John Calvin Commentary Psalms 127

Except Jehovah build the house. There is no reason why the Jews should deny that this Psalm was composed by Solomon. They think that the letter ל (lamed), which we translate as 'of,' is equivalent to in behalf of Solomon; which is at variance with common usage, for such a title in all cases designates the author.

Accordingly, they absurdly devise a new sense, for which there is no necessity, as it is very suitable for Solomon, who was endowed with the spirit of wisdom in governmental affairs, to speak about things he knew and had experienced. In affirming that God governs the world and human life, he does so for two reasons: First, whatever prosperous event may happen to people, their ingratitude is instantly shown by their ascribing it entirely to themselves; and thus God is deprived of the honor that is His due.

Solomon, to correct such a perverse error, declares that nothing happens prosperously to us except insofar as God blesses our endeavors. Secondly, his purpose was to counter the foolish presumption of people who, disregarding God, are not afraid to undertake anything, whatever it may be, in exclusive reliance upon their own wisdom and strength.

Therefore, stripping them of that which they groundlessly claim for themselves, he exhorts them to modesty and to calling upon God. He does not, however, reject labor, enterprises, or human counsels; for it is a praiseworthy virtue to diligently discharge the duties of our office.

It is not the Lord's will that we should be like blocks of wood, or that we should keep our arms folded, doing nothing; but that we should use all the talents and advantages He has given us. It is indeed true that most of our labors proceed from God's curse; yet even if humans had retained the integrity of their original state, God would have had us be employed, just as we see how Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden to dress it (Genesis 2:15).

Solomon, therefore, does not condemn watchfulness, which God approves, nor human labor—by which, when they undertake it willingly according to God's commandment, they offer Him an acceptable sacrifice. But, lest blinded by presumption they should forcibly claim for themselves what belongs to God, he admonishes them that their being busy will profit them nothing, except insofar as God blesses their efforts.

By the word house, he means not only a building of wood or stone, but he includes the entire domestic order and government of a family, just as a little later, by the word city, he denotes not only the buildings or the enclosure of the walls, but also the general state of the whole community.

There is likewise a synecdoche in the words builder and keeper; for he intends to say, in general, that whatever labor, foresight, and skill people may employ in maintaining a family or in preserving a city will be to no purpose unless God grants a prosperous outcome from heaven to the whole endeavor.

We should remember what I have just touched upon: since human minds are commonly possessed with such stubborn arrogance that it leads them to despise God and to magnify their own means and advantages beyond measure, nothing is more important than to humble them, so that they may be made to perceive that whatever they undertake will dissolve into smoke unless God, by pure grace, causes it to prosper.

When philosophers argue about the political affairs of a state, they ingeniously gather whatever seems to suit their purpose. They acutely point out the means of establishing a commonwealth and, on the other hand, the vices by which a well-regulated state is commonly corrupted. In short, they discuss with consummate skill everything necessary to know on this subject, except that they omit the main point: that humans, however much they may excel in wisdom and virtue, and whatever undertakings they may engage in, can achieve nothing unless God extends His hand to them, or rather uses them as His instruments.

Which philosopher ever acknowledged that a politician is nothing but an instrument guided by the hand of God? Indeed, they held that good management by humans constituted the primary cause of the happiness of the social body. Now, since mortals thus rise up with profane boldness to build cities and to order the state of the whole world, the Holy Spirit justly rebukes such madness.

Let us then occupy ourselves, each according to his ability and the nature of his office, in such a way that the praise for the success attending our efforts remains exclusively with God. The division many devise—that he who has behaved valiantly, while leaving half the praise to God, may take the other half for himself—deserves complete condemnation. God's blessing should have the whole share and exclusively hold the throne.

Now, if our earthly condition depends entirely on God's good pleasure, with what wings shall we fly up into heaven? When a house is planned, or a certain way of life is chosen—indeed, even when laws are enacted and justice administered—all this is nothing more than to crawl upon the earth; and yet the Holy Spirit declares that all our endeavors in this way are fruitless and worthless.

All the less tolerable, then, is the folly of those who strive to penetrate even into heaven by their own power. Furthermore, we may gather from this doctrine that it is not surprising to find the state of the world today as troubled and confused as it is—justice banished from cities, husbands and wives accusing each other, fathers and mothers complaining about their children—in short, all lamenting their own condition.

