PSALM 126 MEANING VERSE BY VERSE. With wisdom the psalmist reminded himself and all of us that great joy is often preceded by a season of tears, as if they are seeds we sow that will bring a crop of joy to be later reaped. Why would it have such large culverts when it gets only ten inches of rain a year? It is sometimes used for the joyful shouts of a victory celebration. Commentary by A. R. FAUSSET PSALM 126 Psa 126:1-6. ), The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, 5 vol. Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. and we are glad. When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion: The psalmist sang of a time when God set His people free from their captivity, and they were restored to Jerusalem (Zion). Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. “They desired that their return might be as rapid and as abundant as the waters of those rivers.” (Clarke), iv. Otherwise you will be prompted again when opening a new browser window or new a tab. While the word goyim can mean nations in general, it was often use to mean Gentile nations––heathen. Our website uses cookies to store user preferences. Then our mouth was filled with laughter: They celebrated God’s amazing work with laughter and singing. This word renanah means a joyful shout or singing. He who continually goes forth weeping, Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD: The proper honor and respect the How fitting. Verses 1-3 speak of a wondrous, joyful time “when Yahweh brought back those who returned to Zion.”  This almost certainly refers to the miraculous return of Jewish exiles from Babylonia, which took place when Cyrus, king of Persia, defeated Babylonia and in 538 B.C. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. “Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing” (Hebrew: renanah) (v. 2a). The LORD has done great things for them: The sense of joyful amazement was not confined to the people of God. TITLE, ETC. The goyim (nations) have affirmed Yahweh’s actions in behalf of Israel, and Israel has also acknowledged them. This song likely was composed after the exile, in wondrous gratitude for God’s restoration, and in prayer for a furtherance of that work. It would take their best efforts to make the land productive again. These were apparently people who voluntarily remained in Babylonia rather than facing the rigors of a journey back to Jerusalem, which they knew to be a ruined city. Sorrow is our sowing, rejoicing shall be our reaping. The psalmist is saying that the goyim (the nations, the Gentiles, those not in a covenant relationship with God) have noticed the great thing that Yahweh has done for Israel––and have responded by affirming Yahweh’s actions in behalf of Israel. and Kahane, Ahuvia, The Oxford English-Hebrew Dictionary (Oxford University Press, 1998), Fohrer, Georg, Hebrew & Aramaic Dictionary of the Old Testament (SCM Press, 2012), Freedman, David Noel (ed. “Their [reluctant] acknowledgment is caught up triumphantly by the singer. Onlooking nations had to proclaim that the work belonged to Yahweh, and that the work was truly great. This is not a worked-up, hyped-up enthusiasm. 2 Then c our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. When Yahweh elevated Cyrus to the throne of Persia and caused him to allow the exiles to return to Jerusalem, their dream had come true. we say; wonderful, but gone forever. The ASV, which is also in the public domain due to expired copyrights, was a very good translation, but included many archaic words (hast, shineth, etc. 126 When the Lord brought back [] the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. We were as men that dreamed.”. -- This bears no other title than "A Song of degrees". 3 Yahweh has done great things for us, []2 Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Their wadis and river beds were normally dry, but rain could quickly restore them to life-giving streams. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. 2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, Psalm 126 A Joyful Return to Zion A Song of Ascents. We were like those who dream. Study Psalm 126 using Charles H. Spurgeon’s Treasury of David to better understand Scripture with full outline and verse meaning. “and we are glad” (Hebrew: sameah) (v. 3b). Psalm 12 Commentary: God Protects His Own And because God’s words are pure, the needy who are marginalized and oppressed when a society exalts vileness – they can be sure of God’s protection. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version (ASV) of the Bible, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament. b. But in the autumn, the rains fill up the stony channels, a very river of life.” (Morgan), ii. “This is a mere burst of ecstatic joy. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007), Freedman, David Noel (Ed. Psalm 126 1 Psalm 126 A song of ascents. Their vineyards and farmlands had been left largely untended for fifty years, so it took massive effort and a long time to restore them. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. Corporate prayers of confession, pleading for mercy for the people, issue in the dawning of salvation, and thus a National Thanksgiving. If there were no sowing in tears there would be no reaping in joy. They remembered how wonderful it was and how free they had been there. 