<<  PSALM CXXVII. >>

A Song of Ascents; of Solomon.

1. Except Jehovah build the house,
They labor in vain that build it:
Except Jehovah keep the city,
The watchman waketh but in vain.
2. It is vain for you to rise up early,
To take rest late,
To eat the bread of toil;
For so he giveth unto his beloved sleep.
3. Lo, children are a heritage of Jehovah;
And the fruit of the womb is his reward.
4. As arrows in the hand of a mighty man,
So are the children of youth.
5. Happy is the man thai hath his quiver full of them:
They shall not be put to shame,
When they speak with their enemies in the gate.

 

1. Except Jehovah build the house,
They labor in vain that build it:
Except Jehovah keep the city,
The watchman waketh but in vain.
2. It is vain for you to rise up early,
To take rest late,
To eat the bread of toil;
For so he giveth unto his beloved sleep.

1. See Psalm xviii. 1. R. 279.
See Psalm xviii. 1. E. 326,
1, 2. All things of the church are from the Lord, and nothing from man. P. P.

3. Lo, children are a heritage of Jehovah;
And the fruit of the womb is his reward.
4. As arrows in the hand of a mighty man,
So are the children of youth.
5. Happy is the man thai hath his quiver full of them:
They shall not be put to shame,
When they speak with their enemies in the gate.

3. Treating of the regenerated. They are said to be heirs, sons of the kingdom, and born of the Lord as a Father. R. 20.
By the belly (womb) are signified the interiors of the thought, or of the understanding, therefore by the fruit of the womb in the spiritual sense are signified the goods of the understanding, and by sons its truths. E. 622.
By sons are understood those who are in truths from good, and by the fruit of the belly who are in good by truths, who have heaven, which is the heritage and reward. E. 710.
3, 4. By reward is signified the felicity of those who are in heaven. E. 695.
He who is in truths from the Lord remains safe. P. P.
3-5. To speak with their enemies in the gate, means to have no fear of evils and falsities, and thus not of hell. A. 2851.
Here as elsewhere children signify the truths of doctrine. R. 299.
In spiritual marriage masculine offspring is truth and good in the understanding and thence in the thought, and feminine offspring is truth and good in the will, and thence in the affection. Therefore truth is signified in the Word by a son. R. 543.
By the children who are the inheritance of Jehovah, are signified truths, whence intelligence is derived, by the fruit of the womb goods whence is felicity. By verse

4 are signified the truths of the good of innocence, because no evil nor falsity can resist those truths, therefore they are as arrows in the hand of a mighty man. The good of innocence is the good of love to the Lord, because those truths have such power, it is said—see verse 5. E- 357-
By verse 3 are understood the truths and goods of the church, sons truth, the fruit of the womb goods, for both
these are rewards and the heritage of Jehovah, that is heaven, which is from the reception of truths and goods.
By verse 4 are understood the truths of the ancient church, which were natural truths from spiritual origin, this church is understood by youth. Since all power is in these truths against evils and falses therefore it is said as arrows, which stand for truths destroying falses. Doctrine from truths is signified by the quiver the same as by the bow. They who are in doctrine from those truths fear nothing from falses, therefore it is said—see verse 5. Not to be ashamed means not to be conquered. Enemies in the gate stand for the falses of evil which are from hell. E. 724.
4. Quiver stands for the doctrine of good and truth. A. 2709.
See Psalm lxix. 13. A. 10483.

Author: EMANUEL SWEDENBORG (1688-1772)