Psalm 128 Catholic: Blessed Are All Who Fear the Lord

Psalm 128, “Blessed are all they that fear the Lord: that walk in his ways,” is the Bible’s blessing on the family: “Thy wife as a fruitful vine, on the sides of thy house. Thy children as olive plants, round about thy table.” It is one of the Songs of Ascents and a favorite reading at weddings. In the Douay-Rheims it is numbered Psalm 127. Below is the full Catholic text, what the psalm means, how the Church uses it, and a prayer.

Psalm 128 in the Douay-Rheims Bible

Blessed are all they that fear the Lord: that walk in his ways.
For thou shalt eat the labours of thy hands: blessed art thou, and it shall be well with thee.
Thy wife as a fruitful vine, on the sides of thy house. Thy children as olive plants, round about thy table.
Behold, thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.
May the Lord bless thee out of Sion: and mayest thou see the good things of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.
And mayest thou see thy children’s children, peace upon Israel.

Psalm 128 or Psalm 127?

The Douay-Rheims Bible follows the numbering of the Latin Vulgate and the Greek Septuagint, while most modern Bibles follow the Hebrew. So the Douay’s Psalm 127 is Psalm 128 in the New American Bible and other modern translations. In Latin the psalm begins Beati omnes qui timent Dominum. See how many psalms are there?

What the psalm means

The fear of the Lord: not terror but loving reverence, which leads us to “walk in his ways.”
Blessed work: “thou shalt eat the labours of thy hands,” the dignity of honest labor.
The fruitful vine and olive plants: images of a wife and children full of life around the family table.
Blessing from Sion: the family’s happiness flows from God’s blessing on his people.
Children’s children: a long life and a future for the family, and “peace upon Israel.”

How the Church uses Psalm 128

At weddings, as one of the responsorial psalms: “Blessed are those who fear the Lord.” See the Catholic wedding guide.
In the traditional Nuptial Mass, “Thy wife as a fruitful vine” was the gradual.
On the Feast of the Holy Family (Year A): “Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.” See the Feast of the Holy Family.
On the Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B), with the Gospel on marriage: “May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives.”

A prayer with Psalm 128

Written for this page:

Lord, bless our home and all who live in it.
Teach us to fear you with love and to walk in your ways.
Make our family like a fruitful vine and our table a place of peace,
and let us see your goodness all the days of our lives. Amen.

Frequently asked questions

Why is Psalm 128 read at weddings?

Because it blesses husband, wife and children and asks God’s blessing on their home “all the days of thy life.”

Psalm 128 (127): “Blessed Are All Who Fear the Lord,” the Wedding Psalm, Catholic Text