Psalms 127:2

Psalms 127:2 in other versions

• King James Version (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.
• English Standard Version (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.
• New King James Version (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.
• New Living Translation (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.

Context of Psalms 127:2

1Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves. 3Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. 4Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth.

Psalms 127:2 word by word

שָׁ֤וְא לָכֶ֨ם׀ מַשְׁכִּ֪ימֵי ק֡וּם מְאַֽחֲרֵי־שֶׁ֗בֶת אֹ֭כְלֵי לֶ֣חֶם הָעֲצָבִ֑ים כֵּ֤ן יִתֵּ֖ן לִֽידִיד֣וֹ שֵׁנָֽא׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• vainשָׁוְאshâv' shav · vanity: vainH7723
• for you to rise upקוּםqûm · to arise: riseH6965
• earlyשָׁכַםshâkam · to riseH7925
• to sit upיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• lateאָחַר'âchar · to delayH309
• to eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• the breadלֶ֫חֶםlechem · food: breadH3899
• of sorrowsעֶ֫צֶב‛etseb · toilH6089
• so he givethנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• his belovedיָדִידyedîyd · belovedH3039
• sleepשֵׁנָהshênâh shênâ' · sleepH8142

Cross-references for Psalms 127:2

• Psalms 39:5You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure.
• Ecclesiastes 1:14I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
• Ecclesiastes 2:1I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless.
• Ecclesiastes 4:8There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. “For whom am I toiling,” he asked, “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?” This too is meaningless— a miserable business!
• Proverbs 31:15She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants.
• Genesis 3:17To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.
• Ecclesiastes 6:7Everyone’s toil is for their mouth, yet their appetite is never satisfied.
• Psalms 3:5I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
• Psalms 4:8In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.
• Ecclesiastes 5:12The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep.
• Jeremiah 31:26At this I awoke and looked around. My sleep had been pleasant to me.
• Ezekiel 34:25“ ‘I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of savage beasts so that they may live in the wilderness and sleep in the forests in safety.
• Acts 12:5So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.

Commentaries on Psalms 127:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2It is vain for you to rise up early - There seems to be here an allusion to the daily and nightly watches which Nehemiah instituted. The people are worn out with constant labor and watching; he therefore divided them in such a manner, that they who had worked in the day should rest by night, and that they who worked by night should rest in the day; and thus his beloved, a title of the Jews, the beloved of God, got sleep, due refreshment, and rest. As for…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2It is vain for you to rise up early - The psalmist does not here say that it is improper to rise early; or that there could be no advantage in it; or that people would be more likely to be successful in their undertakings if they did not rise early; but that, although this was done, they would be still altogether dependent on God. Mere early rising, without his blessing, would not secure what they hoped to accomplish, for everything is still in the hand…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-2Unless: These conditional statements emphasize that the Lord is the one who protects the city (compare Psalm 124:1–2). Human effort achieves nothing unless the Lord blesses it (see Psalm 44:3). you rise early and stay up late: This phrase describes people who work constantly and live with pressure and competition. Those whom God loves can rest and sleep in peace (Psalm 3:5; 4:8).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-51-2. suggest the view of the theme given.Read the comment

Topics related to Psalms 127:2

• Blessing
• Bread
• Care
• Sleep
• Vanity
• Works

In the dictionaries

• Bread
• Degrees, Song of
• Hallel
• Psalms
• Wake
• Crime; Crimes
• Daniel, Book of
• Degree
• Degrees, Songs of
• Dial of Ahaz

Commentaries on Psalms 127

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• The Treasury of David
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings