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Wisdom & Poetry · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Psalm 128

Psalm 128 is read especially through the theme of pilgrimage, within Book V (Psalms 107–150). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application.

Pilgrimage
Psalms overview
Old Testament

Psalm 128

1A Song of Ascents. Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways.

2For you will eat the labor of your hands. You will be happy, and it will be well with you.

3Your wife will be as a fruitful vine in the innermost parts of your house, your children like olive shoots around your table.

4Behold, this is how the man who fears the LORD is blessed.

5May the LORD bless you out of Zion, and may you see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life.

6Yes, may you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel.

READ IN CONTEXT

Understanding Psalm 128

Psalm 128 is read especially through the theme of pilgrimage, within Book V (Psalms 107–150). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application. Read it within the complete five-book Psalms collection, then compare its prayer language with the types of prayer found across Scripture. Classification is a reading aid rather than a replacement for the Psalm's own movement and tension.

Collection

Book V (Psalms 107–150). The five-book shape of the Psalter helps readers hear individual prayers within a deliberately arranged collection.

Themes detected

Pilgrimage. Read for these themes while remaining open to tension and secondary movements.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Psalm 128

Psalm 128 contains 6 verses and about 102 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “A Song of Ascents. Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 6 closes: “Yes, may you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include will, blessed, fears, children, song, ascents. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Psalm 128

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Psalms 128:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

What kind of Psalm is this?+

Our reading profile emphasizes pilgrimage, with related themes of Pilgrimage. Many Psalms blend genres or move between moods, so this label is a guide rather than a rigid classification.

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