John Gill 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)

Happy [is] the man that has his quiver full of them
That is, his house full of them; called a quiver, referring to arrows before mentioned, this being the case in which they are put up: to have many children was always reckoned a great temporal blessing and happiness; see (Job 1:2) (Psalms 128:3Psalms 128:4Psalms 128:6) .

The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Ethiopic, and Arabic versions, render it, "that fills his desire" has as many as he desires or wishes for: the Targum,

``who fills his school of them:'' so Jarchi interprets the children, of the disciples of the wise men.

It may be applied to young converts, the children of Christ and of the church; which, when numerous, is a blessing to him and her; see (Isaiah 49:20Isaiah 49:21) (Isaiah 53:10Isaiah 53:11) ;

they shall not be ashamed ;
the father and his children, as Aben Ezra; parents rather are meant, who are not ashamed when they have many children: with the Romans ^F26 , those that had wives and children were preferred in honour to senior persons that had none; and they that had most to those that had fewest; and so with the Persians; (See Gill on Esther 5:11);

but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate :
where courts of judicature were kept; and so the Targum,

``in the gate of the house of judgment.'' The sense is, that their children should stand and plead the cause of their parents against their adversaries in courts of judicature; or publicly before the eyes of all, as Aben Ezra: and spiritually may design such of Christ's seed who are set for the defence of the Gospel, are valiant for the truth on earth, and earnestly contend for it; meet the enemy in the gate, publicly oppose him, and behave themselves like men, and are strong.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F26: A. Gell. Noct. Attic. l. 2. c. 15.