4 (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996), Ross, Allen P., A Commentary on the Psalms, 90-150, Vol. Meyer noted that some farmers soak (steep) their seeds before sowing them, and then applied the idea: “It is well when Christian workers steep their lessons and addresses with their prayers and tears. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing: The idea is repeated and enlarged. The product is one of the grandest, most eloquent lyrical prayers in the Psalter. Bearing seed for sowing, The Psalms of December’s lectionary: three National Laments — and now, the Sunday after Christmas? 6:16)the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion,#Ps. The person who carries his sheaves is “bringing home the bacon”––bringing in the harvest––reaping the reward for long months of toil. The Negev (which means dry) is the far south region of Israel, a desert-like region that gets only eight inches (200 mm) or less of rain a year––barely enough to sustain subsistence agriculture. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. They are grateful and amazed at what He has done, yet can in the next moment consider how much more needs to be done. But it is also possible that it is a prayer that Yahweh would restore Israel to its former prosperity. Psalm 126 An EasyEnglish Translation with Notes (about 1200 word vocabulary) on Psalm 126 www.easyenglish.bible Gordon Churchyard Words in boxes are from the Bible. i. J. Edwin Orr’s book All Your Need records the description of J. Oswald Sanders of the 1936 revival at Ngaruawahia, New Zealand: “For some time before Easter, a spirit of unusual expectancy had been kindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, but the reality far exceeded the expectation. “These foreigners were no dreamers; though they were only lookers-on, and not partakers in the surprising mercy, they plainly saw what had been done, and rightly ascribed it to the great Giver of all good.” (Spurgeon). “The two images of renewal (4b, 5-6) are not only striking: they are complementary. That, to the singer, was the condition of the people. SCRIPTURE QUOTATIONS are from the World English Bible (WEB), a public domain (no copyright) modern English translation of the Holy Bible. So the psalmist is praying that God will restore Israel to vitality, just as he restores the streams of the Negev when it rains. (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1979-1988), Brown, Francis; Driver, S.R. Verse 1:-. 1-3. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. Psalm 126 Restore Our Fortunes, O Lord 1 When a the LORD brought back 1 the captivity of Zion, b We were like those who dream. We were like those who dream: With power and beauty, the poet described the sense of happy, grateful astonishment at the power and goodness of God in bringing back His people from the captivity of Zion. While they eventually succeeded in rebuilding the temple, their temple was a pale substitute for the grand Solomon’s Temple. O how happy are we!” (Clarke), ii. It is the seventh in the series of 15 songs for pilgrims coming to Jerusalem. This joy properly pertaineth to captives, that is, to those that feel the captivity of sin and death…. It is the seventh in the series of 15 songs for pilgrims coming to Jerusalem. Click on the different category headings to find out more. i. Those who have endured much weeping, if they truly carry it as seed for sowing – holding and casting it with faith in God and in His promise – those may be assured of reaping a good harvest. To be home again would put Israel on familiar ground and give them a sense of belonging that they had lost when Babylonia took them into exile fifty years earlier. Psalm 126 Commentary by Brad Boyles Dr. J. Vernon McGee writes… “The Psalms are full of Christ. It seemed too good, too great to be true, but it was true. Psalm 126 New King James Version (NKJV) A Joyful Return to Zion A Song of Ascents. we were like those who dream. ), Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Grand Rapids:  Zondervan, 2006), Renn, Stephen D., Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words: Word Studies for Key English Bible Words Based on the Hebrew and Greek Texts (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 2005), Richards, Lawrence O., Encyclopedia of Bible Words (Zondervan, 1985, 1991), Sakenfeld, Katharine Doob (ed. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. They dreamed of returning one day­­–– although they could hardly imagine how that might be possible. We may imagine the sense of one whose life is profoundly changed by Jesus Christ. Such can be the effect of a downpour, which can also turn the surrounding desert into a place of grass and flowers overnight.” (Kidner), iii. That is what happened when Yahweh inspired Cyrus to allow the exiles to return to Jerusalem. “Restore (Hebrew: sub) our fortunes (Hebrew: sebut) again, Yahweh” (v. 4a). Psalms 126:1-6 NKJV When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. This is a powerful and great promise that our tears and sorrows need not be wasted, but can be sown for a joyful harvest received in a better season. This verse repeats the thoughts of verse 5 with a bit of added detail. In Psalm 126, the memory of those singing, laughter-filled days of the past becomes, not nostalgia, but the ground of a strong hope for even better days to come.” (Boice). No reason for doubt can remain after the Lord has spoken.” (Spurgeon). The Negev experienced something of that sort. The change in personal pronouns between verses 1-2 (I-my) and verses 3-8 (you-your) may signal a dialogue between pilgrims or groups of pilgrims. Those streams could appear suddenly and rush with a mighty flow, sometimes known as flash floods. This is one of 15 psalms (120-134) that begin with this superscription. This song likely was composed after the exile, in wondrous gratitude for God’s restoration, and in prayer for a furtherance of that work. Bringing his sheaves with him. This is known as parallelism, and is the most common form of Hebrew poetry. It seemed too good to be true. Then they said2 3 85:1; Jer. When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, © Copyright - Enduring Word       |      . 