Charles Ellicott Commentary Psalms 127:1

"Except Jehovah build the house, They labor in vain that build it: Except Jehovah keep the city, The watchman waketh but in vain." — Psalms 127:1 (ASV)

House. — A house, any house, not the Temple. The thought is a general one. Even in the common labors of men, it is the Divine blessing which contributes the success. An Gottes Segen ist alles gelegen.

Wakes. — Perhaps better, watches. The house that has been built with such toil, the city which has been planned with such skill, may suddenly fall before the midnight attack of the robber or the enemy, in spite of the strictest police, unless God’s vigilant providence preserve it.