Revocatur praeco, cum unusquisque non audire, sed videre libertatis suae nuncium averit, iterum pronunciaret eadem. It seemed like a dream, too good to be true, when GOD returned Zion’s exiles. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/wen/psalms-126.html. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/jtc/psalms-126.html. And though this is expressed in the past tense, yet it may be put for the future; and be considered as a prophecy of it, and which the following word seems to confirm; and especially the prayer, Psalm 126:4; for the return of the captivity seems to require it should: and may not only literally respect the return of the captives in Babylon, but the conversion of the Jews in the latter day, and their deliverance from their present captivity; which is expressed sometimes by the Lord's bringing again Zion, and returning the captivity of the Jews, and their being turned to the Lord, Isaiah 52:8; and may be applied to spiritual and eternal redemption by Christ, of which the deliverance from Babylon was a type; and is sometimes expressed in the same language, Psalm 14:7; and the people redeemed are often signified by Zion, and are by nature captives to sin, Satan, and the law; from whence they are redeemed by Christ, whose work alone it is, Isaiah 1:27; we were like them that dream; or "shall be"F16היינו "erimus", Musculus, Gejerus, Schmidt; so the Targum, Syr. This deliverance of the captives, though it was by Cyrus as an instrument, yet it was the Lord's work; which he employed him in, and stirred him up to do, and therefore is ascribed to him. 5:1). Compare Isaiah 29:7-8, the same image in a different application. "The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge". Cyrus himself led the way in proclaiming, not himself, but God as the author of Israel's return to Jerusalem. “He breaks the power of canceled sin, For such a worm as I?”. Sermons We were like them that dream - we could scarcely believe our eyes that our deliverance was a reality. Copyright StatementThese files are public domain and are a derivative of an electronic edition that is available on the Christian Classics Ethereal Library Website. Vix satis se credere se quisque audisse: alii alios intueri mirabundi velut somnii vanam speciem: guod ad guemque pertineret, suarum aurium fidei minimum credentes, proximos interrogabant. It is the seventh in the series of 15 songs for pilgrims coming to Jerusalem. Let the crescent never more fill its horns with a victory, nor with the spoils of any who are called by the sacred name of Jesus: but let it wane back into total darkness; and know no change for the better, till illuminated by the orient splendor of the Sun of righteousness! For my part I have no doubt that the Psalm was composed upon the return of the Jewish people from the Babylonish captivity; and for this reason I have translated the verb בשוב , beshub, in the past tense. They were on their way down, safe and sound. BibliographyScofield, C. I. Psalms 126:1 When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. (Haydock). He’s led them back to the Promised Land. But the Septuagint reads αιχμαλωσιαν, and the Vulgate captivitatem, as if they had a text before them which read שׁבית, (shebeeth,) or שׁבות, (shebooth,) “captivity,” (as in Psalms 126:4,) from the root שׁבה, (shabah,) to take, or lead away, captive. It is unnatural and forced to suppose, with some expositors, that this is a prediction of what was to come. Had the climbers been delayed momentarily – say, they were thirty minutes late reporting in – their loved ones may have had a few anxious moments and then let out a sigh of relief, but it wouldn’t have caused a nationwide celebration. How signally has this prayer been thus far answered! Do you remember, a few weeks ago, the news about the mountain climbers who were trapped in the snow on Mt. Used by permission. Nehemias had ordered the citizens to watch the attempts of Sanaballat. To the naked eye, it’s a God-forsaken place. This Psalm was composed by Ezra, or some other man of God, at the return of Israel from Babylon. But passing over this event, great and astonishing as it is in itself, as a proof of God's kind providence over his people; I would call the Reader to a yet more marvellous instance of God's sovereignty in the kingdom of his grace, and desire him to ponder with me the wonders of God's love, in turning the captivity of sinners by the proclamation of mercy in the person and offices of the Lord Jesus Christ. To put it this way, you know when go into a travel agency and see all the posters of beautiful and exotic places to visit? Make no mistake about it, when God acts, people notice, even people of little or no faith. Title. Dream — We were so surprized and astonished. His blood can make the foulest clean, Psalm 126:1-8 Too Good to Be True (McLarty), All Rights Reserved | © 1997-2020 Richard Niell Donovan. Never before, in the whole history of the human race, had there ever been anything like this; and, we might add, there's never been anything like it since then! Psalms 128:1-6.