107:34 and a fruitful land into a barren place, 1
because of the sin of its inhabitants.
105:35 They ate all the vegetation in their land,
and devoured the crops of their fields. 2
107:37 They cultivated 3 fields,
and planted vineyards,
which yielded a harvest of fruit. 4
127:3 Yes, 5 sons 6 are a gift from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb is a reward.
148:9 you mountains and all you hills,
you fruit trees and all you cedars,
1 tn Heb “a salty land.”
2 tn Heb “the fruit of their ground.”
3 tn Heb “sowed seed in.”
4 tn Heb “fruit [as] produce.”
5 tn or “look.”
6 tn Some prefer to translate this term with the gender neutral “children,” but “sons” are plainly in view here, as the following verses make clear. Daughters are certainly wonderful additions to a family, but in ancient Israelite culture sons were the “arrows” that gave a man security in his old age, for they could defend the family interests at the city gate, where the legal and economic issues of the community were settled.