אֶשְׁתְּךָ֤ ׀ כְּגֶ֥פֶן פֹּרִיָּה֮ בְּיַרְכְּתֵ֪י בֵ֫יתֶ֥ךָ בָּ֭נֶיךָ כִּשְׁתִלֵ֣י זֵיתִ֑ים סָ֝בִ֗יב לְשֻׁלְחָנֶֽךָ׃
네 집 내실에 있는 네 아내는 결실한 포도나무 같으며 네 상에 둘린 자식은 어린 감람나무 같으리로다
Rabbeinu Bahya
The Midrash explains in that connection that a woman who remains within the confines of her home confers forgiveness upon the members of her house by her very presence therein, just as the altar in the Temple conferred forgiveness on the Jewish people. We have an allusion to this in Scripture when David wrote (Psalms 128,3) “your wife shall be like a fruitful vine within your house;” the inside of the house is called ירכתי ביתך in that verse. We also have a verse concerning the function of the altar in which a similar point is made when the Torah wrote (Leviticus 1,11) ושחט אותו על ירך המזבח, “he is to slaughter it on the ירך, ‘the side’ of the altar. The word ירך also describes the function of the woman to bear children. The altar and woman have something vital in common. If woman fulfills here role of presiding first and foremost within the confines of her home, she will have the kind of children who will be anointed with the oil of anointing (the oil with which the High Priest was anointed) compare Psalms 128,3 “your sons will be like olive saplings.”
Rabbeinu Bahya
Our sages in Yuma 16 have also said that there was a woman by the name of Kimchit who lived to see all her seven sons anointed as High Priest at one time or another. In response to the question how it was possible that she enjoyed such a singular distinction, she replied that the ceiling in her house had never seen the plaits of the hair on her head.
The reason the psalmist chose to compare the fertility of a model wife to the vine (“your wife shall be like a fruitful vine“, Psalms 128,3) is that vines are planted inside the rear of the house. As they grow, its branches find the sun through holes in the walls. In other words, this is the only tree whose trunk grows inside whereas its branches develop outside. This tree is therefore an appropriate simile for the kind of woman we have discussed. Such a woman not only stays inside her house but she is not near the entrance of her house where she would be exposed to everyone’s view. This is what Solomon criticized about the foolish woman whom he described as sitting at the entrance to her house (Proverbs 9,14). Seeing the mother takes care of everything within the house, her sons go out to the field to do their various kinds of work. These sons are compared to olive saplings. The reason David chose this simile is that unlike other trees which are receptive to the practice of grafting, the olive tree rejects grafts (Jerusalem Talmud Kilayim 1:7),[much like the human body has a tendency to reject even organs from another human being. Ed.] Similarly, the paternity of the sons of such a chaste woman will never be questioned. Another reason for comparing the children of such a woman to olive saplings is that the fruit of the olive tree matures after nine months similar to the fruit of woman. Such a woman does not experience miscarriages and all her children are born after a full pregnancy of nine months. We have been taught in Bechorot 8 that the pure domestic animals of the beef variety carry their young for nine months.
You are no doubt aware that the Levites sang 15 psalms commencing with the words שיר למעלות, “song of the steps” on the Temple steps corresponding to the 15 steps which led up to the level of the Sanctuary from the antechamber. The song from which the above-mentioned verse is taken is the ninth in that series (compare Psalms 120-134). The words סביב לשלחנך “all around your table,” in the verse above mean that the sons are all assembled at the table to serve their mother at meal-time.
The reason the psalmist chose to compare the fertility of a model wife to the vine (“your wife shall be like a fruitful vine“, Psalms 128,3) is that vines are planted inside the rear of the house. As they grow, its branches find the sun through holes in the walls. In other words, this is the only tree whose trunk grows inside whereas its branches develop outside. This tree is therefore an appropriate simile for the kind of woman we have discussed. Such a woman not only stays inside her house but she is not near the entrance of her house where she would be exposed to everyone’s view. This is what Solomon criticized about the foolish woman whom he described as sitting at the entrance to her house (Proverbs 9,14). Seeing the mother takes care of everything within the house, her sons go out to the field to do their various kinds of work. These sons are compared to olive saplings. The reason David chose this simile is that unlike other trees which are receptive to the practice of grafting, the olive tree rejects grafts (Jerusalem Talmud Kilayim 1:7),[much like the human body has a tendency to reject even organs from another human being. Ed.] Similarly, the paternity of the sons of such a chaste woman will never be questioned. Another reason for comparing the children of such a woman to olive saplings is that the fruit of the olive tree matures after nine months similar to the fruit of woman. Such a woman does not experience miscarriages and all her children are born after a full pregnancy of nine months. We have been taught in Bechorot 8 that the pure domestic animals of the beef variety carry their young for nine months.
You are no doubt aware that the Levites sang 15 psalms commencing with the words שיר למעלות, “song of the steps” on the Temple steps corresponding to the 15 steps which led up to the level of the Sanctuary from the antechamber. The song from which the above-mentioned verse is taken is the ninth in that series (compare Psalms 120-134). The words סביב לשלחנך “all around your table,” in the verse above mean that the sons are all assembled at the table to serve their mother at meal-time.
Malbim
Job had seven sons and three daughters; his children were like olive saplings around his table (Psalms 128:3), a shield and a fence (Jeremiah 46:3; Ezekiel 39:9; Psalms 35:2).