{"collection":"Bible & Christianity","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/bib/cmt/kad/psa128.htm","path":"bib/cmt/kad/psa128.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/bib/cmt/kad/psa128.htm","text":"Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsh, [1857-78]\nThe Family Prosperity of the God-Fearing Man\nJust as Psa 127:1-5 is appended to Psa 126:1-6 because the fact that Israel was so surprised by the redemption out of exile that they thought they were dreaming, finds its interpretation in the universal truth that God bestows upon him whom He loves, in sleep, that which others are not able to acquire by toiling and moiling the day and night: so Psa 128:1-6 follows Psa 127:1-5 for the same reason as Psa 2:1-12 follows Psa 1:1-6. In both instances they are Psalms placed together, of which one begins with ashr\u00ea and one ends with ashr\u00ea. In other respects Psa 128:1-6 and Psa 127:1-5 supplement one another. They are related to one another much as the New Testament parables of the treasure in the field and the one pearl are related. That which makes man happy is represented in Psa 127:1-5 as a gift coming as a blessing, and in Psa 128:1-6 as a reward coming as a blessing, that which is briefly indicated in the word \u05e9\u05c2\u05db\u05e8 in Psa 127:3 being here expanded and unfolded. There it appears as a gift of grace in contrast to the God-estranged self-activity of man, here as a fruit of the ora et labora. Ewald considers this and the preceding Psalm to be songs to be sung at table. But they are ill-suited for this purpose; for they contain personal mirrorings instead of petitions, and instead of benedictions of those who are about to partake of the food provided.\nThe \u05db\u05bc\u05d9 in Psa 128:2 signifies neither \"for\" (Aquila, \u03ba\u03cc\u03c0\u03bf\u03bd \u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u03c4\u03b1\u03c1\u03c3\u1ff6\u03bd \u03c3\u03bf\u03c5 \u1f45\u03c4\u03b9 \u03c6\u03ac\u03b3\u03b5\u03c3\u03b1\u03b9), nor \"when\" (Symmachus, \u03ba\u03cc\u03c0\u03bf\u03bd \u03c7\u03b5\u03b9\u03c1\u1ff6\u03bd \u03c3\u03bf\u03c5 \u1f10\u03c9\u03b8\u03af\u03c9\u03bd); it is the directly affirmative \u05db\u05bc\u05d9, which is sometimes thus placed after other words in a clause (Psa 118:10-12, Gen 18:20; Gen 41:32). The proof in favour of this asseverating \u05db\u05bc\u05d9 is the very usual \u05db\u05bc\u05d9 \u05e2\u05ea\u05bc\u05d4 in the apodoses of hypothetical protases, or even \u05db\u05bc\u05d9\u05be\u05d0\u05d6 in Job 11:15, or also only \u05db\u05bc\u05d9 in Isa 7:9, Sa1 14:39; \"surely then;\" the transition from the confirmative to the affirmative signification is evident from Psa 128:4 of the Psalm before us. To support one's self by one's own labour is a duty which even a Paul did not wish to avoid (Act 20:34), and so it is a great good fortune (\u05d8\u05d5\u05d1 \u05dc\u05da as in Psa 119:71) to eat the produce of the labour of one's own hands (lxx , \u03c4\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 \u03ba\u03b1\u03c1\u03c0\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 \u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u03c0\u03cc\u03bd\u03c9\u03bd, or according to an original reading, \u03c4\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 \u03c0\u1f78\u03bd\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2 \u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u03c1\u03c0\u1ff6\u03bd);\n(Note: The fact that the \u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u03c1\u03c0\u1ff6\u03bd of the lxx here, as in Pro 31:20, is intended to refer to the hands is noted by Theodoret and also by Didymus (in Rosenmuller): \u03ba\u03b1\u03c1\u03c0\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 \u03c6\u03b7\u03c3\u1f76\u03bd\u1fe6\u03bd \u1f61\u03c2 \u1f00\u03c0\u1f78 \u03bc\u03ad\u03c1\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2 \u03c4\u1f70\u03c2 \u03c7\u03b5\u1fd6\u03c1\u03b1\u03c2 (i.e., per synecdochen partis pro toto), \u03c4\u03bf\u03c5\u03c4\u03ad\u03c3\u03c4\u03b9 \u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u03c0\u03c1\u03b1\u03ba\u03c4\u03b9\u03ba\u1ff6\u03bd \u03c3\u03bf\u03c5 \u03b4\u03c5\u03bd\u03ac\u03bc\u03b5\u03c9\u03bd \u03c6\u03ac\u03b3\u03b5\u03c3\u03b1\u03b9 \u03c4\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 \u03c0\u03cc\u03bd\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2.)