Psalm 126 (JND) - Bible Truth Library

A Song of degrees.This Psalm evidently appears to have been composed in consequence of the proclamation of Cyrus in favour of the Jews, giving them leave to return to their own land, and rebuild their city and temple.

Psa. 120:1• ¹A Song of degrees. In my trouble I called unto Jehovah, and he answered me. (Psa. 120:1)

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Psa. 121:1• ¹A Song of degrees. I lift up mine eyes unto the mountains: whence shall my help come? (Psa. 121:1)

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Psa. 122:1• ¹A Song of degrees. Of David. I rejoiced when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of Jehovah. (Psa. 122:1)

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Psa. 123:1• ¹A Song of degrees. Unto thee do I lift up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. (Psa. 123:1)

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Psa. 124:1• ¹A Song of degrees. Of David. If it had not been Jehovah who was for us--oh let Israel say-- (Psa. 124:1)

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Psa. 125:1• ¹A Song of degrees. They that confide in Jehovah are as mount Zion, which cannot be moved; it abideth for ever. (Psa. 125:1)

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Psa. 125• (Psa. 125)

:*titles

turned again, etc.

Heb. returned the returning of Zion.

Psa. 53:6• ⁶Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God turneth again the captivity of his people, Jacob shall be glad, Israel shall rejoice. (Psa. 53:6)

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Psa. 85:1• ¹To the chief Musician. Of the sons of Korah. A Psalm. Thou hast been favourable, Jehovah, unto thy land; thou hast turned the captivity of Jacob: (Psa. 85:1)

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Ezra 1:1‑11• ¹And in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, and he made a proclamation throughout his kingdom, and also in writing, saying,
²Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth has Jehovah the God of the heavens given to me, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
³Whosoever there is among you of all his people, his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of Jehovah the God of Israel--he is God--which is at Jerusalem.
⁴And whosoever remains in any place where he sojourns, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, besides the voluntary offering for the house of God which is at Jerusalem.
⁵And the chief fathers of Judah and Benjamin rose up, and the priests, and the Levites, even all those whose spirit God had stirred, to go up to build the house of Jehovah which is at Jerusalem.
⁶And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with articles of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, besides all that was willingly offered.
⁷And king Cyrus brought forth the vessels of the house of Jehovah, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem and had put in the house of his god.
⁸And Cyrus king of Persia brought them forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.
⁹And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine-and-twenty knives,
¹⁰thirty basons of gold, silver basons of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand.
¹¹All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand four hundred. The whole did Sheshbazzar bring up, when they of the captivity were brought up from Babylon to Jerusalem. (Ezra 1:1‑11)

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Job 42:10• ¹⁰And Jehovah turned the captivity of Job, when he had prayed for his friends; and Jehovah gave Job twice as much as he had before. (Job 42:10)

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Jer. 31:8‑10• ⁸Behold, I bring them from the north country, and gather them from the uttermost parts of the earth; and among them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great assemblage shall they return hither.
⁹They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them; I will cause them to walk by water-brooks, in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble; for I will be a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
¹⁰Hear the word of Jehovah, ye nations, and declare it to the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd his flock. (Jer. 31:8‑10)

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Hos. 6:11• ¹¹Also, for thee, Judah, is a harvest appointed, when I shall turn again the captivity of my people. (Hos. 6:11)

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Joel 3:1• ¹For behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall turn again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, (Joel 3:1)

we were like.

Job 9:16• ¹⁶If I had called, and he had answered me, I would not believe that he hearkened to my voice,-- (Job 9:16)

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Mark 16:11• ¹¹And when these heard that he was alive and had been seen of her, they disbelieved it. (Mark 16:11)

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Luke 24:11,41• ¹¹And their words appeared in their eyes as an idle tale, and they disbelieved them.
⁴¹But while they yet did not believe for joy, and were wondering, he said to them, Have ye anything here to eat? (Luke 24:11,41)

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Acts 12:9,14‑16• ⁹And going forth he followed him and did not know that what was happening by means of the angel was real, but supposed he saw a vision.
¹⁴and having recognised the voice of Peter, through joy did not open the entry, but running in, reported that Peter was standing before the entry.
¹⁵And they said to her, Thou art mad. But she maintained that it was so. And they said, It is his angel.
¹⁶But Peter continued knocking: and having opened, they saw him and were astonished. (Acts 12:9,14‑16)

• Our place is to be peacefully in communion where God has set us with Himself, and thus the vessels of His revelation of Himself to others. And this, in the Jewish form of it, is what our psalm expresses. (“Practical Reflections on the Psalms: Psalms 120-131” by J.N. Darby)

• In Psalms 124:7, the godly are viewed as having escaped from their enemies; in Psalms 125, they realize that, being set free, the Lord is their protection on every hand; in Psalms 126, reviewing the way the Lord had wrought on their behalf, they break forth into praise and singing. (“Psalms 126” by H. Smith)

• (vv. 1-3) The intervention of the Lord had been so unforeseen and complete that, like a dream, it was almost beyond belief (Comp. Luke 24:41). This intervention is of a twofold character. Zion itself is set free from the rule of the enemy, to be followed by the full deliverance of the whole nation of Israel. (“Psalms 126” by H. Smith)

• The tribes of Israel are now viewed as having entered the land of Israel. Their long exile has at last been turned and they have been restored to the Lord (Ps. 14:7). (“Book 5.” by B. Anstey)

J. N. Darby Translation

A Song of degrees. When Jehovah turned the captivityb of Zion, we were like them that dream.

JND Translation Notes

Strictly, "the turning," or "returning," in the sense of complete restoration and establishment of full blessing. Ps. 14.7; Deut. 30.3.