Bible Strands
Psalms 127:5
Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. He will not be put to shame when he confronts the enemies at the gate.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses the community following the arrow metaphor in verse 4, declaring a blessing for the man who raises many children. The statement functions as a practical assessment of family and legacy within ancient Israelite society.
The words — אַשְׁרֵ֤י ('ash.Rei) translates literally as "how blessed!" and אַשְׁפָּת֗/וֹ ('ash.pa.T/o) means "his quiver," directly extending the warrior imagery from the preceding verse.
The thread — The link between offspring and future security or honor runs through Proverbs 27:11, Job 42:12, and Genesis 50:23. These passages similarly associate children or descendants with social standing and divine provision.
Why it lands — The text states that a man with a full quiver of children will not face public disgrace when defending his community at the city gate. It requires the reader to treat children as concrete sources of strength and social resilience rather than abstract blessings.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
Cross-references
- Proverbs 27:11 Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart, so that I can answer him who taunts me.
- Job 42:12 So the LORD blessed Job’s latter days more than his first. He owned 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.
- Genesis 50:23 He saw Ephraim’s sons to the third generation, and indeed the sons of Machir son of Manasseh were brought up on Joseph’s knees.
- Job 5:4 His sons are far from safety, crushed in court without a defender.
- Psalms 18:47 the God who avenges me and subdues nations beneath me,
- Job 1:2 He had seven sons and three daughters,