Pentecost Season · Proper 27 · Year B

Psalm 127

Unless the Lord Builds the House

November 7, 2027

The Holy Family in the Carpenter's Workshop, Rembrandt van Rijn — **The Holy Family in the Carpenter's Workshop**, Rembrandt van Rijn, c. 1645British Museum, London · public domain

Revised Common Lectionary

GospelMark 12:38-44

EpistleHeb. 9:24-28

Old TestamentRuth 3:1-5; 4:13-17 Alt. OT1 Kings 17:8-16

PsalterPs. 127 Alt. PsalmPs. 146

Overview & Insights

"Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain." (Psalm 127:1)

A wisdom psalm of Solomon teaching that all human effort, building a house or guarding a city, is futile without the Lord, and that children are a heritage and reward from him.

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Commentary

Enduring Word: Psalm 127 Enduring Word · David Guzik

David Guzik's verse-by-verse evangelical notes on the psalm.

BibleHub: Commentaries on Psalm 127:1 BibleHub

Parallel classic commentaries on the vanity of labor apart from the Lord.

Background & Word Study

Sefaria: Psalms 127 (Hebrew) Sefaria

Hebrew text with English and Jewish commentary on the song of ascents.

BibleHub: Psalm 127 Interlinear BibleHub

Hebrew-English interlinear for word-level study of the psalm.

The Church Fathers

Catena: Psalm 127 Catena

Patristic comments gathered verse by verse on Psalm 127.

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