Psalm 127:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon. 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.

NIV: A song of ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.

NASB: Unless the Lord builds a house, They who build it labor in vain; Unless the Lord guards a city, The watchman stays awake in vain.

CSB: Unless the Lord builds a house, its builders labor over it in vain; unless the Lord watches over a city, the watchman stays alert in vain.

NLT: Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.

KJV: {A Song of degrees for Solomon.} Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

NKJV: {A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.} Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.

Solomon, Israel's wise king, asked the Lord for wisdom, and the Lord granted his request (1 Kings 3:7–14). Solomon's wisdom is evident in this psalm. As a wise builder, he constructed the magnificent temple of the Lord in Jerusalem and his own beautiful palace (1 Kings 6—7). He warns in Psalm 127:1 that it is useless to construct a house without depending upon the Lord. Perhaps, by "house" he was thinking not only of a building but also of a family.

Although believers may not be in the construction business, we are building our lives and the church. Paul was a skilled master builder who helped lay the church's foundation; he cautioned others to take care how they built on that foundation (1 Corinthians 3:10). Paul warned, "For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done" (1 Corinthians 3:11–13). Jesus said that apart from Him we can accomplish nothing (John 15:5).

A key parallel to the lesson of this verse is Jesus' parable found in Matthew 7:24–27. There, He compares those who hear or ignore Him, respectively, to those who build on solid foundations or on sand. A person can put great effort into building a structure, but if the foundations are weak, the building is doomed. The same is true of anything, physical or spiritual: only that which is based on truth and wisdom can last (Proverbs 1:7). Impressive intelligence, effort, and skill cannot overcome reliance on lies; unless a person's work is grounded in truth, it will eventually be vaporized (1 Corinthians 3:11–15).

Scripture also warns here that the same wisdom applies to attempts to keep what we already have. Whether it's a city, a nation, an object, or a philosophy, defense is futile without reliance on God. This means something more than mere words. It is one thing for a nation to stamp "In God we trust" on its coins, but unless it exercises trust in the Lord, it is still ignoring His wisdom (Psalm 14:1).

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.