Thoughts on Psalm 128

Here in the southern United States the word “bless” in its various forms is common feature of the vernacular. It is usually used positively like it often is in the Bible (“I’m blessed”) but occasionally “bless their/your heart” is used to question a person’s competence or intelligence or both. In any case, those who speak of being blessed commonly view blessing solely in terms of being in a good state. And being blessed is simply something that happens to you. While both these sentiments are true, the writer of Psalm 128 is most interested in relating the “how” and “what” of blessing. It is not an exhaustive treatment of the topic but a poetic reflection on it.