was, and where the pious Israelites attended with their devotions. Blessings out of Zion are the best-blessings, which flow, not from common providence, but from special grace, Ps. 20:2.
    • 4. That they shall live long, to enjoy the comforts of the rising generations: "Thou shalt see thy children's children, as Joseph, Gen. 50:23. Thy family shall be built up and continued, and thou shalt have the pleasure of seeing it.' Children's children, if they be good children, are the crown of old men (Prov. 17:6), who are apt to be fond of their grandchildren.
    • 5. That they shall see the welfare of God's church, and the land of their nativity, which every man who fears God is no less concerned for than for the prosperity of his own family. "Thou shalt be blessed in Zion's blessing, and wilt think thyself so. Thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem as long as thou shalt live, though thou shouldest live long, and shalt not have thy private comforts allayed and embittered by public troubles.' A good man can have little comfort in seeing his children's children, unless withal he see peace upon Israel, and have hopes of transmitting the entail of religion pure and entire to those that shall come after him, for that is the best inheritance.