John Calvin Commentary Psalms 127:5

"Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: They shall not be put to shame, When they speak with their enemies in the gate." — Psalms 127:5 (ASV)

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.