A Song of Ascents.
1 Blessed is every one who fears the Lord,
Who walks in His ways.
2 When you eat the labor of your hands,
You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you.
3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
In the very heart of your house,
Your children like olive plants
All around your table.
4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
Who fears the Lord.
5 The Lord bless you out of Zion,
And may you see the good of Jerusalem
All the days of your life.
6 Yes, may you see your children’s children.
Peace be upon Israel!
Following naturally upon the point emphasized in the last section of the previous psalm that children are “an inheritance of the LORD” and should be reared in a “God-fearing” fashion, this psalm elaborates on the prosperity (i.e., the “goodness” [v.5] and “peace” [v.6]) that accrues to the parents who do so (here presented from the perspective of the father, as head of the family.— Wechsler, page 306.
fear (vs.1 and 4) = worship
If a man truly fears the LORD then he will find satisfaction and joy in (1) his wife, who will certainly be affected by the godliness of her husband, and will be to him like a fruitful vine, and (2) his children, who, being reared in the fear of the Lord, will be to their parents like olive plants that evidence the promise of full growth and fruitfulness on their own part. — Wechsler, page 307.
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