Verse by Verse

³ Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.

⁴ Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.

⁵ Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;
They shall not be ashamed,
But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.

Some people believe this psalm was originally written as two separate poems (vs.1-2 and vs.3-5) that were stuck together at a later date. I don’t have any reason to think that’s true, but it does read that way. The connection, as I see it, is that three endeavors—building a house/family, working for a living, and raising children—will be unfruitful and unsatisfying if not done according to God’s will.

The notion of the utter vanity of living life apart from God is emphasized by the three-fold repetition of the key Hebrew term sh?v’ (“in vain,” “vanity”) in verses 1-2a, the notion of “three” signifying utmost degree or emphasis). — Wechsler, pages 303-305.

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While this opening section [v.1] clearly affirms, on the one hand, the general principle of “including” God in one’s decision of when, where and how to build one’s “house” (the structure and the family that fills it), it should also be taken as referring specifically to God’s involvement in the establishment and building of the Temple and Jerusalem considering (1) the attribution of this psalm to Solomon, who both built the Temple and established Jerusalem (uniquely in his time) as the greatest capital city of any kingdom on earth (to which “all the earth” came to seek Solomon’s presence: 1 Kings 10:23), (2) the exilic and/or pilgrimage venue of this psalm, which implies a natural focus on Jerusalem and the Temple, and (3) that in fact the only “house” and the only “city” of which Scripture emphasizes God’s direct involvement in their establishment and building is the Temple and Jerusalem. — Wechsler, page 304.

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In this verse [v.2] Solomon affirms the same principle as in Proverbs 10:22—that any labor undertaken to meet one’s needs, no matter how industrious, if undertaken in a manner and for a purpose inconsistent with God’s Word, will in the end be unsatisfying (i.e., vanity), whereas any work undertaken with God continually in view (i.e., consistent with His Word and with a view to His glory), will be satisfying to the worker and pleasing to God. The specific application of this principle to Solomon himself is implied by the reference to “His beloved,” alluding to the name given to Solomon at birth by God (i.e., Jedediah; see 2 Samuel 12:25). — Wechsler, pages 304-305.

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The point of this section [vs.3-5] is that, if God does give one children, they are to be viewed first and foremost as the inheritance (or “property”0 of the Lord, which inheritance He has in turn entrusted to human parents for proper care and nurture, both physical as well as spiritual. Quite apropos is the following comparison of children (generic, adopted, or even “parenting” immature Christians, see 1 Corinthians 7:7), to arrows in the hand of a warrior—for like arrows, depending on how they are shaped, drawn, and aimed, they may either miss the intending target (the Hebrew word for an arrow “missing” being the same as the common word for “sinning”) or hit it on the bullseye. — Wechsler, pages 305-306.

Williams’ take (which here seems like maybe a reach …):

The argument of verse 2 is that God gives to His loved-one, in sleep, treasures that men toil for early and late in vain. Thus He gave to Adam, when sleeping, a bride, to Abraham a covenant, to Jacob a promise, to Solomon wisdom, and to Daniel the substance and interpretation of the dream which the Chaldean magicians toiled in vain to discover. “His Beloved” is singular in the Hebrew text. Solomon’s name was Jedediah, i.e., Beloved of Jehovah. This song is “for Solomon” i.e., relating to Solomon, that is, the true Solomon, Messiah. He is God’s Beloved One; and to Him when sleeping in death He gave a “House” even sons, a seed that will satisfy Him (Isaiah 53:10 and Hebrews 3:6). …

God is building a spiritual house of sons. These sons, loved and energized by Him. In Hebrew the words “house” and “sons” are related; for a son is regarded as the builder of a house, i.e., of a family. — Williams, page 402.

⁵ Those who sow in tears
Shall reap in joy.

⁶ He who continually goes forth weeping,
Bearing seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him.

The return of Israel from seventy years of captivity in Babylon is the background of this Psalm of thanksgiving. But it was not a complete return, for only a remnant returned to the land of their fathers … This Psalm has more than a historical value, because Zion’s restoration, and Israel’s redemption are in view when King Messiah appears the second time.  … At the time of this writing, Israel is making great progress toward restoring the country and the city. Hence the fulfillment of this prophecy appears to be in the near future. … This Psalm finds application with the Jewish Remnant of faithful believers of the Tribulation period. — Phillips, pages 308-310.

