Psalms 127

Psalms 127:1

An EasyEnglish Translation with Notes (about 1200 word vocabulary) on Psalms 107 to 150

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Psalms 127 Psalms For Climbing; Psalms 120-134 Jesus said, “We will go up to Jerusalem” (Luke 18:31). The Story of Psalms 120-134 These 15 psalms are called “Songs of Ascent” in many Bibles. “Ascent” means “going up”. This translation calls it “climbing”. But what are we climbing? Bible students give us 4 answers:

        One line in the psalm “climbs” on the line in front of it. This means that it repeats the line. Read the start of Psalm 124 for an example.

        There were 15 steps from where the women stood to where the men stood outside the *temple. The *temple was God’s house in Jerusalem. As the men climbed the steps, they sang one psalm on each step. This is why most of the psalms for climbing are short.

        Jerusalem was on the top of a hill called “Zion”. The *Jews often went to Jerusalem to worship God at the *temple. “Worship” means “Tell God how *wonderful that he is. And tell him that you love him”. The *Jews sang these psalms for climbing as they went up to Jerusalem.

        Hezekiah was a king of the *Jews. He was so ill that he thought he would soon die. He prayed for a longer life. God made the clock “climb” back 10 degrees. This was about an hour. It was a sign that Hezekiah would live another 15 years. Hezekiah made a book of 15 psalms, 10 of them new, the other 5 by David and Solomon. The story is in Isaiah chapter 38.

We do not know which of these is the true answer. It may be something else! Perhaps answers 3 and 4 are the true answers.

Who wrote the psalms for climbing? Some are by David, and one or two are by Solomon. Solomon was David’s son. The other psalms for climbing may be by Hezekiah or one of his friends like Isaiah; or by Ezra or Nehemiah. Ezra and Nehemiah were leaders of the *Jews 500 years after Solomon built the *temple, or 250 years after Hezekiah was king. This was when the *Jews made the Book of Psalms. The psalms for climbing were part of this Book of Psalms. Psalms 127      (This is) a psalm for climbing by Solomon.

v1      If the *LORD does not build the house,        the workers cannot do anything.      There are men who watch (for danger).      But if the *LORD does not *guard the city,        they will be *useless.

v2      If you work all day for food,        from early morning to late at night,        you will get nothing.      It is God who gives sleep.      He gives it to the people that he loves.

v3      Children are something that God gives.      The fruit of your body is a gift (from him).

v4      The sons of a young man        are like *arrows in the hand of a soldier.

v5      The man with many of them will be very happy.      He will not be ashamed when he meets his enemies in the city gates. What Psalms 125, 126 and 127 mean These three psalms fit together well. Psalms 125 tells us that *wicked (or very bad) people were trying to rule Israel. The *psalmist (the person who wrote the psalm) believed that God would not let this happen. God was all round his people, as the mountains were all round Jerusalem. Jerusalem was on a mountain called Zion. The *psalmist prays that God will not wait too long. If he did, good people might start doing bad things. “To *trust” someone means “to believe that they will give you help”. “*LORD” is a special name for God. The notes in Psalms 120 explain it.

“*Righteous” and “upright in their *hearts” mean the same. “*Righteous” means “very, very good”. Only God is really *righteous, but he calls his people *righteous too. This is because he is near to them. “At peace”, in verse 5, means “not at war”.

Psalms 126 tells us that God has done something. He has sent away the armies that were round Zion. But these armies have destroyed the food that was growing in the fields. People were happy because the enemy had gone. But they were sad because there was nothing growing in the fields. But the *psalmist believed that if they planted seeds, then food would grow.

Psalms 127 tells people to remember that it was God who saved their city. God had given them everything that was of value to them: *safety, food, children and *peace. “Guard” means “stop people attacking”. “Useless” means “of no use”. “Arrows” are sticks with sharp points that men shot from bows. Something to do Pray that God will guard you and the people that you love.

© 1999-2002, Wycliffe Associates (UK)

This publication is written in EasyEnglish Level A (1200 words).

December 2002

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