Psalms 121:7-8

Context

121:7 The Lord will protect you from all harm;

he will protect your life.

121:8 The Lord will protect you in all you do,¹

now and forevermore.

Psalms 127:1

Context

Psalm 127²

A song of ascents,³ by Solomon.

127:1 If the Lord does not build a house,⁴

then those who build it work in vain.

If the Lord does not guard a city,⁵

then the watchman stands guard in vain.

[121:8] ¹tn Heb “your going out and your coming in.”

[127:1] ¹sn Psalm 127. In this wisdom psalm the psalmist teaches that one does not find security by one’s own efforts, for God alone gives stability and security.

[127:1] ²sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.

[127:1] ³sn The expression build a house may have a double meaning here. It may refer on the surface level to a literal physical structure in which a family lives, but at a deeper, metaphorical level it refers to building, perpetuating, and maintaining a family line. See Deut 25:9; Ruth 4:11; 1 Sam 2:35; 2 Sam 7:27; 1 Kgs 11:38; 1 Chr 17:10, 25. Having a family line provided security in ancient Israel.

[127:1] ⁴sn The city symbolizes community security, which is the necessary framework for family security.