When the LORD brought back his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream! Zion The product is one of the grandest, most eloquent lyrical prayers in the Psalter. Augustine interprets the title, "A Song of Degrees, i.e. God has restored the fortunes of Zion. --Lancelot Andrews, 1555-1626. Zion in a spiritual sense, or the church of God, and the interest 31:23 ) ; and the people redeemed are often signified by --W. H. J. P. This maketh Zion's captivity to be mentioned chiefly, as chiefly regarded by God, and to be regarded by his people. What Psalm 126 means Verse 1: This verse fits the Sennacherib story better than the Cyrus story. 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. 137:1-3 ) . Psalm 126 The Psalter still presents major problems of interpretation. Dreams are unsubstantial things, but "the Lord turned" -- an actual fact. Title. That their greatest grief, and this their greatest joy; Loetati sumus, when news came (not, saith the Psalm, in domos nostras, We shall go everyone to his own house, but) in domun Domini ibimus, "We shall go to the house of the Lord, we shall appear before the God of gods in Zion." In other words, its not all, all, all the way up all the time. Peter, being imprisoned by Herod, when he was delivered by an angel, for all the light that did shine in the prison; though the angel did smite him on the side and raised him up; though he caused the chains to fall off his hands; though he spake to him three several times, Surge, einge, circunda; "Arise quickly, gird thyself, and cast thy garment about thee"; though he conducted him safely by the watches; and though he caused the iron gates to open willingly; yet for all this he was like unto them that dream. In its Christian aspect the psalm represents the seventh of the "degrees" in our ascent to the Jerusalem that is above. PSALM 126 OVERVIEW. It is thought that it was written just at the occurrence of the restoration, before it was fully completed. Indeed, the passage is not applicable to captives in Babylon, for it is Zion itself which is in captivity and not a part of her citizens: the holy city was in sorrow and distress; though it could not be removed, the prosperity could be diminished. As we see it was: when they sat by the waters of Babylon, that which made them weep was, "When we remembered thee, O Zion"; that was their greatest grief. Article Images Copyright © 2020 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. ) ; for the return of the captivity seems to require it should: Some dark cloud lowered over the beloved capital, and its citizens prayed "Turn again our captivity. --John Hume, in "The Jewes Deliverance", 1628. The same thing happened to the Greeks, when they heard that their country, being conquered by the Romans, had been made free by the Roman consul, P. Quinctius Flaminius. 1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of [] Zion, we were like those who dreamed. 126:4 126:1 "brought back" This verbal (BDB 996, KB 1427, Qal infinitive construct) has a wide semantic field. Never shall that hour be forgotten. No awakening to find it "but a dream": see. Please enter your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue. He did weaken the loins of kings, and did open the doors before him, he did go before him, and made the crooked places straight; and he did break the brazen doors, and burst the iron bars. # turned…: Heb. 2 At that time our mouth was filled with laughter And our tongue with a joyful shout. Psalm 126:1, KJV: "{A Song of degrees.} The Psalm is a Psalm of joy. or "shall be" F16; that is, as persons that know not Psalm 126:3(NASB) Verse Thoughts Imagine your country being conquered, your homes destroyed, your possessions taken and you, along with every member of your family being led away captive, into a foreign land for 70 years. The Hebrew noun denotes conversion, in its spiritual sense, and the verb God's gracious condescension in accepting or responding to it. language, ( Psalms 14:7 ) ( yet it may be put for the future; and be considered as a prophecy When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. It was he and not Gideon that brought them out of the hands of the Midianites, after seven years' servitude. When old Jacob was told by his sons that his son Joseph was alive, his heart failed, and he believed them not; but when he had heard all that Joseph had said, and when he saw the chariots that Joseph had sent, then, as it were, raised from a sleep, and awakened from a dream, his spirit revived, and, rejoicing, he cried out, "I have enough; Joseph my son is yet alive. Psalm 126 is generally thought to have been written by Ezra, upon the return of the Jews from their captivity in Babylon. In like manner it was he and not Deborah that freed them for Jabin after they had been vexed twenty years under the Canaanites. A Song of degrees. Wherefore we take this Psalm to be a prophecy of the redemption that should come by Jesus Christ, and the publishing of the gospel, whereby the kingdom of Christ is advanced, and death and the devil with all the powers of darkness are vanquished. At once psalmody as they proceeded on their holy way finished there was more good news the... 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