\nFor he who can make himself useful to others and still is also independent of them, he eats the bread of blessing which God gives, which is sweeter than the bread of charity which men give. In close connection with this is the prosperity of a house that is at peace and contented within itself, of an amiable and tranquil and hopeful (rich in hope) family life. \"Thy wife (\u05d0\u05e9\u05c1\u05ea\u05bc\u05da, found only here, for \u05d0\u05e9\u05c1\u05ea\u05bc\u05da) is as a fruit-producing vine.\" \u05e4\u05bc\u05e8\u05d9\u05bc\u05d4 for \u05e4\u05bc\u05e8\u05d4, from \u05e4\u05bc\u05e8\u05d4 = \u05e4\u05bc\u05e8\u05d9, with the Jod of the root retained, like \u05d1\u05d5\u05db\u05d9\u05bc\u05d4, Lam 1:16. The figure of the vine is admirably suited to the wife, who is a shoot or sprig of the husband, and stands in need of the man's support as the vine needs a stick or the wall of a house (pergula). \u05d1\u05bc\u05d9\u05e8\u05db\u05bc\u05ea\u05d9 \u05d1\u05d9\u05ea\u05da does not belong to the figure, as Kimchi is of opinion, who thinks of a vine starting out of the room and climbing up in the open air outside. What is meant is the angle, corner, or nook (\u05d9\u05e8\u05db\u05bc\u05ea\u05d9, in relation to things and artificial, equivalent to the natural \u05d9\u05e8\u05db\u05d9), i.e., the background, the privacy of the house, where the housewife, who is not to be seen much out of doors, leads a quiet life, entirely devoted to the happiness of her husband and her family. The children springing from such a nobel vine, planted around the family table, are like olive shoots or cuttings; cf. in Euripides, Medea, 1098: \u03c4\u03ad\u03ba\u03bd\u03c9\u03bd \u1f10\u03bd \u03bf\u1f34\u03ba\u03bf\u03b9\u03c2 \u03b3\u03bb\u03c5\u03ba\u03b5\u03c1\u1f78\u03bd \u03b2\u03bb\u03ac\u03c3\u03c4\u03b7\u03bc\u03b1, and Herc. Fur. 839: \u03ba\u03b1\u03bb\u03bb\u03af\u03c0\u03b1\u03b9\u03c2 \u03c3\u03c4\u03ad\u03c6\u03b1\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2. thus fresh as young layered small olive-trees and thus promising are they.\nPointing back to this charming picture of family life, the poet goes on to say: behold, for thus = behold, thus is the man actually blessed who fears Jahve. \u05db\u05bc\u05d9 confirms the reality of the matter of fact to which the \u05d4\u05e0\u05bc\u05d4 points. The promissory future in Psa 128:5 is followed by imperatives which call upon the God-fearing man at once to do that which, in accordance with the promises, stands before him as certain. \u05de\u05e6\u05d9\u05bc\u05d5\u05df as in Psa 134:3; Psa 20:3. \u05d1\u05bc\u05e0\u05d9\u05dd \u05dc\u05d1\u05e0\u05d9\u05da instead of \u05d1\u05bc\u05e0\u05d9 \u05d1\u05e0\u05d9\u05da gives a designed indefiniteness to the first member of the combination. Every blessing the individual enjoys comes from the God of salvation, who has taken up His abode in Zion, and is perfected in participation in the prosperity of the holy city and of the whole church, of which it is the centre. A New Testament song would here open up the prospect of the heavenly Jerusalem. But the character of limitation to this present world that is stamped upon the Old Testament does not admit of this. The promise refers only to a present participation in the well-being of Jerusalem (Zac 8:15) and to long life prolonged in one's children's children; and in this sense calls down intercessorily peace upon Israel in all its members, and in all places and all ages.","title":"Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch: Psalms: Psalms Chapter 128","type":"page"}