Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 144:12

"When our sons shall be as plants grown up in their youth, And our daughters as corner-stones hewn after the fashion of a palace;" — Psalms 144:12 (ASV)

That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth – This means that our sons, not called forth to the hardships of the tent and the field, or the perils and exposures of war, may grow up under the culture of home and family, in quiet surroundings, like plants carefully cultivated and flourishing. .

The Hebrew expression here is “grown large in their youth,” not “grown up,” which has a paradoxical appearance. The meaning is that they may be robust, strong, vigorous, and well-formed, even in early life, so that they are not stunted in their growth but achieve full and manly proportions.

That our daughters may be as cornerstones – The word used here, זויות (zâvîyôth), occurs only in the plural form and properly means “corners,” derived from a verb meaning to hide away or to conceal.

This word is used in reference to the corners of an altar (Zechariah 9:15). In this psalm, it seems to refer to the corner columns of a palace or temple—perhaps, as Gesenius (Lexicon) suggests, alluding to the columns representing female figures so common in Egyptian architecture.

Polished – The margin reads, “cut.” The idea is not that of “polishing” or “smoothing,” but of cutting or sculpturing. It is the stone carefully cut as an ornament.

After the similitude of a palace – A more literal translation would be, “The likeness or model of a temple,” or, “for the building of a temple.” This means that they may be such as can be properly compared with the ornamental columns of a temple or palace. The comparison is a very beautiful one, conveying the idea of grace, symmetry, and fair proportions—that on which the skill of the sculptor is most abundantly lavished.