Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 122:7
Peace be within thy walls, [and] prosperity within thy palaces.
7. walls palaces ] The same words are found in Psa 48:13. Chl denotes the outer wall or rampart: armn includes all conspicuous buildings, such as forts and towers as well as palaces.
There is an assonance between the words for ‘peace’ ( shlm) and ‘prosperity’ ( shalvh) and the name Jerusalem. Whether the name of the city is etymologically connected with the root shlm is doubtful; but the sound of the name suggests the words for peace and prosperity, and the Psalmist prays that the nomen may be an omen, and that Jerusalem may enjoy the peace of which her name is an augury.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Peace be within thy walls – The word here rendered walls, means properly an host, an army; then a fortification, an entrenchment, especially the ditch or trench with the low wall or breastwork which surrounds it. Gesenius, Lexicon. It refers here to the fortifications or defenses around Jerusalem.
And prosperity – Peace; the same word which is used in the previous verse, and expressing the same idea – that of tranquility.
Within thy palaces – This word properly means a fortress, castle; then, a palace, a residence of a king or a prince, 1Ki 16:18; 2Ki 15:25; Isa 25:2. The idea is, that such places abounded in Jerusalem; and the prayer is, that in those abodes of power, where the rulers of the land resided, there might be peace. The particular reason for this prayer is suggested in the following verse.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 122:7-8
Peace be within thy walls.
The peace and prosperity of Jerusalem
The leading elements which constitute a prosperous Church are–
I. Purity of doctrine. It is fashionable to sneer at doctrine, to talk flippantly about gnawing at the dry bones of doctrine, to endorse the sentiment of the poet who would hand over doctrine to bigots to fight about and would be satisfied with the right life. There is a fallacy here. How can we tell what the right life is if we do not learn it from doctrine? As believers in the fact of a revelation, and that the Bible contains that revelation, we maintain that the man whose life is in the right is a man who knows what the doctrine of Gods Word is concerning right living.
II. Spirituality. True religion is a life as well as a belief, a life founded upon a belief, but always a life. That life is produced by the Holy Spirit, who takes the things which are Christs, and shows them unto us. True religion has to do with the spirit of man. It cleanses the fountain, and the streams which issue therefrom are pure. The man who has spirituality is a man of religious principle. He is the same whatever he does and wherever he goes. He is the same in politics as in ecclesiastics. He is a Christian in buying and in selling, a Christian at home and abroad, on land and on sea.
III. Brotherly love. The Church is a family, the Head of which is Christ. The same spirit that is found in the Head is also found in the members of the family. Now, just as the members of a family love one another because of their blood-tie–relationship–so the members of the household of faith should recognize and exemplify their oneness in Christ. A minister was once asked what he thought of the doctrine of the mutual recognition of the saints in heaven. He replied, I am much more concerned about the duty of my people to recognize one another here upon earth. The reply was caustic, but perhaps it was needed. Christians should love one another. They have the same Saviour and the same Spirit, and they travel the same journey. Alike they have encouragements and discouragements, conflicts and victories, duties and trials, and at last they shall be received into one everlasting home.
IV. Earnest work. By exercise muscle is developed and the whole system is maintained in a state of vigour. Persons engaged in mental or sedentary employments cannot with impunity disregard this law of health. Just so is it in the domain of the spiritual. Exercise is necessary for spiritual development and spiritual strength. Here is another view: God has made Christian work imperative. He is pleased to employ His people in saying to them, Go, work in My vineyard. As among them there is a great variety of talent, so in the vineyard there are many kinds of work. Every gift, no matter how humble, can find a field for exercise. (John Currie, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 7. Peace be within thy walls] This is the form of prayer that they are to use: “May prosperity ever reside within thy walls, on all the people that dwell there; and tranquillity within thy palaces or high places, among the rulers and governors of the people.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Within thy walls; in all thy dwellings.
Within thy palaces; especially in the court and the dwellings of the princes and rulers, whose welfare is a public blessing to all the people.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
Peace be within thy walls,…. The word say might be supplied; for this, with the following, seem to be petitions the psalmist puts into the mouths of those he desires to pray for Jerusalem’s peace; and he directs them to pray in this manner, to take with them such words as these, and pray to the Lord. Jerusalem was a walled city, and so is the church of God; God himself is a wall of fire around her; salvation by Christ is as walls and bulwarks to her; the power and providence of God protect her: within these walls the people of God have a place and a name; all the inhabitants of Zion in common are included in this petition, and peace is wished for them all; let their condition and circumstances be what they may, be they high or low, rich or poor, stronger or weaker believers, children, young men, or fathers. Some render it, “in thine army”, as the Targum, and other Jewish writers; in the church’s militia, all saints being soldiers and in a warfare state; and here success to their arms against sin, Satan, and the world, is wished for;
[and] prosperity within thy palaces: as there were palaces in Jerusalem for the king, the nobles, and great men in the land; so there are in the church of God, where he is known, for a refuge; even the meanest places in it are preferable to the palaces of the greatest monarchs see
Ps 48:3, And here indeed all the saints are kings, and have their palaces; but particularly there are some who are set in the first place in the church, and over others in the Lord; who are their guides and governors, and are in office relation to the church as pastors and deacons now, as there were priests and Levites before: and the prosperity of these is to be prayed for, the good of the whole church being involved therein.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
7. Peace be within thy bulwarks, etc. The two clauses express the same sentiment, and, therefore, the meaning of the first is gathered from the second. The term peace signifies nothing else than prosperity. The noun שלוה, shalvah, in the second clause, sometimes signifies rest, but it is more frequently taken for abundance or prosperity On this account I have translated the noun בחילך , bechelech, within thy bulwark (73) I do not find fault with others who have translated it a ditch or outward wall; but the word bulwark agrees better with the word towers, which occurs at the close of the verse. The amount is, that David prays for the prosperity of the Church through its whole extent. Moreover, it is to be noticed, that when he offers supplication for its external prosperity, it is not to be understood as implying that he was unconcerned about its internal state or spiritual well being; but under the similitude of walls, (74) he wishes that on all sides the blessing of God may environ and fortify the holy city.
(73) Calvin’s meaning is, that as the nouns peace and prosperity have a corresponding signification, he was of opinion, that there existed a similar correspondence between the other two nouns.
(74) The Latin copy here reads, “ sed ad mores alludens;” but mores is evidently a typographical error for muros The French version has “ mais sous ceste similitude des murs ”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
Psa 122:7 Peace be within thy walls, [and] prosperity within thy palaces.
Ver. 7. Peace be within thy walls ] David had no sooner admonished others of their duty, but himself beginneth to them, Quod iussit et gessit. what he ordered he accomplished.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Peace be within. Figure of speech Epanadiplosis (App-6), uniting Psa 122:7 and Psa 122:8 by beginning and ending with the same words.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Peace: 1Ch 12:18, Isa 9:7, Isa 54:13, Joh 14:27, Jam 3:18
within thy palaces: Psa 48:3
Reciprocal: 1Sa 25:6 – Peace be both 1Ki 5:7 – Blessed Rev 21:12 – a wall
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
122:7 Peace be within thy {f} walls, [and] prosperity within thy palaces.
(f) The favour of God prosper you both within and without.