Psalms 126:1

When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion,.... Or returned the Jews from their captivity in Babylon; who are called Zion, from the city of David, built on Mount Zion, which was in Judea, and

When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.

Psalms 126 THE This Psalm was composed by Ezra, or some other man of God, at the return of Israel from Babylon. The church, celebrating and praising God for her return out of the Babylonian captivity, , prayeth him to perfect his work, and foretelleth the good success thereof, . Turned again the captivity of Zion, i.e. brought the captive Israelites out of Babylon into their own land. We were like them that dream; we were so surprised and astonished with the report of such a favour, that we could not believe our own eyes and ears, but thought it to be but a dream or delusion of our own fancies; as is usual in matters of great joy, as .

Psalms 126:1 « A Song of degrees. » When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.Ver. 1. When the Lord turned again] viz. From Babylon; and therefore that which some translations have in the title, A psalm of David (which is not in the Hebrew) would be left out; for it seemeth to have been penned by Ezra, or some prophet of his time. We were like them that dream] Tanta fuit liberationis admirabilitas, so admirable was the deliverance, that we could hardly believe it; as fearing the certainty, and yet hoping the truth. Such a passion was upon Peter when enlarged by the angel, Acts 12:7-11; upon the Grecians when set free by Flaminius, the Roman general; Maius gaudium fuit, saith the historian, quam quod universum homines caperent, &c., their joy was too large for their hearts, they scarcely believed their own ears when the crier proclaimed their liberty, but had him say over that sweet word liberty again; they also looked upon one another with wonderment, velut somnii vanam speciem, saith Livy. And such an ecstasy is the new convert in; as was Cyprian, Austin, Bernard; witness their own writings (lib. xxxiii., Cyp. Epist. lib. i., Aug. Confes. lib. vi. cap. 12, Gosr. in Vit. Bernard).

(1) When the Lord . . .—Literally, In turning by Jehovah the turning of Zion. The phrase is not precisely the same as that in Psalms 126:4, which is usual, and offers no difficulty. Here the form of the noun “turning” presents some difficulty; but, after the analogy of a few other words, it can bear the concrete meaning “returned:” when Jehovah brought back the returned of Zion.Like them that dream.—The LXX. and Vulg. have “as if consoled.” The Hebrew word primarily means “to be fat,” or “fleshy,” and in Isaiah 38:16 is rendered “recover”—a meaning that would give a good sense here, and which is adopted by the Chaldean paraphrases: “We were like unto such men who have recovered.” On the other hand, the usual rendering suggests that the news of the restoration appeared too good to be true. “Surely you are dreaming” is a common saying. An illustration has been aptly produced in Livy’s description of the feelings of the Greeks when they heard at the Isthmian games (B.C. 196), after the defeat of the Macedonians by T. Flaminius, the proclamation of the herald that they should, by the free gift of the Roman people, retain their liberty. “The joy was too great for men to take it all in. None could well believe that he had heard aright, and they looked on one another in wonder, like the empty show of a dream” (Livy, xxxiii. 32).

PSALM CXXVI The joy of the Israelites on their return from captivity, and the effect their deliverance had upon the heathen, 1-3. The prayer which they had offered up, 4. The inference they draw from the whole, 5, 6. NOTES ON PSALM CXXVI This Psalm is not of David, has no title in the Hebrew or any of the Versions, and certainly belongs to the close of the captivity. It might have been composed by Haggai and Zechariah, as the Syriac supposes; or by Ezra, according to others. It is beautiful, and highly descriptive of the circumstances which it represents. Verse 1. When the Lord turned again the captivity] When Cyrus published his decree in favour of the Jews, giving them liberty to return to their own land, and rebuild their city and temple. We were like them that dream.] The news was so unexpected that we doubted for a time the truth of it. We believed it was too good news to be true, and thought ourselves in a dream or illusion. When the Romans had vanquished Philip, king of Macedon, they restored liberty to the Grecian cities by proclamation. It was done at the time of the Isthmian games, and by the crier, who went into the circus to proclaim them; none but the Roman general T. Quintius knowing what was to be done. Multitudes from all Greece were there assembled; and the tidings produced nearly the same effect upon them, according to Livy, that the publication of the decree of Cyrus did on the Jews, according to what is here related by the psalmist. I shall give the substance of this account from the Roman historian. When the Romans had sat down to behold the games, the herald with his trumpet went into the arena, according to custom, to proclaim the several games. Silence being obtained, he solemnly pronounced the following words:- SENATUS ROMANUS ET T. QUINCIUS IMPERATOR, PHILIPPO REGE MACEDONIBUSQUE DEVICTIS; LIBEROS, IMMUNES, SUIS LEGIBUS ESSE JUBET CORINTHIOS, PHOCENSES, LOCRENSESQUE OMNES, ET INSULAM EUBOEAM, ET MAGNETAS, THESSALOS, PERRHAEBOS, ACHAEOS, PHTHIOTAS. "The Roman Senate, and T. Quintius the general, having vanquished king Philip and the Macedonians, do ordain that the Corinthians, Phocensians, all the Locrensians, the island of Euboea, the Magnesians, Thessalians, Perrhaebians, Acheans, and Phthiotians, shall be free, be delivered from all taxes, and live according to their own laws." The effect that this produced on the astonished Grecians who were present, is related by this able historian in a very natural and affecting manner; and some parts of it nearly in the words of the psalmist. Audita voce praeconis, majus gaudium fuit, quam quod universum homines caperent. Vix satis se credere se quisque audisse: alii alios intueri mirabundi velut somnii vanam speciem: guod ad guemque pertineret, suarum aurium fidei minimum credentes, proximos interrogabant. Revocatur praeco, cum unusquisque non audire, sed videre libertatis suae nuncium averit, iterum pronunciaret eadem. Tum ab certo jam gaudio tantus cum clamore plausus est ortus, totiesque repetitus, ut facile appareret, nihil omnium bonorum multitudini gratius quam LIBERTATEM esse. T. LIV.

1–3. Israel’s rejoicing at the incredible marvel of restoration to its own land.

When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion - Margin, as in Hebrew, “returned the returning of Zion.” The Hebrew word which is rendered in the text captivity means properly return; and then, those returning.

1. Turned… the captivity—An obscure form of speech. In the common Hebrew text, When the Lord returned home the returning ones, or, the restoration, deriving ωׁ ?ιαϊ, (sheebath,) rendered “captivity,”