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In [this psalm] Israel’s High Priest prays fro His people’s restoration to Divine relationships (v.4). He compares their present condition to pain-burdened husbandmen in the hot southern desert sowing their scanty store of seed in a time of famine. It is a day of trouble; and He animates His people’s faith by recalling the joy that their fore-fathers felt when delivered from the Assyrian. — Williams, page 402.

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The psalmist begins (vs.1-3) by joyful reflecting on the past event of God’s “restoring” the returning ones of Zion, referring to those deported by Nebuchadnezzar from the southern kingdom of Judah who, at the decree of Cyrus, returned after 70 years of exile to Jerusalem (see 2 Chronicles 36:22-23; Jeremiah 25:11; 29:10; Daniel 9:2). — Wechsler, page 302.

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In [v.4] the psalmist entreats God to restore (i.e., bring back) the exiled ones of Israel. … The reason for this entreaty becomes evident when one considers that much—if not most—of the Jewish population did not in fact return to the promised land, and to live outside of the land is, biblically-speaking, to be “in exile.” God, speaking through Jeremiah, points out that there is also a spiritual component to the exile, from which Israel will only be fully restored when they search for Him with all their heart (Jeremiah 29:13-14). An allusion to this final restoration is suggested by the image of “streams in the south (lit., “Negev”—i.e., the dry southern region of Israel), referring … to permanently fruitful transformation of that land from the waters that emerge with the Messiah’s advent as the worldwide king (see Ezekiel 47:1-12). — Wechsler, page 303.

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In verses 5-6 the psalmist expands the allusion at the end of the previous section into a full-blown and emotionally-laden portrayal of final restoration—specifically, the restoration of (1) the people of Israel, not only from their geographical exile from the promised land, but also from their more general “exile” from the pre-Fall ideal of perfection untinged by depravity or sorrow (so per. v.5, the phraseology of which hearkens to the similar portrayal of final/messianic restoration in, for example, Isaiah 25:8-9; 35:10; 51:11; Revelation 21:4; cf. also Matthew 5:4); and (2) the land (i.e., creation) itself, from its own “exile” and “enslavement to corruption” (Romans 8:21) following the fall of man (so per v.6 to which compare the description of the land’s permanently restored fruitfulness, concurrent with Israel’s permanent return from exile, in Amos 9:13-15). — Wechsler, page 303.

⁵ As for such as turn aside to their crooked ways,
The Lord shall lead them away
With the workers of iniquity.
Peace be upon Israel!

The most apropos thing by which to illustrate the permanence of God’s people as God’s people (per the principle given in Romans 11:29)—i.e., that they cannot be moved—is Mount Zion (a poetic synonym for Jerusalem), which despite any geographic changes that God may make when He renews heaven and earth (cf. Isaiah 65:17; 66:22; Revelation 21:1), will abide forever as the same distinct Zion of previous redemption history. This permanence of Zion is ultimately grounded in the permanence of Zion’s King, the divine Messiah, who will establish His throne in Zion (on the Temple Mount) before renewing Creation, and maintain His throne there forever (i.e., even after renewing Creation; see esp. Ezekiel 43:7 and Revelation 22:3-5). — Wechsler, page 300.

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In His paternal solicitude God will ensure that the scepter (a symbol of final and irrefutable political authority) of wickedness—i.e., ungodly authority—is never brought to bear upon the righteous (i.e., those whom He has graciously “reckoned” as righteous) with such strength (and perhaps even allure) that they cannot resist the pressure to do what they know to be wrong. God, who knows us far better than we ourselves, will never allow His children to face a challenge to sin that they cannot overcome (1 Corinthians 10:13). — Wechsler, page 301.

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No doubt the remnant of Israel sang or chanted this Psalm when they went up to the temple. It certainly meant much to the loyal, believing Jews when they returned from Babylon. In a much larger sense, it is a prophecy that looks forward to the Millennial Day, when the Remnant, tried in the fires of the Great Tribulation, shall have met the Messiah,and shall know they are at home to be moved no more. — Phillips, page 305.

