Psalm 144:12
Then our sons will be like plants nurtured in their youth, our daughters like corner pillars carved to adorn a palace.
Then our sons will be like plants nurtured in their youth
This phrase suggests a vision of growth and vitality. In biblical times, plants were a common metaphor for prosperity and blessing (Psalm 1:3). The nurturing of plants implies careful cultivation, reflecting the importance of raising children with wisdom and guidance (Proverbs 22:6). The imagery of youth emphasizes the potential and promise inherent in the next generation. This aligns with the biblical theme of children as a heritage from the Lord (Psalm 127:3-5).

our daughters like corner pillars carved to adorn a palace
Corner pillars in ancient architecture were essential for structural integrity and often intricately designed, symbolizing strength and beauty. This imagery conveys the idea of daughters being both foundational and ornamental within the family and community. The reference to a palace suggests nobility and honor, indicating the high value placed on daughters. This aligns with Proverbs 31, which describes a virtuous woman as a crown to her husband and a source of strength and dignity. The comparison to a palace also hints at the future glory and splendor of God's kingdom, where His people are likened to a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9).

Persons / Places / Events
1. David
The author of Psalm 144, David is a central figure in the Bible, known for his deep relationship with God, his role as the second king of Israel, and his authorship of many Psalms.

2. Israel
The nation to whom David belonged and often addressed in his writings. This Psalm reflects a prayer for the prosperity and blessing of the nation.

3. Youth
The period of life referenced in the verse, symbolizing potential, growth, and the future of the community.

4. Palace
A symbol of strength, beauty, and stability, representing the desired outcome for the daughters mentioned in the verse.

5. Plants and Pillars
Metaphors used to describe the ideal growth and development of sons and daughters, respectively.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Nurturing Youth
Just as plants need care to grow strong, our sons require guidance and nurturing to develop into godly men. This involves teaching them the Word of God and modeling a life of faith.

The Role of Daughters in the Community
Daughters are likened to corner pillars, essential for the beauty and stability of a palace. This highlights the value and strength women bring to the family and community when they are grounded in faith.

The Vision for a Godly Family
David's vision for his family and nation is one of growth, strength, and beauty. This should inspire us to pray for and work towards a family that reflects God's glory.

The Impact of a Godly Legacy
The imagery in this verse encourages us to consider the legacy we are leaving for future generations. Are we investing in our children in a way that will lead to a strong and faithful lineage?
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the imagery of plants and pillars in Psalm 144:12 inspire you to think about the roles of sons and daughters in a family?

2. In what ways can we nurture our children to grow in their faith and character, as suggested by the metaphor of plants nurtured in their youth?

3. How can the description of daughters as corner pillars inform our understanding of the value and role of women in the church and society?

4. What practical steps can we take to ensure that our family reflects the vision of growth and stability described in this Psalm?

5. How do other scriptures, such as Ephesians 6:4 and Proverbs 31, complement the teachings of Psalm 144:12 regarding family and community life?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 128
This Psalm also speaks of the blessings of family and prosperity, emphasizing the importance of fearing the Lord and walking in His ways.

Proverbs 31
The description of a virtuous woman in Proverbs 31 can be connected to the imagery of daughters as corner pillars, highlighting strength and dignity.

Ephesians 6:4
This New Testament verse instructs fathers to bring up their children in the training and instruction of the Lord, aligning with the nurturing imagery in Psalm 144:12.
What the Goodness of God Does for Me and in MeS. Conway Psalm 144:1-15
Children Who are a Sorrow and Shame, and Those Who are Our Unspeakable JoyS. Conway Psalm 144:11, 12
A Wise, Patriotic PrayerDavid Thomas, D. D.Psalm 144:11-15
Ideal YouthhoodT. Baron.Psalm 144:11-15
Moral Reform Essential to National ProsperityJ. P. Smith, D. D.Psalm 144:11-15
Plants and Corner StonesJ. Leckie, D. D.Psalm 144:11-15
Plants and CornicesA. H. Vine.Psalm 144:11-15
Plants and StonesR. Brewin.Psalm 144:11-15
Plants Grown Up in Their YouthJ. T. Davidson, D. D.Psalm 144:11-15
Soul CultureR. Venting.Psalm 144:11-15
The Education of CharacterProf. Kirkpatrick.Psalm 144:11-15
The Ideal Young Man and Young WomanG. Calthrop, M. A.Psalm 144:11-15
The Model Young WomanA. S. Walsh, D. D.Psalm 144:11-15
A Golden AgeC. Short Psalm 144:12-15
True National ProsperityR. Tuck Psalm 144:12-15
People
David, Psalmist
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Adorn, Becoming, Carved, Corner, Corner-columns, Corner-pillars, Corner-stones, Cut, Daughters, Fashion, Fashioned, Full, Grown, Grown-up, Hewn, King's, Likeness, Palace, Pillars, Plants, Polished, Sculptured, Shining, Similitude, Sons, Stones, Structure, Tall, Well-nurtured, Youth
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Psalm 144:12

