Discovery BoxPsalms 128:1 
ContextA song of ascents. 2
128:1 How blessed is every one of the Lord’s loyal followers, 3
each one who keeps his commands! 4
Psalms 128:4-5
Context128:4 Yes indeed, the man who fears the Lord
will be blessed in this way. 5
128:5 May the Lord bless you 6 from Zion,
that you might see 7 Jerusalem 8 prosper
all the days of your life,
1 sn Psalm 128. The psalmist observes that the godly individual has genuine happiness because the Lord rewards such a person with prosperity and numerous children.
2 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
3 tn Heb “every fearer of the
4 tn Heb “the one who walks in his ways.”
5 tn Heb “look, indeed thus will the man, the fearer of the
6 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive of prayer (note the imperatives that are subordinated to this clause in vv. 5b-6a). Having described the blessings that typically come to the godly, the psalmist concludes by praying that this ideal may become reality for the representative godly man being addressed.
7 tn The imperative with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding jussive.
8 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
