Psalm 126 A Song of Ascents.
1 When Yahweh brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream. 2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “Yahweh has done great things for them.” 3 Yahweh has done great things for us, and we are glad. 4 Bring back our captivity, O Yahweh, as the streams in the South. 5 Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. 6 He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
"For Israel, the seventh year expressed at length the values of the seventh day Sabbath (Lv 25:1-7). When a series of seven years reached the perfection of seven sevens, the 50th year was heralded by the trumpet of jubilee and a whole additional year was set aside as belonging to the Lord." (Tyndale bible Dictionary) Judah was taken into captivity in Babylon for failure to give the land its rest (Leviticus 26:14;32-35; Ezekiel 4:3b-6)."So God told Ezekiel to demonstrate His displeasure with both parts of the nation by lying down for a total of 430 days. (Lying down reflects a position of sickness, death or vulnerability — the condition of Israel at the time.) Now, this is the point: In 430 years, there are exactly 70 Sabbath years! 'Nebuchadnezzar… carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to power. The land enjoyed its Sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.’ (2 Chr 36:17-21) Do you see the fulfillment of God’s promise for the land? The land enjoyed its Sabbath rests!” (Larry W. Wilson)
“Augustine interprets the title, ‘A Song of Degrees, i.e. a Song of drawing upwards,’ of the drawing up to the heavenly Jerusalem. This is right, inasmuch as the deliverance from the captivity of sin and death should in an increased measure excite those feelings of gratitude which Israel must have felt on being delivered from their corporeal captivity; in this respect again is the history of the outward theocracy a type of the history of the church.” (Augustus F. Tholuck) It is the seventh of the “degrees” in our ascent— perfection. “Whether this is a prophecy or a statement of historical fact, it sets forth the indescribable bliss of those who were privileged to return to the Land of Promise.” (Paul E. Kretzmann) “There is nothing in the psalm that can be applied exclusively to the return of Israel from the captivity; but, at the same time, there is nothing to exclude that example of God's restoring the fortunes of Israel.” (RSV)
“In mine opinion they go near to the sense and true meaning of the Psalm who do refer it to that great and general captivity of mankind under sin, death and the devil, and to the redemption purchased by the death and blood shedding of Christ, and published in the Gospel.” (Thomas Stint) “Christ Himself used the expression, ‘release of the captives’ as an idiom for saving people from sin (Luk 4:18). ... 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.’ In this passage, the turning of Job's ‘captivity,’ simply meant the restoration of his good fortunes and not his release from imprisonment or captivity.” (Burton Coffman)
“‘When Yahweh brought back the captivity of Zion’— that is, when the edict of Cyrus was published to let them go, to rebuild their city and sanctuary, it was as the awaking from a troublesome night of captivity, to the joyful morning of liberation and affluence. Now they return with singing, to reap in joy.” (Joseph Sutcliffe) “Why of Zion? why not the captivity of Jerusalem, Judah, Israel? Jerusalem, Judah, Israel, were led away captives, no less than Zion. They, the greater and more general; why not the captivity of them, but of Zion? It should seem there is more in Zion's captivity than in the rest, that choice is made of it before the rest. Why? what was Zion? We know it was but a hill in Jerusalem, on the north side. Why is that hill so honoured? No reason in the world but this,—that upon it the Temple was built; and so, that Zion is much spoken of, and much made of, it is only for the Temple's sake.” (Lancelot Andrews) “As by the Lord's permission they were led into captivity, so only by His power they were set at liberty. When the Israelites had served in a strange land four hundred years, it was not Moses, but Jehovah, that brought them out of the land of Egypt, and out of the house of bondage. In like manner it was he and not Deborah that freed them for Jabin after they had been vexed twenty years under the Canaanites. It was he and not Gideon that brought them out of the hands of the Midianites, after seven years' servitude. It was he and not Jephthah that delivered them from the Philistines and Amorites after eighteen years' oppression. Although in all these he did employ Moses and Deborah, Gideon and Jephthah, as instruments for their deliverance; and so it was not Cyrus's valour, but the Lord's power; not his policy, but God's wisdom.” (John Hume)
“‘We were like those who dream.’ The time which God chose and the instrument He used to give the captive Jews their gaol delivery and liberty to return home were so incredible to them when it came to pass (like Peter whom the angel had carried out of prison, Acts 12:1-25), it was some time before they could come to themselves and resolve whether it was a real truth, or but a pleasing dream.” (William Gumall) “This must indeed have been an understatement. After two or three generations of captivity in Babylon, they are suddenly on the way back to Jerusalem, just as God had promised. Not only are they on the .way back home, but the all-powerful Medo-Persian monarch Cyrus is financing their return, sponsoring and encouraging it in every way possible. No wonder they laughed and sang for joy. Never before, in the whole history of the human race, had there ever been anything like this.” (Burton Coffman)
“‘Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing,’ as Job's, notwithstanding his suffering for a time, was destined at last to be (Job 8:21). The future forms, in the Hebrew here, 'Then shall our mouth be filled ... then shall they say,' etc., are used in allusion to the future in Job; or else, as De Burgh thinks, they refer to the fulfillment, yet future and in the last days.—Then they said among the nations, ‘Yahweh has done great things for them.’ (2) from Joel 2:21.” (A. R. Faussett) “‘Yahweh has done great things for us, and we are glad.’ (3) that those great things are done without us, finished by the Redeemer Himself.” (John Gill) “If this is understood of the returning Hebrews - coming back from the captivity - all must see how appropriate is the language; if it be applied to a sinner returning to God, it is no less suitable, for there is nothing that so fills the mind with joy.” (Albert Barnes)
"And how ought redemption from the wrath to come, from the power of sin and of Satan, to be valued! The sinner convinced of his guilt and danger, when by looking to a crucified Saviour he receives peace to his conscience, and power to break off his sins, often can scarcely believe that the prospect which opens to him is a reality.” (Matthew Henry)
“‘Bring back our captivity, O Yahweh, as the streams in the South’ (4)— the Negeb, which water the dry lands by periodical rains and melted snows, and so make them to bring forth the most abundant harvests.” (Sutcliffe) Send, oh Lord, the latter rains of Your Spirit to revive Your people Israel. “Perfect what thou hast so happily begun for us.” (Trapp) He who began the work will also finished it. All the way, my Savior leads.
“‘Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.’ (5) A proverbial expression, encouraging faith in prayer put up for the return of the captivity, whether in a literal or spiritual sense. Praying or seeking the Lord is sowing in righteousness, Hosea 10:12; which is often attended with tears and weeping; the issue of them is not always seen soon: these, like seed, lie buried under the clods, but take effect and will rise up in due time: saints should wait patiently for a return of them, as the husbandman for the fruits of the earth; in due time they will produce a large crop of blessings, a plentiful harvest, which the praying saint will reap with joy; as those that prayed and waited for the redemption in Jerusalem.” (John Gill)
“‘He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.’ (6) Here's no item of contingency or possibility, but all absolute affirmations; and you know heaven and earth shall pass away, but a jot of God's Word shall not fail. Nothing shall prevent the harvest of a labourer in Sion's vineyard.” (Humphrey Hardwick) "The seeds of Israel's spiritual mission may become drenched in tears of unbearable suffering, but the crop, the eventual harvest of homage to righteousness and truth, will be reaped in joy..." (Samson Raphael Hirsch, the Orthodox Jewish Artscroll Commentary) "Thou must thyself drop into the dust of death, and all the storms of that winter must pass over thee, until thy form shall be perished, and thou shalt see corruption. Yet the day is coming when thou shalt reap in joy; and plentiful shall be thy harvest.” (Bishop Horne)