For how few are to be found who, in their vocation, turn to God, and who, being rather inflated with arrogance, do not wickedly exalt themselves? God then justly gives this sad reward to ungrateful people when He is deprived of His honor. But if all people were to humbly submit themselves to God's providence, there is no doubt that this blessing which Solomon here commends would shine on all parts of our life, both public and private.

The verb עמל (amal), which we have translated to labor, signifies not only to employ oneself in something, but also to busy oneself even to weariness and distress. I have said that by the word keepers is to be understood not only those appointed to keep watch, but all magistrates and judges. If they are characterized by vigilance, it is God's gift. There is, however, need of another vigilance—that of God; for unless He keeps watch from heaven, no human insight will be sufficient to guard against dangers.

It is vain for you in hastening to rise early. Solomon now expresses more plainly that men in vain wear themselves out with toiling, and waste themselves by fasting to acquire riches, since these also are a benefit bestowed only by God. To move them more effectively, he addresses himself to every man in particular. It is, he says, in vain for you. He particularizes two means which are thought to contribute significantly to amassing riches.

It is not surprising to find those growing rich in a short time who spare no exertion, but consume night and day plying their occupations, and allow themselves only scanty fare from the product of their labor. Solomon, however, affirms that neither living at a small expense nor diligence in business will by themselves profit anything at all.

Not that he forbids us to practice temperance in our diet and to rise early to engage in our worldly business; but to stir us up to prayer and to calling upon God, and also to recommend gratitude for the divine blessings, he brings to nothing whatever would obscure the grace of God.

Consequently, we will then enter upon our worldly endeavors in a right way when our hope depends exclusively upon God, and our success in that case will correspond to our wishes. But if a man, taking no account of God, eagerly makes haste, he will bring ruin upon himself by his too precipitate course.

It is not, therefore, the Prophet's intention to encourage men to give way to sloth, so that they should think about nothing all their lives, but fall asleep and abandon themselves to idleness. His meaning, rather, is that, in carrying out what God has enjoined upon them, they should always begin with prayer and calling upon His name, offering to Him their labors that He may bless them.

The expression the bread of sorrows may be explained in two ways: either as denoting what is acquired by hard and anxious toil, or what is eaten with anxiety of mind, just as we see parsimonious and close-fisted persons who, when they have scarcely tasted a bit of bread, pull back their hand from their mouth. It is of no great importance which of these senses is adopted, for we are simply taught that parsimonious men profit nothing—no, not even when through their own miserliness they are reluctant to eat as much as nature requires.

For thus will He give sleep to His beloved. The inspired writer intimates that the blessing of God, of which he has spoken, is actually seen in His children and servants. It will not suffice to believe this doctrine—that whatever men attempt is to no purpose; it is necessary that the promise be added, so that they may be led with assured hope to perform their duty.

The sentence may be read either—He will give sleep to His beloved, or, He will give in sleeping; that is, He will give them those things which unbelievers labor to acquire by their own industry. The particle כן, ken, thus, is used to express certainty. For with the aim of producing a stronger conviction of the truth—that God gives food to His people without any great care on their part, which seems incredible and a fiction—Solomon points to the matter, as it were, with his finger.

He indeed speaks as if God nourished the slothfulness of His servants by His gentle treatment; but as we know that men are created with the purpose of being occupied, and as in the subsequent Psalm we will find that the servants of God are considered happy when they eat the labor of their hands, it is certain that the word sleep is not to be understood as implying slothfulness, but a placid labor, to which true believers subject themselves by the obedience of faith.

From what source does this great ardor in unbelievers come—that they do not move a finger without a tumult or bustle, in other words, without tormenting themselves with superfluous cares—if not from this: they attribute nothing to the providence of God! The faithful, on the other hand, although they lead a laborious life, yet follow their vocations with composed and tranquil minds.

Thus their hands are not idle, but their minds repose in the stillness of faith, as if they were asleep. If it is again objected that God’s people are often agitated with distressing cares, and that, oppressed with pinching poverty and destitute of all resources, they are anxiously concerned about tomorrow, I answer that if faith and love to God were perfect in His servants, His blessing, of which the Prophet makes mention, would be manifest.

Whenever they are tormented excessively, this happens through their own fault, in not resting entirely upon the providence of God. I further add that God punishes them more severely than unbelievers because it is profitable for them to be agitated by anxiety for a time, so that eventually they may attain to this peaceful sleep.

In the meantime, however, God’s grace prevails and always shines forth in the midst of darkness, in His cherishing His children as it were by sleep.

Lo! children are the heritage of Jehovah. Solomon here presents one instance in which, in a particular manner, he would have us recognize the truth which he has previously asserted generally — that the life of men is governed by God. Nothing seems more natural than for men to be produced of men.

The majority of mankind dream that after God had once ordained this at the beginning, children were from then on begotten solely by a secret instinct of nature, God ceasing to interfere in the matter; and even those who are endowed with some sense of piety, although they may not deny that He is the Father and Creator of the human race, yet do not acknowledge that his providential care descends to this particular case, but rather think that men are created by a certain universal motion.

In order to correct this preposterous error, Solomon calls children the heritage of God, and the fruit of the womb his gift; for the Hebrew word שכר, sachar, translated reward, signifies whatever benefits God bestows upon men, as is plainly manifest from many passages of Scripture. The meaning then is that children are not the fruit of chance, but that God, as it seems good to him, distributes to every man his share of them.

Moreover, as the Prophet repeats the same thing twice, heritage and reward are to be understood as equivalent; for both these terms are set in opposition to fortune or the strength of men. The stronger a man is, the better fitted he seems for procreation. Solomon declares on the contrary, that those become fathers to whom God grants that honor.

As the majority of children are not always a source of joy to their parents, a second favor of God is added, which is his forming the minds of children and adorning them with an excellent disposition and all kinds of virtues. Aristotle in his Politics very properly discusses the question whether πολυτεκνια, that is, the having of many children, ought to be accounted among good things or not; and he decides it in the negative, unless there is added εὐγενεια, that is, generosity or goodness of nature in the children themselves.

And assuredly it would be a far happier lot for many to be without children, or barren, than to have a numerous offspring proving to them only the cause of tears and groans. In order, then, to set forth this blessing of God — the having offspring — in a clear light, Solomon commends a virtuous and generous disposition in children.

The analogy introduced for this purpose is that as an archer is armed with a well-furnished bow, so men are defended by their children, as it were, with a bow and arrows. This analogy might seem, at first sight, a little too harsh; but if it is examined somewhat more closely, its elegance will be readily admitted.

The Prophet means that those who are without children are in a manner unarmed; for what else is it to be childless but to be solitary? It is no small gift of God for a man to be renewed in his posterity; for God then gives him new strength, so that he who otherwise would immediately decay may begin, as it were, to live a second time.

The knowledge of this doctrine is highly useful. The fruitfulness even of the lower animals is expressly ascribed to God alone; and if He would have it to be accounted his benefit that cows, and sheep, and mares conceive, how inexcusable will be the impiety of men if, when he adorns them with the honorable title of fathers, they account this favor as nothing.

It is also to be added that unless men regard their children as the gift of God, they are careless and reluctant in providing for their support, just as, on the other hand, this knowledge contributes very significantly to encourage them in bringing up their offspring.

Furthermore, he who thus reflects upon the goodness of God in giving him children will readily and with a settled mind look for the continuance of God’s grace; and although he may have but a small inheritance to leave them, he will not be unduly anxious on that account.

They shall not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate. Here Solomon describes children who, distinguished by uprightness and integrity, have no hesitation in rendering an account of their life, so that they may shut the mouths of the malevolent and calumniators. In ancient times, as is well known, judicial assemblies were held at the gates of cities.

Therefore, he speaks of the gate here as if, in the present day, one were to speak of the bench, the courts, or the senate. It should be observed that what is chiefly praised in children is innocence, so that fathers may estimate this grace at its true value. In the preceding clause, he had compared children endowed with virtue and excellence of nature to arrows.

Now, so that no one may violently misconstrue this comparison—as if it were intended to give children permission, like robbers, to rush into doing mischief to those they encounter, reckless of right and wrong—he expressly presents virtue and moral integrity as constituting the protection they ought to afford their fathers.

He teaches us, then, that the children we ought to wish for are not those who might violently oppress the wretched and suffering, or take advantage of others by craft and deceit, or accumulate great riches by unlawful means, or acquire tyrannical authority for themselves; but rather, they are those who will practice uprightness, be willing to live in obedience to the laws, and be prepared to render an account of their life.

Furthermore, although fathers ought diligently to form their children under a system of holy discipline, yet they should remember that they will never succeed in achieving their aim, except through the pure and special grace of God. Solomon also tacitly intimates that however zealously we are devoted to the practice of integrity, we will never be without detractors and slanderers; for if a life of integrity were exempt from all calumny, we would have no quarrel with our enemies.