A declaration of the domestic blessedness of those who fear the LORD.

Scripture References:
st. 1 = vv. 1-3
st. 2 = vv. 4-6

A "Song of Ascents" (among the cluster 120-134) that the Israelites sang as they went up to worship at the temple in Jerusalem, Psalm 128 is a partner with 127 in extolling the LORD for the blessings of family life. The psalmist teaches that domestic blessings are especially reserved for those who fear the LORD. Their labors will prosper, and their wives will bear children, thus magnifying the daily banquet of joy around the family table (st. 1). A closing benediction pronounces blessing on those who fear the LORD and adds a blessing on all God's people (st. 2). Calvin Seerveld (PHH 22) versified this psalm for the Psalter Hymnal in 1981.

Liturgical Use:
Weddings; family life services; choral benediction. Seerveld suggests singing this psalm for baptism, especially if the grandparents of the infant are present: "One of the richest blessings for an Old Testament believer was to live long enough to see the grandchildren flowering in the faith of the fathers and mothers."

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook