Psalm 127

This central psalm of the ‘Ascents’ has the underlying thought throughout of the uselessness of all human effort which does not rely on the will, power and goodness of the Lord. To a Hebrew, home and family were cherished above everything.
All that is mentioned in this psalm are important things in preserving the strength of the family. Remember this is the apex of the chiasm that is the Songs of Ascent.

Solomon understood that the work of man had its place, but it was of little ultimate use without the work and blessing of God. Without God’s work and blessing, they labour in vain who build. The house built here is actually a family. The Hebrew words ben, a son, and bath, a daughter, and beith, a house, come from the same root banah, to build; because sons and daughters build up a household or family more so than stones and timber. Solomon was not speaking against hard work (several of his proverbs praise hard work,) or that we should neglect the watchful duty of the city, but that there is a vanity in relying on the strength of man or fixing our trust in creature effort. All is in vain unless the Creator puts forth His power. The higher way of life begins with trusting the Lord in one’s work.

The ‘bread of sorrows’ is living a life of misery and labours, fretting at our own disappointments, eaten up with envy at the advancement of others, afflicted with losses and wrongs. There is no end of all these labours. People who are affected by reliance on their own work, experience the anxiety that comes with it. God’s blessing is to give His loved one’s sleep. They can be at peace knowing that God’s hand is at work and His ‘eye’ watches even as they sleep.

‘His beloved:’(v2) is a cryptic reference to Solomon’s other name, Jedidiah, in Hebrew the words are actually ‘his beloved,’ the name God gave Solomon according to 2Sam.12:25: Jedidiah, meaning ‘Beloved of Jehovah.’ Without God, we are subject to peril, insecurity, meaningless toil, and no future welfare. With God, we are His beloved.