Psalm 126

Carefully Examining the Text

A Song of Ascents

“The community prayer is strikingly similar to the longer Psalm 85…Verses 1-3 reflect upon a past deliverance, probably return from Babylonian captivity. Verses 4-6 plead for the further restoration from present problems” Miller, 405. “The psalm starts out like a thanksgiving song, celebrating the restoration of the community’s fortunes, but the second part leads us to understand that it is lament of the community” Longman, 423.
126:1 When the LORD brought back the captive ones of Zion- The phrase brought back the captive ones might also be rendered ‘turned the captivity of’ (cf. the KJV and NASB).
This clause, with slight variations, is frequently used by the psalmists (14:7 and 53:6; 85:1; 126:1, 4) and the prophets (Jer. 29:14; 30:3, 18; 31:23; 32:44; 33:7, 11, 26; 48:47; 49:6, 39; Lam. 2:14; Ezek. 16:53; 29:14; 39:25; Hos. 6:11; Joel 3:1; Amos 9:14; Zeph. 2:7; 3:20)” Miller, 405. Deut. 30:3; Job 42:10.
126:2 And our tongue with joyful shouting- The word translated joyful shouting is used only 33 times in the OT and three are in this short Psalm- 126:2, 5, 6.
126:3 The LORD has done great things for us- Notice the transition from for them in vs. 2 and for us in vs. 3.
126:4 Restore our captivity, O LORD- “Verse 1 rejoices that Yahweh has ‘restored’ His people and verse 4 petitions that He restore them yet more fully” Isaiah 62:6-7. “It seems odd that the psalmist would first state that the community’s fortune had been restored and then ask God to restore their fortunes, as he does in this stanza. But one only has to remember the return from Babylonian captivity for an example of these two are in tension” Longman, 424. “The early rapture of Ezra 1-6 and the erosion of enthusiasm by the harsh facts of life illustrate this psalm” Motyer, 574.
126:4-6 “The two images of renewal (4b, 5-6) are not only striking; they are complementary. 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, 439. The great things of verse 2 have become a day of small things (Zech. 4:10).

Jesus and Psalm 126
“Psalm 126 reminds us that that we live in the hope of God’s help, always remembering what God has done in the past (vv.1-3) and always anticipating what God will do in the future (vv. 4-6; see Isaiah 43:19; 65:17; Rev. 21:5)” McCann, 1195.

126:1-2 “Surprised by joy, they were scarcely able to believe their eyes- it was all too good to be true (cf. Lk. 24:41; Acts 12:9)” Laymen, 689. John 16:20-22

“Matching this is the other picture of revival, in terms of farming at its most heart-breaking: all its joys hard-won (cf. II Cor. 9:6) and long-awaited (Gal. 6:7-10; James 5:7f.)” Kidner, 440. “There will be songs of joy but only when the toilsome task of sowing has been done and the crop has matured for harvest. That is where we find ourselves in God’s perfect plan of things (cf. Phil. 1:9-11; Jas. 5:7-8; Rev. 14:14-16)” Motyer, 574. John 12:23-24

Matthew 5:4 God will comfort our mourning. “The early church was urged to turn away from suffering to glory, with a conviction that the God who had begun a good work could faithfully bring it to completion (II Cor. 4:17-18; Phil. 1:6; I Thess. 5:24).