In 2021, I was walking through the aisles of Hobby Lobby when I came across the nursery section. Covering the shelves were decorative arrows and various iterations of Psalm 127:3-5 repeated on every surface.
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.
Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
As my eyes fell on the word “reward” again and again, my chest tightened and my heart sank. We had been trying to start our family for nearly a year and had some answers, but had made little progress. Easily, I ran through a mental Rolodex of all the reasons why I felt we were worthy of that reward, only to then, the next moment, go through an entirely new list of possibilities of why we were unworthy.
The combination of mental gymnastics and emotional heartache was enough to send me quickly out of the store to the safety of my car where I did my best to ground myself with truth. But I struggled to find comfort in scripture when it felt like scripture itself had caused the wound.
I know that I am not alone in this. For those struggling through infertility, certain stories and phrases from scripture can sting our tender hearts. When you’re already in a vulnerable season, it can be tempting to listen to your doubts and avoid scripture or prayer altogether. Rather than skipping this psalm, I want to invite you to take a closer look with me as we see what we can glean from it.
Broader Context: Song of Ascents. Of Solomon
As with many of the psalms, we are given little to no context for this psalm. But while its description is brief, it is informative.
First, it is a “Song of Ascent,” one of the fifteen psalms between Psalms 120 and 134. This collection was to be sung by the Israelites on their annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem. This trip was considered an ascent because it was located on Mount Moriah, the highest point in Israel. This mountain was first introduced to us in Genesis 22 as the location on which God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Later, sacrifices would be made here once again in the temple, as built by Solomon.1
Second, this psalm was written by Solomon, or by David to Solomon. Of the Songs of Ascent, this is the only one thought to be written by Solomon. Four of the remaining collection are attributed to David, and the remaining ten are anonymous.2
This information is significant for us because it provides the original author, audience, and occasion for this song. We will look more into the application for modern believers as we go through the text.
Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
As the King of Israel who oversaw the construction of the temple,3 Solomon understood the complexities of both a building project and the protection of a city. Though planning and manpower were certainly required for both, it would all crumble quickly without the Lord sanctioning and blessing the work. In his commentary on these verses, Spurgeon takes care to note that Solomon doesn’t tell the builders or watchmen to simply put their faith in God and neglect their work.4 He instead encourages that they work heartily but trust God to bring meaning and purpose to the work. As the Israelites sang this song on their journey, they would have been reminded of the need to humble themselves before the Lord.
It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.
Again, Solomon is not warning against hard work, but against self-sufficiency. Long work hours don’t necessarily lead to more prosperity. And when we look to our own hands to provide our every need, we “eat the bread of anxious toil.” Other translations call this the “bread of sorrows” or “the bread of painful labors,” pointing to the fact that there is no joy in this type of labor and that it does not bear good fruit.5
It is important to remember that God built rest into both Creation6 and the Mosaic Law,7 and that the Law finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ.8 Psalm 127 does not present new information, but reaffirms that God’s design has always been for his people to find their ultimate rest in him.
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.
“Behold” is an indication of a pivot. Why toil to build a home and protect a city? For the people of God, the families within that city and homes, to flourish.
It should be no surprise to us that God loves children. When God became flesh9 and Jesus walked on earth, we see him welcoming children.10 While his disciples saw the children as a nuisance, Jesus rebuked their attitudes and upheld children as an example of faith and humility. God loves and values children well before they become adults and contributing members to society.
While I have never taken issue with the value of children, the sticking point for me for many years was the word, “reward.”
Two things are important here to know. First, in Ancient Israel, large families were essential. “In ancient Israelite society, children ensured the survival of the family name, contributing to labor, caring for parents in old age, and keeping the memory of their ancestors alive.”11 This is why infertility was so devastating. Not having children was more than just an unmet hope; it meant that you would soon be forgotten and your hard work would be lost.
It should also be noted that at the time of David and Solomon, the primary way in which God was growing his people was through the nuclear family. We can see this evidenced in the repeated command to “be fruitful and multiply.”12 Therefore, by not having many children, you are also impacting the nation of Israel and the advancement of God’s kingdom. This, of course, changes when Jesus arrives and opens salvation to the Gentiles, extending the invitation of salvation from the people of Israel, to every tongue, tribe, and nation.13 You can read more about this command and how it evolved in scripture in my blog post: “When You Can’t Be Fruitful and Multiply”.
Second, the words “inheritance” and “reward” are used in parallel in the text, ultimately emphasizing that children are a gift from God.14 A gift, by definition, is something freely given out of love or care. Indicating that while no one deserves children, they are given out of the generosity and love of the Lord.
