Psalm 126 (KJV) - 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• ¹<<A Song of degrees.>> In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me. (Psa. 120:1)

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Psa. 121:1• ¹<<A Song of degrees.>> I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. (Psa. 121:1)

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Psa. 122:1• ¹<<A Song of degrees of David.>> I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. (Psa. 122:1)

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

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Psa. 124:1• ¹<<A Song of degrees of David.>> If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say; (Psa. 124:1)

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Psa. 125:1• ¹<<A Song of degrees.>> They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but 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 bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad. (Psa. 53:6)

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Psa. 85:1• ¹<<To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.>> Lord, thou hast been favorable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. (Psa. 85:1)

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Ezra 1:1‑11• ¹Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
²Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
³Who is there 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 the Lord God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.
⁴And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.
⁵Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem.
⁶And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all that was willingly offered.
⁷Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods;
⁸Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto 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 and four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up with them of the captivity that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem. (Ezra 1:1‑11)

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

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Jer. 31:8‑10• ⁸Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither.
⁹They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
¹⁰Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. (Jer. 31:8‑10)

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Hos. 6:11• ¹¹Also, O Judah, he hath set an harvest for thee, when I returned 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 bring 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; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice. (Job 9:16)

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Mark 16:11• ¹¹And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. (Mark 16:11)

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Luke 24:11,41• ¹¹And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.
⁴¹And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? (Luke 24:11,41)

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Acts 12:9,14‑16• ⁹And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.
¹⁴And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.
¹⁵And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.
¹⁶But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished. (Acts 12:9,14‑16)

• 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)

• 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)

• 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)

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.