Williams’ view:

This song celebrates the destruction of Anti-Christ’s kingdom and the establishment of Messiah’s government. … The word “henceforth” [“from this time forth”] (v.2), defines the time of the fulfillment of the prophecy. It will be the morn of Christ’s millennial reign.

Verse 3 should read thus: “The sceptre of the Lawless One (Daniel 11:36 and 2 Thessalonians 2:8), shall not remain upon the lot of the righteous,” i.e., on Palestine. The verse predicts the close of Anti-Christ’s reign, and of his possession of God’s pleasant land. — Williams, pages 401-402.

⁶ Blessed be the Lord
Who has not given us as prey to their teeth.

⁷ Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers;
The snare is broken, and we have escaped.

⁸ Our help is in the name of the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.

In considering what might have happened had the LORD not been on their side (v.1), David is not expressing an unhealthy pessimism (i.e., “dwelling” on the negative), but rather a sincere realism that serves to highlight and encourage, by contrast with what did happen. In other words, seeing that Israel should have been completely overwhelmed and destroyed by her much more powerful enemies (here portrayed via the imagery of unstoppable waters that would engulf and sweep over them—just as the much more powerful Assyrian forces are in fact portrayed in Isaiah 8:6-8), that they were not so destroyed—and, indeed, that her more powerful enemies were (like the aforementioned Assyrian forces; see Isaiah 37:36-37)—serves as historical proof of God’s past faithfulness to His unconditional promise to Israel through Abraham, which in turn serves as a tangible historical precedent to expect the same continued faithfulness both now and in the future (hence the focus in v.8). — Wechsler, pages 298-299.

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[God] did not permit (rather than “given”) Israel to be torn by the enemy’s teeth (vs.6-7), but rather enabled them to escape intact as a bird out of the snare of the trapper (which imagery is also applied by David to himself in 1 Samuel 26:20). — Wechsler, page 299.

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Reviewing what God has done serves only to reinforce David’s confidence in what God will do—indeed, what He must do, for God, though sovereign over all created authority is nonetheless bound (by Himself) to do what He has said, for even “if we are faithless, He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). In this confidence David closes by affirming that Israel’s help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth—employing the same phraseology as in Psalm 121:2 and, insofar as this repetition is intended as an “inclusio,” marking not only this psalm, but also the two others intervening (Psalms 122 and 123), and an elaboration of the notion of the transcendent Creator as the “help” of His people. — Wechsler, pages 299-300.

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Messiah (v.1), when calling to remembrance past victories (vs.2-6) animates Israel to trust for present ones (vs.7-8); and as faith makes actual the escape trusted for, so it is here regarded as an accomplished fact. …

Israel’s escape from Sennacherib in the time of Hezekiah illustrates the Psalm; but is message belongs to the future. In a vain-glorious cylinder of Sennacherib’s now in the British Museum, the proud monarch records that he shut up Hezekiah in Jerusalem “as a bird in a cage.” But the Scriptures of truth relate that the snare of the fowler was broken and the bird escaped! — Williams, page 401.

³ Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us!
For we are exceedingly filled with contempt.

⁴ Our soul is exceedingly filled
With the scorn of those who are at ease,
With the contempt of the proud.

The psalmist begins (v.1) by hearkening back to the opening phraseology of Psalm 121 (i.e., “lifting up his eyes”) and hence reiterating his answer to the question “From when shall my help come?” The answer, of course, is from the LORD. This psalm emphasizes God’s role as the Universal King. — Wechsler, page 297.

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the psalmist here (v.2) compares the manner in which he and those like him look to their divine King to the manner in which servants look to the hand of their master, and a maid to the hand of her mistress—in both of which examples “the hand” signifies not the threat of beating or disapproval, but rather the supply of all that is needed. — Wechsler, page 297.

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The motivation of the psalmist (vs.3-4) is ultimately the vindication of God’s justice, as manifest both in His condemnation of the wicked as well as in the rewarding of His servants. — Wechsler, page 298.

The following view isn’t stated anywhere. But I’m including it because it might be valid.

