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PSALM 128

A Song of degrees.

1. Blessed is every one who fears jehovah, who walk-eth in his ways!
2. Truly, you shall eat the labour of your hands; blessed are you, yea, it shall be well with you!
3. Your wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of your house; your sons shall be like olive plants around your table.
4. Behold, truly, thus shall the man be blessed who fears jehovah!
5. jehovah shall bless you from out of Zion, and you shall behold the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
6. Yea, you shall see your children's children, and peace upon Israel.

Verse 1. Blessed is every one who fears jehovah, who walks in his ways. To fear jehovah is here to think reverently and holily of God, and to walk in his ways is to live according to Divine truth, by both there is a performance of worship; but in external worship, which is to live according to Divine truths, there must be internal worship, which is to fear jehovah, wherefore it is said, that he who fears jehovah is one who walks in his ways. AE 696.

Verses 1 to 6. By being blessed is not here meant to be blessed naturally, as by eating the labour of his hands, by his wife being fruitful, by having many sons around his table, but it means to be spiritually blessed; for by those who fear jehovah are meant such as love to do his precepts, wherefore it is said, "Blessed is every one who fears jehovah, who walks in his ways," whore to walk in his ways signifies to do his precepts; by the labour of his hands which he should eat, is signified application of life, accordingly by the wife on the sides of the house is signified the affection of spiritual truth, wherefore also it is said, as a fruitful vine, for by vine is signified the spiritual church from the affection of truth; by the sons around the table are signified the truths of good thence derived; tables are instructions, wherefore it is also said, as olive plants; plants signifying truths, and olives goods. AE 340.

Verse 2. Truly, you shall eat the labour of your hands, blessed are you, yea, it shall be well with you! By eating the labour of your hands is signified celestial good which man receives by a life according to Divine truths from the lord, and which he, as it were, acquires by his own labour and study, wherefore it is said, that he eats who fears jehovah and walks in his ways, and afterwards, blessed are you, and it shall be well with you. AE 617.

Verse 3. Your wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of your house, your sons shall be like olive plants around your table. Where wife as a fruitful vine denotes the spiritual church; sons denote the truths of faith, which are called olive plants, because from the goods of charity. AC 886.

In the Word, where good is treated of, truth is also mentioned, by reason of their marriage; in like manner where the celestial principle is treated of, the spiritual principle is also mentioned; the celestial principle is also predicated of good, and the spiritual of truth; therefore of the vine and of the olive: that a vine denotes the spiritual church and its good and truth, see AC 1069; on this account also the vine and the olive are mentioned together in other places, as in David, "Your wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of your house, your sons shall be like olive plants around your table." AC 10261.

Verse 6. Yea, you shall see your children's children, and peace upon Israel. Children's children, or sons of sons, signify the truths of doctrine and their multiplication to eternity, since all these things are from the lord, and by the peace which is from him, therefore it is concluded that you may see peace upon Israel, Israel denoting those who are of the church. AE 365.