Martin Luther on Psalms 127:4

Verse. 4. As are the arrowes of strong men, so are the children of youth.

This is a similitude taken of warre, and pertaineth to politike gouernment. The how in ye hand of the strong archer is not drawn in vaine, as Dauid saith of Ionathan. The arrow or dart of Ionathan neuer turned back, that is, it neuer missed but perced & wounded. Wherefore Esay calleth the Apostles arrowes: and likewise Zachary. The meaning then is this. It is the gift of God to reign at home in peace without sedition, and to obteine victory abroade. And without this gifte in ciuill gouernment there is no successe, nor victory in battail. For in the common weale are alwayes moe enemyes then friends. Moreouer the greater part is alwaies euil, & commonly ouercommeth the better, if God do not help. Wherfore to haue a flourishing common weale, it is a speciall gifte of God. Yong men therefore must defend the common weale & stand in battail against the enemy. For they are like arrowes or dartes, which strike and perse because they are sent of God. For olde men are not meete for warre, according to that saying: Youth musts trauell, midle age must giue counsel and old men must pray: That is, yong men must labour and take paines for the defence & maintenance of the common weale. They that are more ripe in yeares and wisedome, must helpe the common weale with graue counsell and good aduise, and they which are olde and impotent must pray for the prosperous state and good successe thereof.

But here note what an excellent title he giueth to those that do defend the common weale, when he calleth yong men the gifte of God: such yong men he meaneth as are vertuous and feare God, whom God maketh mightie arrowes or darts to ouerthrow their enemyes and winne the victory. For this euen the Gentiles also learned by experience, that victory did not consiste in the strength and power of man, but was giuen from aboue, and that industrie and wise policie were of more force then armour & weapons, So hath it often times come to passe that great armies haue bene vanquished and put to flight with a small power. Not that we shoulde not prouide armour and weapons, souldiers and men of warre for the defence of the common weale: but because the Magistrate, if he must needes make warre, should neither presume of him selfe, nor yet despaire, whether he haue many souldiers or whether he haue fewe, but considering his charge and calling, whereby he is constreyned to enter into battaile, should seeke and aske from heauen helpe and victorie, saying: Lord in thy hand is strength and victory: be thou my helper, fight thou for me: Like as on the other side, if in the strength, power and multitude of men thou excedest thyne enemies, yet mayest thou not therefore thinke thy selfe sure of the victory, but thou must aske it of God, and say: Lord, victory is thyne, which if it be thy good pleasure to giue vnto me, I will thanke thee and praise thy name therefore. But if through our ouerthrow it be thy will to punish our sinnes, beholde, here I am. Such a confidence, although it be but in the Magistrate, the guide or captaine alone, which acknowledgeth his charge & calling, and asketh helpe and succour of God, shall vndoubtedly obteyne the victory: like as Iephta did. He in his office and calling would gladly haue liued in peace togither with his people: But this could not Ammon suffer. Wherefore Iephta seeing that he was constreyned to fight, prayed for the helpe & assistance of God against his enemies, and so obteyned the victory. For he acknowledged that strength and victory came not of him selfe, but of the Lord, as his onely gift. So King Dauid had many and notable victories ouer his enemies, one after an other. By what meanes? Forsoth he had armour and weapons, with al furniture of warre, he had mighty armies both of horsemen and footemen. But victorie (sayth he) consisteth not in these thinges. Therefore he prayed that God would giue him victory, and hoped to receaue the same no otherwise then at his handes alone. Upon this confidence and trust followed vndoubted victory. Salomon therefore teacheth in this verse that victory is the gift of God. And like as arrowes which are shot with might and violence, doe wound and pearce: euen so yong men are valiant in warre, not by their owne strength, boldnes and presumption, but by the blessing of the Lorde alone. Children of youth. This is a phrase of the Hebrew. As much to say as yong men. As the child of death they call him which is appoynted to death. Or it signifieth yong men begotten and borne of their parents in the tyme of their youth which are strong and able to stand in defence of the common weale.