Glory to God ‎#46

46. Unless the Lord the House Shall Build (Psalm 127)

1 Unless the Lord the house shall build,
the weary builders toil in vain;
unless the Lord the city shield,
the guards a useless watch maintain.

2 In vain you rise at morning break,
and late your nightly vigils keep,
and weary days of toil partake;
for God's beloved there is sleep.

3 Like arrows in full quivers stored
are children given in days of youth;
for children are a great reward,
a gift from God in very truth.

Text Information

• First Line: Unless the Lord the house shall build
• Title: Unless the Lord the House Shall Build (Psalm 127)
• Meter: LM
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 2013
• Scripture:
  Psalm 127
  ;
  Deuteronomy 28:1-14
• Topic: Children; Creation; Family; Providence; Rest; Work
• Source: The Psalter, 1872, alt.

Tune Information

• Name: BOURBON
• Composer (attributed to): Freeman Lewis (1814)
• Harmonizer: John Leon Hooker (1984)
• Meter: LM
• Key: f minor
• Copyright: Harm. © 1984 John Leon Hooker

Text Information:

As this paraphrase of Psalm 127 makes clear, human beings need to recognize both that our efforts will be in vain without God’s help and that our blessings come from God. These enduring truths are linked to each other by this shape note tune that ends as it begins.