Charles H. Spurgeon on Psalms 122:6

They shall prosper that love thee. The reverse is also true. "None ever took a stone out of the Temple, but the dust did fly into his eyes." Jewish Proverb.

Verses 6-9. In this cordial and even impassioned invocation, it is curious to find one of those puns, or plays on words, which are characteristic of Hebrew poetry. The leading words of the strophe are "peace" and "prosperity." Now the Hebrew word for "peace" is shalom, and the Hebrew word for "prosperity" is shalvah, while the Hebrew form of "Jerusalem, "which means "City of Peace, "is Yeru-shalaim. So that, in effect, the poet wishes shalom and shalvah on shalaim —"peace" and "prosperity" on "the City of Peace." Such an use of words may not strike us as indicating any very subtle or profound sense of humour, or any remarkable artistic skill. But we must always remember that it is always difficult for one race to appreciate the humour, or wit, of another race. We must also remember that this art of playing on words and the sound of words —an art of which we are growing weary —was very novel and surprising to men not surfeited with it as we are, and who were themselves for the most part quite incapable of the simplest dexterities of speech. Samuel Cox.