The background of the Psalm is that of Israel living in the closing days of the Babylonian captivity. A remnant of Jews had been urged and permitted by King Cyrus to return to their homeland and rebuild their city and temple. Their neighboring countries laughed them to scorn. This is described in Nehemiah 4:1-3. They were persecuted, hated and hounded, but day and night they sought the will of God and endeavored to please Him. All of the persecution is to be repeated in the Tribulation period, but it will be so much worse that it is difficult to realize how terrible it will be. — Phillips, page 300.

And Williams, as always, sees the psalms as the specific words of the Messiah.

Messiah speaks personally in the first verse, and, on behalf of His people in the following three verses. … He credits them with His own faith, and burdens Himself with their fear. — Williams, page 401.

⁶ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May they prosper who love you.

⁷ Peace be within your walls,
Prosperity within your palaces.”

⁸ For the sake of my brethren and companions,
I will now say, “Peace be within you.”

⁹ Because of the house of the Lord our God
I will seek your good.

David presents a paradigm of petition for the peace of Jerusalem and the Jewish people. His emphasis on this central notion of “peace”—one that is permanent, complete, and inclusive—is indicated by his repetition of this key term three times throughout the Psalm (a three-fold repetition signifying the “utmost” of something). … This petition will only be fully (and permanently) fulfilled on that day when the divine King establishes His throne on the site of the Temple in Jerusalem (see Ezekiel 43:7), whereafter not only the tribes of Israel, but those “who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts” (Zechariah 14:16). — Wechsler, pages 294-295.

compact (v.3) = united, joined

testimony (v.4) — her, the law as the testimony of God

The judgment here in view (v.5), consistent with David’s emphasis on superlative “peace,” is ultimately that perfectly righteous judgment attending the eternal rule of the messianic King, the Lord of Righteousness Himself . (David’s use of the plural form of “thrones” may also allude to the twelve thrones on which the apostles will sit to participate with Christ in judging the 12 tribes [see Matthew 19:28]). — Wechsler, page 295.

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The exhortation to pray the peace of Jerusalem (v.6) includes not simply the location, but the Jewish people. … The link between Jerusalem/Zion is so close that the former is often employed as a personified substitute for her Jewish residents or the Jewish people in general. The statement “May they prosper who love you” (v.6) hearkens to God’s contingent promise to Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you” (Genesis 12:3). More than for the sake of his brothers and his friends (i.e., his fellow Israelites), David’s prayer is ultimately motivated for the sake of the house of the LORD—i.e., for the sake of the LORD Himself—since the final, future advent of true peace to Jerusalem and the Jewish people, as of blessing to those who bless them, is ultimately a confirmation (and vindication) of God’s faithfulness to do what He has said He will do (cf. 2 Samuel 7:10-13; Jeremiah 23:3-8; Ezekiel 37:11-14, 24-28; Zechariah 14:9-11, etc.). — Wechsler, page 296.

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The Psalm looks forward to the time when all the tribes of Israel go once more to Jerusalem. When this prophecy shall be fulfilled, wars will have ceases, Satan will be bound and locked in the abyss, and the King of kings rules from David’s throne. The pilgrims will come from the ends of the earth to worship in Jerusalem, but all the sons of Abraham will make their homes in the land that God gave them for ever. … Jerusalem will be the world center; the restored tribes will all be united with one heart to worship the King (Isaiah 2:2-4). — Phillips, page 297.

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The Psalm predicts and pictures the opening of the millennial reign of Christ. Jerusalem appears as the capital of the world. The throne of Jehovah is seen in the Temple of Jehovah. Israel’s Twelve Tribes, redeemed and with new hearts, are presented as worshipers (v.4). The nations, blessed with Israel, unite in prayer for Zion (vs.6-7). … The vision belongs to the future, but faith makes present what grace promises. So Messiah exclaims that His feet and Israel’s feet are already standing within the gates of Zion. — Williams, page 400.

⁵ Woe is me, that I dwell in Meshech,
That I dwell among the tents of Kedar!

⁶ My soul has dwelt too long
With one who hates peace.

⁷ I am for peace;
But when I speak, they are for war.

This psalm begins the distinct subcollection of 15 “Songs of Ascent,” of which four (122, 124, 131, 133) are explicitly attributed to David and one (127) to Solomon. The “Ascents” to which these “songs” appertain has been a subject of no little debate among scholars, the various suggestions including (1) the 15 steps ascending from the Court of the Women in the Temple to the (inner) Court of the Israelites, which steps are explicitly equated in early Jewish tradition with these 15 psalms, and which latter were (apparently) sung by Levites stationed on these steps during the Water-Drawing ceremony of the Feast of Tabernacles; (2) the return of Israel from the Babylonian-Persian exile, which is described in Scripture as an “ascent” or “going up” and support for which is adduced from Psalm 126:1 (“When the LORD brought back the captive ones of Zion …”); (3) the three yearly festal pilgrimages to the Temple in Jerusalem (viz., on Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles), “ascending/going up” to the Temple being the typical expression employed to describe “movement” towards the Temple, regardless of one’s starting point and support for which is adduced from Psalm 122:1 (“I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD.’…”); and (4) the technical structure of the psalms themselves, in which the thoughts ascend “in a step-like progressive rhythm” and in which various key words are repeated in “step-like fashion in successive clauses. Excepting this last suggestion, which may be said of the structure of many (if not most) other psalms than these 15, the term “Ascents” in these psalms is in all likelihood tied to and mutually supported by all of these traditional explanations—especially seeing that each of them relates directly, or indirectly, to the overall theme of this Fifth Book of Psalms (viz.: the restoration of God’s people to the Promised Land and their living therein under the perfect and intimate rule of their divine King. — Wechsler, pages 289-290.

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Verses 1-2 — Rather than internalizing and holding in (i.e., stewing over) his experience of persecution—in this case resulting fro lying lips and a deceitful tongue (i.e., slander and false accusation)—the psalmist appropriates, or “reclaims,” it as an opportunity for exercising his privilege of worship—viz. affirming God’s character and role as His Father. It is this which constitutes the essence of worship—the exercise of our relationship with God in any of its manifold aspects, whether crying out to the LORD in our trouble or responding in praise and thanksgiving when He answers us. — Wechsler, page 290.

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Verses 3-4 — The psalmist also takes this opportunity to express his worship by affirming God’s inevitable justice, for though the one who employs a deceitful tongue may discount divine justice … that justice will nonetheless be done to him (such is the point of the rhetorical question in v.3). This just requital is portrayed (in v.4, answering the rhetorical question of v.3) in figurative imagery as sharp arrows of the warrior which … underscores the notion of the punishment being precisely fit to the crime…). The further portrayal of God’s just requital as burning coals, while clearly paralleling “sharp arrows” in suggesting … pain, also hints at the redemptive aspects of  God’s penultimate (i.e., this-worldly) requital of sin—as in other passages where the imagery of “burning coals” heaped on the sinner’s head, symbolizes a response to sin characterized more by mercy and grace than by severity, and which thus serves the sinner as a source of shame, conviction, and ideally, repentance (see Proverbs 25:21-22; Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:27; Romans 12:20). — Wechsler, page 291.

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Verses 5-7 — In this final section the psalmist laments the fact that he must sojourn in Meshech (referring to the people descended from the sixth son of Japhet [Genesis 10:2] and situated between the Caspian and Black Seas and in Asia Minor) and among the tents of Kedar (referring to the descendants of the second son of Ishmael [Genesis 25:13] and most powerful of the Ishmaelite tribes, who lived as nomads in the regions east and south of Israel), with those who hate peace, all of which reflects the perspective of an Israelite living outside of the Promised Land (further affirming the pilgrimage/exile venue of these “Psalms of Ascent”). These statements also imply the contrasting yearning to live in the land promised by God to Israel. — Wechsler, page 292.

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The Songs of Ascent, fifteen in number, form five groups of three each. Each triplet has as its theme trouble, trust, and triumph. That is, the first Psalm of each triplet is a cry of distress; the second, a declaration of trust; and the third, a song of triumph. Thus in each group there is an ascent from trouble through trust to triumph. — Williams, page 399.

Meshech and Kedar were sons of Ishmael … who were indeed of the seed of Abraham but born after the flesh. — Williams, page 400.