Psalm 127:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves.

NASB: It is futile for you to rise up early, To stay up late, To eat the bread of painful labor; This is how He gives to His beloved sleep.

CSB: In vain you get up early and stay up late, working hard to have enough food— yes, he gives sleep to the one he loves.

NLT: It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.

KJV: It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.

NKJV: It is vain for you to rise up early, To sit up late, To eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep.

The context of this verse comes from the opening lines of this psalm (Psalm 127:1). What's pointless, or futile, is to work for anything without reliance on God and godly wisdom (Proverbs 1:7; Psalm 14:1). No amount of effort or ability can overcome something grounded on lies or foolishness (Matthew 7:24–27). All the effort people expend to build or protect things, when those efforts are not godly, are worthless sources of stress (1 Corinthians 3:10–15).

Work is endorsed in Scripture. Even in the garden of Eden Adam worked. God had placed him in the garden "to work it and keep it" (Genesis 2:15). In response to idleness among the believers at Thessalonica, the apostle Paul ordered: "If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat" (2 Thessalonians 3:10). In his first epistle to the Thessalonians, he wrote: "We urge you, brothers, admonish the idle" (1 Thessalonians 5:14). There is no sense in which this verse condemns work—only overwork that excludes God and produces anxiety and sleepless nights (Psalm 3:5).

By contrast, work that includes God by seeking and doing His will pleases God and leads to restful sleep. A clear conscience and trust in God bring peace of mind. The apostle James warned against working with an arrogant trust in one's own efforts and only a profit in view (James 4:13–17). He admonished, "Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that'" (James 4:15). Work done in the will of God is never in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Psalm 127:1–2 asserts how futile it is to work for something without considering God's perspective and will. Whether it's building something, or protecting that which has been built, any approach that ignores the Lord is ultimately useless. Even worse, the strain of trying to work contrary to truth leads only to negative stress and sleepless nights. In contrast, reliance on the Lord leads to a good night's sleep at the end of each workday.

This psalm insists any work, whether it is constructive or defensive, is pointless when it's not aligned with God. Anything not grounded in godly truth is bound to fail, eventually. Long days spent striving to get what the Lord has not willed are just stress leading to sleepless nights. Keeping the theme of building for the future, children are not a burden but a blessing. The Lord rewards parents with children who help them achieve victory over life's challenges. The father of many children is blessed. Children help provide protection against every enemy that threatens the family's security.

Solomon wrote this "song of ascent." Like the others (Psalms 120–126, 128¬–134), it was sung by the people of Israel as they traveled to Jerusalem to observe an annual festival. The psalm points out the futility of making plans and trying to carry them out without relying on the Lord. Connected to this is the idea of children and the blessing they bring.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.