14b (Downers Grove, Illinois:  Inter-Varsity Press, 1973), Limburg, James, Westminster Bible Companion: Psalms (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2000, Mays, James Luther, Interpretation: Psalms (Louisville: John Knox, 1994), McCann, J. Clinton, Jr., The New Interpreter’s Bible: The Book of Psalms, Vol. Then it was said among the Our Price: $59.99Buy Now NKJV, The Story: The Bible as … If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Most associate this with the return from exile under Ezra and Nehemiah, but it is also possible that it describes David’s return from his brief exile from Jerusalem in Absalom’s coup (2 Samuel 15-19). These psalms may have been sung by pilgrims ascending the road to Jerusalem (which was on a mountain) for the three great festivals:  Passover, the Feast of Weeks (which we know as Pentecost), and the Feast of Tabernacles. 126 When the Lord brought back [ a]the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. a. Read more Share . “Yahweh has done great things for them.”. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. ), The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, 6 vol. 6 He who goes out weeping, carrying seed for sowing, The first of them is all suddenness, a sheer gift from heaven; the second is slow and arduous, with man allotted a crucial part to play in it.” (Kidner). To be free again after all those years would be wonderfully liberating. (General Editor), New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis, 5 vol., (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997), All Rights Reserved | © 1997-2020 Richard Niell Donovan. The word gadal (great things) has several meanings. 1 When the LORD brought back the captives to [] Zion, we were like men who dreamed. iii. “[There are] few transformations more dramatic than that of a dry gully into a torrent. But Ross, because of the proximity of this verse to verse 4, says “the psalmist’s concern was not with a harvest of wheat, but people” (Ross, 670). “Yahweh has done great things (Hebrew: gadal)  for us” (v. 3a). These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. b. Psalm 126 - A Song of Ascents. Please see our Privacy Policy for cookie usage details. Perhaps they considered their seasons away from Jerusalem as a symbolic captivity, and they celebrated the larger return from exile and their current, personal experience of such. And we are glad. 6 He who continually goes 3 forth weeping, Bearing 4 seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again 5 with e rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him. A Joyful Return to Zion - A Song of Ascents. Boice suggested four occasions where many experience great joy and the sense that God has done great things in their Christian life: d. And we are glad: There is a joyful peace in the declaration. The word sameah means to be filled with joy––to be exuberantly joyful. The returning exiles (under Ezra or David) realized there was much work yet to do, and the restoration had only yet begun. BIBLICAL COMMENTARY (Bible Study) Psalm 121 EXEGESIS: INTRODUCTION: Psalm 121 encourages pilgrims braving dangerous roads to Jerusalem. “The people knew about the promises of restoration; but when the actual moment of restoration came, it was an overwhelming experience. b. The exiles had dreamed of Jerusalem for fifty years. “The LORD has done great things for them.” In the joy of the present pilgrim gathering, we sense the singers enjoying that harvest, yet wisely understanding that there will be future tears to sow in faith. We must sow: we may have to sow in the wet weath… Thus they would reap in joy. Shall reap in joy. Like your Lord, you shall yet see of the travail of your soul, and be satisfied.” (Meyer), v. Alexander Maclaren wondered how much encouragement and strength “…have been drawn for centuries from the sweet words of this psalm. Then they said among the nations, This almost certainly refers to the miraculous return of … When the Lord, &c.- … (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2006-2009), VanGemeren, Willem A. Who can tell how many hearts they have braced, how much patient toil they have inspired? It was known to wash cars down the street. Only a remnant had returned; others remained in Babylon. i. There was so much laughing that their mouth was filled with it. When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion, Our mouth had never been filled with holy laughter if it had not been first filled with the bitterness of grief. “The people were not to sit by idly, waiting for God to come through. 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