I want to pause here for a moment to emphasize the importance of a good theology of suffering. For followers of Jesus, justification happens at the moment of salvation. No longer do we live under the ultimate jurisdiction of sin. And when we are united with God, either at the coming of Christ or upon our deaths, we will be free from its lingering effects once and for all. However, until that day, we still live in a broken and fallen world. The atmosphere in which we live is tainted, our bodies are weak, and we still sin against one another.
Friend, infertility is not a sin issue; it is a suffering issue.
Our bodies are impacted by sin, therefore causing suffering via medical difficulties. Psalm 127:3 is not a call for you to confess sin and be rewarded with a baby, but a recognition that we are all undeserving of good gifts and it is only by God’s mercy and generosity that he gives them.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children of one’s youth.
Without skill, arrows are not nearly as effective. If children are arrows, they will not make it far in life without being carefully shaped and strengthened. They deserve our careful attention and incessant prayers. Spurgeon here notes that arrows that are not carefully crafted are but “only sticks, knotty and useless,” and we are better off with few of them. If it is pointless to build a home without the Lord to bless and preserve it, how much more to raise a family without God’s hand?15
What I find to be interesting here is that no one knows this better than David’s family. His children were not exactly his pride and joy. You can see this in every branch of his family. From Absalom trying to lead a coup against him,16 to even wise Solomon having 700 wives and 300 concubines, who eventually led him to idolatry.17 His family portrait was not exactly one of morality. Many of the arrows David crafted were weak and did not shoot straight. If any family understood the need to be diligent in raising arrows, it was this one.
Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
The idea of a quiver being full is less about the number of arrows and more about the size of the quiver. For some, God gifts them with a large quiver and many children. For others, the quiver is smaller, yet still full, even if it is with only one or two arrows. Neither a large nor small quiver is more spiritual or more important than the other. To this point, I have heard Christians with only one or two children express shame over this scripture, especially those who were, for whatever reason, unable to have more than one or two children. If that is you, please know that you are not condemned by the Lord for the number of children you have.
The “gate” of ancient cities, including Jerusalem, was an important location.18 Here, business and justice took place. This verse indicates that the man in the psalm will have children who are in positions of honor, not of shame. In other words, the lawyers and judges, not the criminals.
I love here too what Spurgeon has to say to spiritual parents as he encourages preachers: 19
He who is the father of a host of spiritual children is unquestionably happy. He can answer all opponents by pointing to souls who have been saved by his means. Converts are emphatically the heritage of the Lord, and the reward of the preacher’s soul travail. By these, under the power of the Holy Ghost, the city of the church is both built up and watched, and the Lord has the glory of it.
This is true for lay church members as well. Those who quietly evangelize and disciple, whether or not they have their own children. Your labor to raise up spiritual children is never in vain.
Final Thoughts
We are often too quick to strip this scripture of its context and move to personal application. My hope in going so slowly through this psalm was to place it back into that context for a better understanding of our savior as well as to bring comfort to those struggling through infertility or childlessness.
The purpose of this psalm was not that all of God’s people should have many, many children, but it is ultimately in line with the principle that Paul lays out in 1 Corinthians 10:31 and Colossians 3:1-whatever we do in work, family life, personal projects, or caring for our community, we do it all for the glory of God.
Let’s keep in touch! You can also find me on Instagram.
If you are walking through a difficult season and can benefit from biblical counseling, schedule a session with myself or another qualified counselor today.
- “What are the Songs of Ascent?” https://www.gotquestions.org/Songs-of-Ascent.html ↩︎
- “Matthew Henry’s Commentary” https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Psa/Psa_127.cfm ↩︎
- 1 Kings 6:1 ↩︎
- “Study Guide for Psalm 127.” https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/guzik_david/study-guide/psalm/psalm-127.cfm ↩︎
- “Psalm 127:2” https://biblehub.com/psalms/127-2.htm ↩︎
- Genesis 2:2 ↩︎
- Exodus 20:8 ↩︎
- Matthew 5:17-18 ↩︎
- John 1:14 ↩︎
- Mark 10:13-16 and Matthew 19:13-15 ↩︎
- “The Bible Says: Psalm 127:3-5 Meaning.” https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/tbs/meaning/psa-127-v3-5.cfm ↩︎
- Genesis 1:28 ↩︎
- Matthew 28:18-20 ↩︎
- https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=%22reward%22+Psalm+127%3A3&t=ESV#s=s_lexiconc ↩︎
- “CH Spurgeon: Psalm 127”https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/tod/ps127.cfm ↩︎
- 2 Samuel 15:1-37, 2 Samuel 16:1-23, 2 Samuel 17:1-29, Psalm 96:10, Isaiah 11:1-5 ↩︎
- 1 Kings 11:3 ↩︎
- “What is the Significance of a City Gate in the Bible?” https://www.gotquestions.org/city-gate.html ↩︎
- “CH Spurgeon: Psalm 127” https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/tod/ps127.cfm ↩︎
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