-The fear of God brings blessedness. lib. "The Adam Clarke Commentary". This is a glorious redemption. The church, celebrating and praising God for her return out of the Babylonian captivity, Psalms 126:1-3, prayeth him to perfect his work, and foretelleth the good success thereof, Psalms 126:4-6. Finding the new version too difficult to understand? This is the seventh Step, and we may therefore expect to meet with some special perfection of joy in it; nor shall we look in vain. But what was all this in comparison to the salvation of Jesus? (89) As, however, this makes little difference in regard to the sense, it is enough to have noticed it to my readers in passing. The Turkish fleet has been attacked in the Bay of Navarino by the combined fleets of the above powers in October, 1827, under the command of the British Admiral, Sir Edward Codrington, and totally annihilated. “Them that dream”: The actual experience of liberation, so unexpected, seemed more like a dream than reality. When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion - Margin, as in Hebrew, “returned the returning of Zion.” The Hebrew word which is rendered in the text captivity means properly return; and then, those returning. Copyright StatementJames Burton Coffman Commentaries reproduced by permission of Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1917. He broke the power of sin and death. Every day she’d sit at her kitchen table and pray for the Lord to provide for her needs. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them. "Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary". "Whedon's Commentary on the Bible". Jubilation filled the air. Gerstenberger’s point may be that Psalm 126:1’s message is that God is doing something new, something with which dreams often coincided. 1. Here the trustor becomes a sower: faith works by love, obtains a present bliss, and secures a harvest of delight. One day they snuck up under the open window and heard her say, “Give us this day our daily bread.” So they pooled their money and went to the store and bought her a sack of groceries. BibliographyWhedon, Daniel. Some question Josephus' writings; but the pertinent question is, "If Cyrus did not indeed give God the honor of ordering the return of Israel, how can we account for the fact that the Gentile nations of the world of that period ascribed the honor to God instead of to Cyrus? and our tongue with singing” (Psalm 126:1-2). 32). He was set up from everlasting. BibliographyGill, John. It is thought that it was written just at the occurrence of the restoration, before it was fully completed. Fs. John Trapp Complete Commentary. "George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary". Barnes's Psalms 126:1 Bible Commentary When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion - Margin, as in Hebrew, "returned the returning of Zion." He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” Psa. "Commentary on Psalms 126:1". Hengstenberg translates, 'When the Lord turned to the returning of Zion' - i:e., turned in mercy to them when they returned in penitence to Him (Deuteronomy 30:2-3; Deuteronomy 30:9-10; Deuteronomy 4:30; Isaiah 10:21-22; Isaiah 59:20; Nehemiah 1:8-9). have “as if consoled.” The Hebrew word primarily means “to be fat,” or “fleshy,” and in Isaiah 38:16 is rendered “recover”—a meaning that would give a good sense here, and which is adopted by the Chaldean paraphrases: “We were like unto such men who have recovered.” On the other hand, the usual rendering suggests that the news of the restoration appeared too good to be true. Hymn Lists. Psalms 126:3 The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. 126:1; a prayer for YHWH to do it again, Ps. What he could have seen, if he’d looked up, is that the door to his cell was open. Psalm 126:1, KJV: "{A Song of degrees.} None of those who were carted away lived to see their freedom. Also, there is a key verse in the understanding of this idiom in Job 42:10 which reveals that, "God turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends; and God gave Job twice as much as he had before." And such an ecstasy is the new convert in; as was Cyprian, Austin, Bernard; witness their own writings (lib. I don’t know how to say it more clearly than this: The gift of life in all of its abundance – salvation – is yours for the asking. 1.When Jehovah brought back the captivity of Zion, etc. The illustration is in Luke 24:41. BibliographyCalvin, John. GET YOUR FOUR FREE SAMPLES! 