Psalm 128

Psalm 128
"Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD"
Song of Ascents
Miniature illustrating Psalm 128, Blessing on the Faithful, in The Very Rich Hours of the Duke of Berry
Other name	Psalm 127 (Vulgate) "Beati omnes"
Language	Hebrew (original)

Psalm 128 is the 128th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways". In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 127.In Latin, it is known as "Beati omnes qui timent Dominum".^[1]

The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies.

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Transcription

Text

Hebrew

The following table shows the Hebrew text^[2]^[3] of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).

Verse	Hebrew	English translation (JPS 1917)
1	שִׁ֗יר הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת אַ֭שְׁרֵי כׇּל־יְרֵ֣א יְהֹוָ֑ה הַ֝הֹלֵ֗ךְ בִּדְרָכָֽיו׃‎	A Song of Ascents. Happy is every one that feareth the LORD, That walketh in His ways.
2	יְגִ֣יעַ כַּ֭פֶּיךָ כִּ֣י תֹאכֵ֑ל אַ֝שְׁרֶ֗יךָ וְט֣וֹב לָֽךְ׃‎	When thou eatest the labour of thy hands, Happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.
3	אֶשְׁתְּךָ֤ ׀ כְּגֶ֥פֶן פֹּרִיָּה֮ בְּיַרְכְּתֵ֢י בֵ֫יתֶ֥ךָ בָּ֭נֶיךָ כִּשְׁתִלֵ֣י זֵיתִ֑ים סָ֝בִ֗יב לְשֻׁלְחָנֶֽךָ׃‎	Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine, in the innermost parts of thy house; Thy children like olive plants, round about thy table.
4	הִנֵּ֣ה כִי־כֵ֭ן יְבֹ֥רַךְ גָּ֗בֶר יְרֵ֣א יְהֹוָֽה׃‎	Behold, surely thus shall the man be blessed That feareth the LORD.
5	יְבָרֶכְךָ֥ יְהֹוָ֗ה מִצִּ֫יּ֥וֹן וּ֭רְאֵה בְּט֣וּב יְרוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם כֹּ֝֗ל יְמֵ֣י חַיֶּֽיךָ׃‎	The LORD bless thee out of Zion; And see thou the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life;
6	וּרְאֵֽה־בָנִ֥ים לְבָנֶ֑יךָ שָׁ֝ל֗וֹם עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃‎	And see thy children's children. Peace be upon Israel!

King James Version

¹Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD;
  that walketh in his ways.
²For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands:
  happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.
³Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine
  by the sides of thine house:
thy children like olive plants
  round about thy table.
⁴Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed
  that feareth the LORD.
⁵The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion:
    and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem
  all the days of thy life.
⁶Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children,
  and peace upon Israel.

Theme

Written anonymously, Psalm 128 likely dates to the post-exilic period (that is, after about 539 BCE).^[4]

The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary describes Zechariah 8:1–8 as a "virtual commentary on this psalm".^[5]

Verse 6

May you see your children’s children! Peace be upon Israel!^[6]

This verse recalls Jacob's reunion with his son Joseph in Genesis 48:11: And Israel [Jacob] said to Joseph, "I had not thought to see your face; but in fact, God has also shown me your offspring!" and is reflected in Job's restoration: After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations.^[7]^[8] Proverbs 17:6 celebrates the same idea: Children’s children are the crown of old men.^[9]

The concluding prayer for peace upon Israel, which also appears in Psalm 125, is best taken as a "detached clause", according to the Pulpit Commentary.^[8]

Uses

Judaism

In traditional Jewish practice, this psalm is recited following Mincha between Sukkot and Shabbat Hagadol.^[10] It is also recited prior to Aleinu during Motzei Shabbat Maariv,^[11] and among the prayers of the Bedtime Shema.^[12] Its second verse is found in Pirkei Avot Chapter 4, no. 1^[13] and Chapter 6, no. 4.^[14]

Christianity

Traditionally, since the Middle Ages, this psalm has been recited within the Office of none from Tuesday until Saturday, according to the Rule of St. Benedict (530).^[15]

In the liturgy of the current Roman Rite Mass, Psalm 128 is used on the feast of the Holy Family, the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time of the year A and the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time of the year B. It is also the traditional psalm for nuptial masses (missa pro votiva sponso and sponsa).

In the Sarum Use, the psalm was also sung by the priest after Psalm 121 at the churching of women.^[16]

Musical settings

Heinrich Schütz composed a metred paraphrase of Psalm 128 in German, "Ich heb mein Augen auf zu dir", SWV 233, for the Becker Psalter, published first in 1628.

This psalm was used by Michel-Richard Delalande in 1698 to compose a grand motet (S51) which was played in the royal chapel of Versailles to celebrate the offices. Henry Desmarest composed a grand motet "Beati omnes" (unknown date). Marc-Antoine Charpentier composed in 1680/1681 one "Beati omnes qui timent Dominum" H.178, for 3 voices, 2 treble instruments and continuo.

Salamone Rossi, the 17th-century Jewish-Italian composer who was the first known composer to write choral music for the Jewish liturgy, published three settings of the psalm (for 3, 5, and 6 voices) in his collection Shir Ha'shirim Lishlomo, published in 1622.