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<< PSALM CXXVIII. >>
A Song of Ascents.
1. Blessed is every one that feareth Jehovah,
That walketh in his ways.
2. For thou shalt eat the labor of thy hands:
Happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.
3. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine,
In the innermost parts of thy house;
Thy children like olive plants,
Round about thy table.
4. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
That feareth Jehovah.
5. Jehovah bless thee out of Zion:
And see thou the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy
life.
6. Yea, see thou thy children's children.
Peace be upon Israel.
1. Blessed is every one that feareth Jehovah,
That walketh in his ways.
1. See Psalm xxv. 12. Add: a way is truth. A. 2826.
See Psalm xviiii. 1. R. 279.
See Psalm xviii. 1. E. 326.
See Psalm xxii. 24. R. 527.
To fear Jehovah here also stands for thinking reverently and with sanctity concerning God, and to walk in His ways for living according to Divine truths, worship is performed by both, but in external worship, which is living according to Divine truths, there must be internal worship which is to fear Jehovah. E. 696.
1, 2. By eating the labour of his hands is signified the celestial good which man receives by a life according to Divine truths from the Lord and as it were acquires to himself by Ms own labour and study. E. 617.
1-6. The blessings here spoken of are not to be understood naturally but spiritually. By fearing Jehovah are understood those who love to do His precepts, to walk in His ways signifies to do His precepts. By verse 2 is understood the study of life of such a one according to those precepts, by the wife the spiritual affection for truth in all things which he thinks and does. Therefore it is also said "as a fruitful vine," vine signifying the spiritual church from the affection for truth. By the children round about his table are understood the truths of good thence derived, a table standing for instruction. Plants signify truths and olives good. By Zion is signified heaven whence those things are, and by Jerusalem doctrine. Israel stands for the church, peace upon Israel for all spiritual good in general and in particular. E. 340.
Happy is he who is of the Lord's church, for good in abundance is there. P. P.
3. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine,
In the innermost parts of thy house;
Thy children like olive plants,
Round about thy table.
4. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
That feareth Jehovah.
3. Wife as a vine stands for the spiritual church, children for the truths of faith, which are called olive plants, because from the good of charity. A. 886.
3, 4. A vine stands for the spiritual church, an olive for the church which is in celestial good, therefore the vine and the olive are named together. A. 10261. In the natural sense a wife and sons the delights arising from marriage and prolification, but in the internal sense by a wife is signified the affection for truth, and by sons the truths themselves springing up from it, for all truth in which is life is born from the affection for truth. That affection being signified by a wife, she is compared to a vine, the church, and a fruitful vine, the church in regard to the affection for truth. A house signifies the spiritual mind, and its sides all things which are in the natural man, sons the truths which are born from that spiritual affection. They are compared to olive plants, because by truths are produced the goods of love and charity which are olives. Round about the table signifies the delights arising from spiritual appropriation and nourishment. E. 638.
5, 6. See Psalm iv. 7-9. R. 306.
See Psalm ii. 6-8, 12. R. 612.
By Zion and by Jerusalem is signified as to the goods of love and as to the truths of doctrine. Children's children signify truths of doctrine and the multiplication of it to eternity. As all these things are from the Lord, and by virtue of the peace which is from Him, therefore the verse concludes with peace upon Israel —that is those with whom the church is. E. 365.
See Psalm xlviii. 3, 4. E. 850.
Author: EMANUEL SWEDENBORG (1688-1772)
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