3. Specific supplications for blessing 128:5-6

The psalmist offered a general prayer for his readers' future and then specified particular blessings following the form he used in verses 1-4. The petition concerning seeing Jerusalem prosper all of one's days is appropriate in a psalm of ascent. The prosperity of the city would extend to every family in the nation ultimately. Seeing one's grandchildren also expresses God's continued blessing for many years to come.

This psalm beautifully tied family and nation together in the thinking of the pilgrim Israelite who travelled with his family to Jerusalem for a national feast. It is a reminder of the importance of God's blessing on both home and nation that are mutually dependent. Families and nations can only succeed with God's blessing.