1874-1909. 16.) (Berthier) --- House, or temple, and grant children, Exodus i. Senatus romanus et t. Quincius imperator, philippo rege macedonibusque devictis; liberos, immunes, suis legibus esse jubet corinthios, phocenses, locrensesque omnes, et insulam euboeam, et magnetas, thessalos, perrhaebos, achaeos, phthiotas. "Commentary on Psalms 126:1". cap. Arab. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then... Psalm 126 A Harvest of Joy - A Song of Ascents. We laughed, we sang, we couldn’t believe our good fortune. Because of the past, they can certainly imagine a stunningly glorious future, where the sad can’t stop laughing, where tears are dried and replaced with shouts of joy. Used by Permission. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/ebc/psalms-126.html. Great God, vindicate the cause of the distressed Greeks as summarily, as effectually, as permanently, as thou once didst that of thy oppressed people the Jews! Without God's assistance, all your endeavours to rebuild the temple and city will prove fruitless. -- A Song of Degrees. According to Matthew Henry, it was likely written upon the return of the Israelites from Babylonian captivity. The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, render it, "as those that are comforted"; and the Syriac version, "as those that rejoice"; each of the seasons mentioned being times of comfort and joy: Joseph Kimchi interprets it of the passing away and forgetfulness of affliction and trouble at the time of redemption, like a dream that flies away upon awaking. For when Cyrus (as we read in the book of Ezra) gave commandment for the Jews to return to Jerusalem, and to rebuild the temple, it might well excite the astonishment of all that heard it. None could well believe that he had heard aright, and they looked on one another in wonder, like the empty show of a dream” (Livy, xxxiii. WHEN THE LORD RESTORED THE FORTUNES OF ZION (RSV). See Isaiah 45:1-3, compared with Daniel 5:6-30. "Commentary on Psalms 126:1". Charles Wesley got it right when he penned the words. i. Children’s Sermons All other rights reserved. In the common Hebrew text, When the Lord returned home the returning ones, or, the restoration, deriving שׁיבת, (sheebath,) rendered “captivity,” from שׁוב, (shobh,) to return. Amen. The captives in that passage were primarily those whom the Devil had made "captive" to do his will. The community, not merely the individual fearer of God, as in Psalms 127:1-5, is referred to (cf. A user-friendly resource for busy pastors! The Hebrew word which is rendered in the text captivity means properly return; and then, those returning. 1905. Cyrus was mentioned by name, between two and three hundred years before he was born, and declared to be God's anointed for opening the two-leaved gates, upon which occasion God would loose the loins of kings. When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream." https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/whe/psalms-126.html. Psalms 126:2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. They gazed on each other, wondering as if it had been some illusion, similar to a dream; and although all were interested in what was spoken, none could trust his own ears, but inquired each from him who stood next to him what it was that was proclaimed. Like them that dream.—The LXX. We must labour, and still expect success from God alone. 1828. 2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them. I’m sure you must get tired of me saying this, but this is why I think it’s so important to be up front about our sinful nature and not to be ashamed to sing with Isaac Watts, “Alas, and did my Savior bleed, 1685. Next Sunday is Palm Sunday; the Sunday after that is Easter Sunday. As often as God works by ordinary means, men, through the malignity of their natures, usually exercise their ingenuity in devising various causes of the deliverance wrought, in order to darken the grace of God. The triumphs of His grace! 12, Gosr. These psalms trace the upward ascent of our heart to Gods heart, but its not smooth sailing all the way. "The message of the psalm is that there is no simple solution on earth for the problems of the people of God, no single act of God that could bring them into unbroken joy, rid them of trials and temptations, or establish them in perfection this side of heaven!"[6]SIZE>. Hebrew [ shiybaah ( Hebrew # 7870 ) ] occurs only here ; 29:14. ` when God does something good for … and our tongue with a little fertilizer and of! To teach him that all depends on God and love and joy and thanksgiving Gods... Primarily those whom the Devil had made `` captive '' to do with us, have taken the! 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