Tehillim 128 | “May You Live to See Your Children’s Children”

Psalm 128 belongs to the genre of wisdom literature — meaning the psalm addresses a human audience and aims to impart moral teaching. This psalm focuses on the ways of one who fears God and the blessings intended for such a person. It is divided into two parts, each beginning with a declaration praising the one who fears the Lord in the third person. The content of each section, however, is formulated in the second person, directly addressing the God-fearing individual with praise and blessings.

The first part praises the God-fearing person for enjoying the fruits of his own labor and then poetically describes his wife and children: “Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine within your home, your children like olive saplings around your table.” The second part offers broader blessings: that he may see the goodness of Jerusalem and live to witness the continuation of his lineage through his grandchildren.

Several distinctions emerge between the two parts: In the first section, the God-fearing person is blessed through the work of his own hands and his immediate family, while in the second section, the blessing comes directly from God. The first part is focused on the individual’s home; the second extends outward to Jerusalem and future generations. Additionally, the second part emphasizes watching the blessing unfold — highlighted through the repeated phrase “may you shall see”.

Dr. Yoshi Fargeon (https://youtu.be/m4k0oLHQwaE) discusses the structure and balance between the two halves of the psalm. The God-fearing person must first care for his own home and immediate family. Only then can his influence extend outward—to the city and future generations. One might add that the psalm outlines two stages of life: an early phase of active building and responsibility for one’s household, followed later by a stage of contentment and joy in witnessing the blessings of Jerusalem and one's growing descendants.

Prof. Amos Frisch, in the attached excerpt from his book יגיע כפיך – יחס המקרא אל העבודה, examines Tehillim 127–128, aiming to explore the Tanakh’s attitude toward human labor and work.

The study of Psalm 127 highlights the importance of divine blessing for the success of a person’s labor. The first part of the psalm, centered around building (“builds,” “its builders”), presents work from its darker side, when the one who invests in his labor does not receive divine blessing (thus, human diligence is not a sufficient condition for success). The second part, centered around children (“children,” “youth”), depicts the growth of the family and the blessing of offspring—this time the work is seen from its brighter side. According to the author, this creates a parallel between the two domains.

The study of Psalm 128 focuses on clarifying two possible interpretations of the psalm, especially the verse “You shall eat the fruit of your labor; you shall be happy and thriving.” Is this a characterization of the God-fearing person — in which case, it would be high praise for work (as in the midrashim of Chazal)? Or is it merely a description of his reward—that he will enjoy the fruit of his labor and be spared the curse of seeing it taken by others? The author suggests a third understanding, which combines the two. In any case, he believes the psalm reflects a positive attitude toward human labor.