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Psalm 127 · a question people ask

"It is vain for you to rise up early, to stay up late" (127:2). Is the psalm saying hard work is pointless?

In the text

It doesn't say that. It says the work is vain "Unless the LORD builds the house" and "Unless the LORD watches over the city" (Psalm 127:1), and in that verse the builders still build and the watchman still watches. The word for toil in 127:2 is etsev (tap toil), and Proverbs has it in praise of work: "In all hard work there is profit" (Proverbs 14:23), where hard work is that word. Proverbs has it beside the LORD's blessing, too: "The LORD’s blessing brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it" (Proverbs 10:22), where trouble is that word. And Proverbs has the psalm's word for sleep in a warning: "Don’t love sleep, lest you come to poverty" (Proverbs 20:13). Psalm 127 sets rising early and staying up late beside a gift: "for he gives sleep to his loved ones" (Psalm 127:2). It doesn't say how early is too early, or how late is too late, and these notes don't either.

The verses

“A Song of Ascents. By Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, they who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman guards it in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to stay up late, eating the bread of toil, for he gives sleep to his loved ones.”
Psalm 127:1-2 · World English Bible
“In all hard work there is profit, but the talk of the lips leads only to poverty.”
Proverbs 14:23 · World English Bible
“The LORD’s blessing brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.”
Proverbs 10:22 · World English Bible
“Don’t love sleep, lest you come to poverty. Open your eyes, and you shall be satisfied with bread.”
Proverbs 20:13 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Psalm 127

Psalm 127: Unless the LORD builds the house

Psalm 127 says vain three times in two verses (127:1-2), and no other psalm has that Hebrew word more than twice. The watchman's guards is a verb Strong's gives as "to be alert, i.e. sleepless", and the next verse ends with sleep, given to his loved ones (127:2). Then children are called a heritage of the LORD, and the fruit of the womb a reward, a Hebrew word for wages (127:3).

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions