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Kretzmann's Popular Commentary

Psalms 126:4

Turn again our captivity, O Lord, giving them also an opportunity to return to the Land of Promise, as the streams in the south, as the dry watercourses of the Plains of Judah were renewed with the opening of the rainy season and the entire country burst into blossoms. At the same time even these remaining exiles look forward to a joyful return to the country of their fathers.

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See also Psalms 126:4 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Psalms 126:4. _TURN AGAIN OUR CAPTIVITY_] This is either a recital of the prayer they had used _before_ their deliverance; or it is a prayer for those who _still remained_ in the provinces beyon...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    TURN AGAIN OUR CAPTIVITY, O LORD - literally, “Turn our captivity.” The word “again” is inserted by the translators, and conveys an idea which is not necessarily in the original. It is simply a prayer...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    PSALM 120-134 The Psalms of Degrees Fifteen brief Psalms follow, called songs of degrees, or, ascents. They were in all probability used by Israel going up to Jerusalem three times a year to celebrat...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    CXXVI. COMFORT IN TEARS. An apparently easy and really very difficult Ps. According to the usual interpretation which is adopted in RV we have in Psalms 126:1 a picture of the joy felt when Cyrus perm...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    STREAMS. torrents. Hebrew. _'aphikim._ See 2 Samuel 22:16. Supply the _Ellipsis,_ "as the streams [are turned] in the Negeb". IN THE SOUTH. in the Negeb, where, in the hill-country of Judaea the _'ap...

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 719 DELIVERANCE FROM SPIRITUAL BONDAGE ACKNOWLEDGED Psalms 126:1. When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, an...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    TURN AGAIN OUR CAPTIVITY, O LORD— This prayer seems to be, "We beseech thee to perfect this good work which thou hast begun, and turn our captivity, that we may refresh and cultivate thy holy land, as...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    PSALMS 126 DESCRIPTIVE TITLE The Invader Gone: the First Sowing Begun. ANALYSIS Stanza I., Psalms 126:1-3, The Deliverance of Zion calls forth the Jubilations of her People, and the Frank Acknowled...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south. TURN AGAIN OUR CAPTIVITY, O LORD, AS THE STREAMS IN THE SOUTH. The prayer is offered in this verse. The hope based on it is expressed...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    126:4 south. (d-11) Heb. _ Negeb_ . see Note b, Joshua 10:40 ....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    A song of those who have been redeemed (from exile), and a hopeful prayer for those who have not yet returned....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    TURN AGAIN OUR CAPTIVITY] perhaps, 'bring back the exiles.' AS THE STREAMS IN THE SOUTH] i.e. like the hill streams in the arid S. land of Judah (the Negeb), dry for a time in summer but becoming sudd...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    CAPTIVITY. — Here there is a change. The joy of the great Return was too great not to last on through many vicissitudes. But the poet now thinks of the many exiles still dispersed among the nations, a...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    שׁוּבָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה אֶת־_שְׁבִיתֵ֑נוּ_† כַּ אֲפִיקִ֥ים בַּ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    Psalms 126:1 As in Psalms 85:1, the poet's point of view here is in the midst of a partial restoration of Israel. In Psalms 126:1 he rejoices over its happy beginning, while in...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

      “THE LORD HATH DONE GREAT THINGS FOR US” Psalms 126:1-6; Psalms 127:1-5 The circumstances under which this psalm was written are evident upon its face. The exiles, lately back from Babylon, are re...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The general movement of these songs of Ascents is preserved in this case by the marginal reading of the first verse, better than by the text as it stands in the R.V. “When Jehovah brought back those t...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the (d) streams in the south. (d) It is no more impossible for God to deliver his people than to cause the rivers to run in the wilderness and barren places....

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    As arrows, &c. The offspring which God shall give his servants, that have been shaken and tossed about, (as the children of Israel were in their captivity) shall be like arrows in the hand of the migh...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    This forms a very suitable prayer, after the experience of such unlooked for mercies. The streams in the south most probably refer to those subterraneous waters that empty themselves, and are seen no...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    4._O Jehovah! bring back our captivity. _The second part of the Psalm, as I have said, contains a prayer that God would gather together the residue of the captives. The Holy Spirit endited this form o...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Psalms 126. The heart of the godly now finds its center in Zion, when deliverance has been learnt; for so it will be (compare Isaiah 29:4; Isaiah 29:7). How low she was brought, according to...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    TURN AGAIN OUR CAPTIVITY, O LORD,.... This prayer for the return of the captivity shows that it was not as yet: though some think that this is a petition of those that were returned from captivity, fo...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south. Ver. 4. _Turn again our captivity, O Lord_] Perfect what thou hast so happily begun for us. _ As the streams in the south_] _i.e._ Mirac...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Turn again our captivity, O Lord_ Perfect what thou hast begun, and as thou hast brought us home, bring home also the rest of our brethren, who still remain captives in Babylon, or are dispersed in t...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    4-6 The beginnings of mercies encourage us to pray for the completion of them. And while we are in this world there will be matter for prayer, even when we are most furnished with matter for praise....

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    TURN AGAIN OUR CAPTIVITY; as thou hast brought us home, bring home also the rest of our brethren, who, are dispersed and yet remain captives in Babylon, or in any other parts oft he world. As the stre...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Psalms 126:4 back H7725 (H8798) captivity H7622 (H8675) H7622 LORD H3068 streams H650 South H5045 T

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Psalms 126:1. _When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream._ We could hardly believe it; we began to talk incoherently, as men do in their sleep. We were so carried...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    This is one of the «Songs of Degrees.» They are supposed to have been sung as the pilgrim caravan was going up to the temple at Jerusalem. Every time they halted and pitched their tents, they sang a P...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Thanksfulness for deliverance from captivity. CHARACTERS: God, Zion. CONCLUSION: The long want of mercies greatly sweetens them when they are returned to us. When God appears for His peopl...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Psalms 126:4. _The streams in the south,_ which water the dry lands by periodical rains and melted snows, and so make them to bring forth the most abundant harvests. REFLECTIONS. When the Jews were...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion._ A POLITICAL FACT THAT IS EMBLEMATIC, AND A HUMAN EXPERIENCE THAT IS COMMON I. A political fact, emblematic of moral restoration. The political fac...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Turn again our captivity, O Lord._ THE THANKFUL PRAY For they have proved the use of prayer. As prayer found cause for praise, gratitude sees reason for renewed supplication. “The Lord turned Himsel...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PSALM PSALM—NOTE ON PSALMS 126:1. This is a community lament that recalls a previous time of God’s mercy on his people (v. Psalms 126:1) and asks him to show that m

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PSALM—NOTE ON PSALMS 126:4 RESTORE OUR FORTUNES, O LORD asks God to show mercy now as he has in the past. The images that follow (STREAMS IN THE NEGEB; seed f

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    INTRODUCTION This Psalm was penned with reference to some great deliverance of the people of God out of bondage and distress, most likely their return out of Babylon in Ezra’s time. It is very beauti...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION This psalm seems to be a joint thanksgiving and complaint, composed soon after the return from the Captivity. It has been said to present an "enigmatical contrast" (Cheyne) in its two porti...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion (Psalms 126:1), Or when the Lord actually freed Zion from her captivity, we were like those who dream (Psalms 126:1). How many times when we see the...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Hosea 1:11; Isaiah 41:18; Joshua 3:16; Psalms 126:1; Psalms 85:4...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Turn — As thou hast brought us home, bring also the rest of our brethren. As — As thou art pleased sometimes to send floods of water into dry and barren grounds, such as the southern parts of Canaan w...

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