     5211   art
     5443   pillars
     5746   youth
     5778   adorning

Psalm 144:12-15

     5224   barn

Library
Sermons on Selected Lessons of the Gospels.
Adoption, a sonship higher than that of nature, [482]255; frequently mentioned in Holy Scripture, [483]255, [484]256; the term of ancient use among the Jews, [485]256; "raising up seed to brother," [486]256; used by St. Paul to express the mystery of our adoption in Christ, [487]256. Adversary, to be agreed with and delivered from, [488]442; not so Satan, [489]442; the Law our, so long as we our own, [490]443; must agree with, by obedience, and so made no longer adversary, [491]443. Affliction, blessing
Saint Augustine—sermons on selected lessons of the new testament

Period ii. The Church from the Permanent Division of the Empire Until the Collapse of the Western Empire and the First Schism Between the East and the West, or Until About A. D. 500
In the second period of the history of the Church under the Christian Empire, the Church, although existing in two divisions of the Empire and experiencing very different political fortunes, may still be regarded as forming a whole. The theological controversies distracting the Church, although different in the two halves of the Graeco-Roman world, were felt to some extent in both divisions of the Empire and not merely in the one in which they were principally fought out; and in the condemnation
Joseph Cullen Ayer Jr., Ph.D.—A Source Book for Ancient Church History

Thankfulness for Mercies Received, a Necessary Duty
Numberless marks does man bear in his soul, that he is fallen and estranged from God; but nothing gives a greater proof thereof, than that backwardness, which every one finds within himself, to the duty of praise and thanksgiving. When God placed the first man in paradise, his soul no doubt was so filled with a sense of the riches of the divine love, that he was continually employing that breath of life, which the Almighty had not long before breathed into him, in blessing and magnifying that all-bountiful,
George Whitefield—Selected Sermons of George Whitefield

The Resemblance Between the Old Testament and the New.
1. Introduction, showing the necessity of proving the similarity of both dispensations in opposition to Servetus and the Anabaptists. 2. This similarity in general. Both covenants truly one, though differently administered. Three things in which they entirely agree. 3. First general similarity, or agreement--viz. that the Old Testament, equally with the New, extended its promises beyond the present life, and held out a sure hope of immortality. Reason for this resemblance. Objection answered. 4.
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

The Knowledge of God Conspicuous in the Creation, and Continual Government of the World.
1. The invisible and incomprehensible essence of God, to a certain extent, made visible in his works. 2. This declared by the first class of works--viz. the admirable motions of the heavens and the earth, the symmetry of the human body, and the connection of its parts; in short, the various objects which are presented to every eye. 3. This more especially manifested in the structure of the human body. 4. The shameful ingratitude of disregarding God, who, in such a variety of ways, is manifested within
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion

The Godly are in Some Sense Already Blessed
I proceed now to the second aphorism or conclusion, that the godly are in some sense already blessed. The saints are blessed not only when they are apprehended by God, but while they are travellers to glory. They are blessed before they are crowned. This seems a paradox to flesh and blood. What, reproached and maligned, yet blessed! A man that looks upon the children of God with a carnal eye and sees how they are afflicted, and like the ship in the gospel which was covered with waves' (Matthew 8:24),
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Scriptural Christianity
"Whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head." Ezek. 33:4. "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost." Acts 4:31. 1. The same expression occurs in the second chapter, where we read, "When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all" (the Apostles, with the women, and the mother of Jesus, and his brethren) "with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

Letter Xl to Thomas, Prior of Beverley
To Thomas, Prior of Beverley This Thomas had taken the vows of the Cistercian Order at Clairvaux. As he showed hesitation, Bernard urges his tardy spirit to fulfil them. But the following letter will prove that it was a warning to deaf ears, where it relates the unhappy end of Thomas. In this letter Bernard sketches with a master's hand the whole scheme of salvation. Bernard to his beloved son Thomas, as being his son. 1. What is the good of words? An ardent spirit and a strong desire cannot express
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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