Psalm 128:1-6

This week’s responsorial psalm comes from Psalm 128, which is classified as a Wisdom psalm. Wisdom psalms typically focus on the practical aspects of living a righteous life, offering guidance and insights into the ways of the Lord.

Blessed are you who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways! For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; blessed shall you be, and favored.

The psalm begins with a macarism, a declaration of blessedness — a blessedness that carries the connotation of profound joy, happiness, and fulfillment. It is a product of aligning one’s life with the ways of God.

A macarism typically identifies a key trait leading to happiness and then details the blessings arising from that trait. Here, those who are blessed are those who fear the Lord and “walk in his ways”; i.e., are obedient to him.

The blessing that results is a life of prosperity.

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your home; your children like olive plants around your table.

In addition to material good fortune, one who fears the Lord will also be blessed with a flourishing family life. The symbols of a fruitful vine and olive plants represent growth and abundance.

In ancient societies, large families were signs of fertility and prosperity. In addition to providing companionship through life and partnership in labor, family members also protected each other in a hostile world.

Future generations also guaranteed perpetuity for the family, a recurring theme throughout the Bible. Numerous children meant that the bloodline and family name would survive death and endure to the next generation.

Behold, thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD.

In the Wisdom tradition of the Bible, particularly in books like Proverbs and Psalms, fear of the LORD is a central and distinguishing characteristic of the righteous person. This fear is not a paralyzing dread but rather a deep reverence, awe, and respect for God and his ways.

The one who fears the LORD is one who acknowledges God’s sovereignty and power and who lives wisely, that is, in accord with the order established by God. No wonder fear of the LORD leads to happiness and blessings!

The LORD bless you from Zion: may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. 

The psalmist offers a prayer for the Lord’s blessing and the continued well-being of the individual and, by extension, the entire community.

May you see your children’s children. 

The blessing continues with hope for the individual’s long life and the enjoyment of seeing future generations.

Peace be upon Israel!

The final statement is less a prayer than an exclamation. The Hebrew concept of shālôm extends beyond a simple understanding of peace. It is a holistic state of completeness, wholeness, well-being, prosperity, and harmony.

All of this is the result of right relationship with God.