Psalm 126 is the 126th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the

King James Version The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version, is an Bible translations into English, English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, which was commissioned in 1604 and publis ...

: "When the Lord turned again the captivity of

Zion Zion ( he, צִיּוֹן ''Ṣīyyōn'', LXX , also variously transliterated ''Sion'', ''Tzion'', ''Tsion'', ''Tsiyyon'') is a placename in the Hebrew Bible used as a synonym for Jerusalem as well as for the Land of Israel as a whole (see Nam ...

, we were like them that dream". In Latin, it is known as ''In convertendo Dominus''. It is one of the fifteen

Songs of Ascent Song of Ascents is a title given to fifteen of the Psalms, 120–134 (119–133 in the Septuagint and the Vulgate), each starting with the Psalms#Superscriptions, superscription Shir Hama'aloth ( ''šîr ha-ma‘ălōṯ'', meaning "Song of the A ...

in the Book of Psalms whose opening words in

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

are "Shir HaMaalot" (שיר המעלות בשוב ה’, a Song of Ascents). In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek

Septuagint The Greek Old Testament, or Septuagint (, ; from the la, septuaginta, lit=seventy; often abbreviated ''70''; in Roman numerals, LXX), is the earliest extant Greek translation of books from the Hebrew Bible. It includes several books beyond ...

version of the Bible and in the Latin

Vulgate The Vulgate (; also called (Bible in common tongue), ) is a late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. The Vulgate is largely the work of Jerome who, in 382, had been commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Gospels u ...

, this psalm is Psalm 125. This six-verse psalm forms a regular part of

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies. It is well known in Judaism as the preliminary psalm recited before the

Birkat Hamazon Birkat Hamazon ( he, בִּרְכַּת הַמָּזוׂן, The Blessing of the Food), known in English as the Grace After Meals ( yi, ; translit. ''bentschen'' or "to bless", Yinglish: Bentsching), is a set of Hebrew blessings that Jewish ...

(Grace After Meals) on Shabbat and

Jewish holidays Jewish holidays, also known as Jewish festivals or ''Yamim Tovim'' ( he, ימים טובים, , Good Days, or singular , in transliterated Hebrew []), are holidays observed in Judaism and by JewsThis article focuses on practices of mainstre ...

, and as such is sung to a wide variety of melodies. It has also inspired hymns based on it, and has often been set to music, such as Jean-Philippe Rameau and Jules Van Nuffel who set the psalm in Latin. Parts of this psalm have been singled out, for example ''They that sow in tears shall reap in joy'' is included in ''

Ein deutsches Requiem ''A German Requiem, to Words of the Holy Scriptures'', Op. 45 (german: Ein deutsches Requiem, nach Worten der heiligen Schrift, links=no) by Johannes Brahms, is a large-scale work for chorus, orchestra, a soprano and a baritone soloist, compos ...

'' by Johannes Brahms.

Background and themes

Psalm 126 expresses the themes of redemption and joy and gratitude to God. According to Matthew Henry, it was likely written upon the return of the

Israelites The Israelites (; , , ) were a group of Semitic-speaking tribes in the ancient Near East who, during the Iron Age, inhabited a part of Canaan. The earliest recorded evidence of a people by the name of Israel appears in the Merneptah Stele o ...

from Babylonian captivity. In Henry's view, the psalm was written either by

Ezra Ezra (; he, עֶזְרָא, '; fl. 480–440 BCE), also called Ezra the Scribe (, ') and Ezra the Priest in the Book of Ezra, was a Jewish scribe ('' sofer'') and priest (''kohen''). In Greco-Latin Ezra is called Esdras ( grc-gre, Ἔσδρα ...

, who led the nation at that time, or by one of the Jewish prophets. Jewish scholarship pairs this psalm with

Psalm 137 Psalm 137 is the 137th psalm of the Book of Psalms in the Tanakh. In English it is generally known as "By the rivers of Babylon", which is how its first words are translated in the King James Version of the Bible. Its Latin title is "Super flum ...

, with Psalm 137 commemorating the beginning of the Babylonian exile, and Psalm 126 describing the end of that exile. The grammatical structure of the psalm, however, suggests that it is talking both about a past redemption (from Babylonian captivity, in verse 1) and a future redemption (the permanent return of the exiles at the end of days, in verse 4). Alternately, modern Jewish commentators suggest that the second half of the psalm refers to the redemption of the land of Israel from agricultural drought. The

Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ('' halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the ce ...

( Ta'anit 23a) mentions this psalm in the context of the famous story of Honi ha-M'agel, who slept for seventy years. Before he fell asleep, Honi saw an old man planting a carob tree that would not bear fruit for seventy years. The Talmud begins,

Rabbi Yohanan said: This righteous man oni HaMa'agelwas troubled throughout the whole of his life about the meaning of the verse from Psalms 126, "A Song of Ascents, When the Lord brought back those that returned to Zion, we will be like dreamers." He wondered: Is it possible for one man to live long enough to dream continuously for seventy years? s it is written, "For the Lord said: When Babylon's seventy years are over, I will take note of and I will fulfill you to my promise of favor -- to bring you back to this place" (Jeremiah 29:10).ref name=hillel/>

Honi then ate a meal and fell asleep for seventy years. When he awoke, he saw the man's grandson gathering the fruits of the carob tree. Honi returned to the

study hall Study hall, known as private study, SAS, structured study or free periods in the United Kingdom, is a term for a place to have a study time during the school day where students are assigned to study when they are not scheduled for an academic cl ...

and heard scholars discussing laws that he himself had explicated. But they did not believe that he was still alive, and did not show him honor. Alexander Kirkpatrick notes an affinity of this psalm with

Psalm 85 Psalm 85 is the 85th psalm of the Book of Psalms, one of a series of psalms attributed to the sons of Korah. In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate translations of the Bible, this psalm is Psalm ...

, which begins '', thou hast been favourable unto thy land".

Text

Hebrew Bible version

Following is the Hebrew text of Psalm 126:

King James Version

# When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. # Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them. # The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. # Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south. # They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. # He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

Other translations

The New International Version and the Revised Standard Version refer to "the south" in verse 4 as "the

Negev The Negev or Negeb (; he, הַנֶּגֶב, hanNegév; ar, ٱلنَّقَب, an-Naqab) is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The region's largest city and administrative capital is Beersheba (pop. ), in the north. At its sout ...

Uses

Judaism

Psalm 126 is customarily recited before the

(Grace After Meals) on Shabbat,

Rosh Chodesh Rosh Chodesh or Rosh Hodesh ( he, ראש חודש; trans. ''Beginning of the Month''; lit. ''Head of the Month'') is the name for the first day of every month in the Hebrew calendar, marked by the birth of a new moon. It is considered a minor ...

, and

. Some say it on other Tachanun#Days on which Tachanun is omitted, days when Tachanun is not said. While on ordinary weekdays,

is traditionally recited before the Birkat Hamazon, that psalm's theme of the Siege of Jerusalem (70 CE), Destruction of the Temple is considered inappropriate for joyous occasions and holidays. For this reason, Psalm 126 is said before the Birkat Hamazon on Shabbat and Jewish holidays, as well as at other celebratory

meals A meal is an eating occasion that takes place at a certain time and includes consumption of food. The names used for specific meals in English vary, depending on the speaker's culture, the time of day, or the size of the meal. Although they c ...

such as those at a

Jewish wedding A Jewish wedding is a wedding ceremony that follows Jewish laws and traditions. While wedding ceremonies vary, common features of a Jewish wedding include a ''ketubah'' (marriage contract) which is signed by two witnesses, a ''chuppah'' or ''hu ...

, brit milah, and pidyon haben. At these times, Psalm 126 is customarily sung in full. The psalm lends itself to a wide variety of melodies due to its simple, repeating structure, and as such has many musical versions popularized by synagogue groups, youth organizations, summer camps, and others. Melodies have been borrowed from other liturgical poems, such as

El Adon El Adon or El Adon al kol ha-ma'asim ( he, אל אדון or , English: God is the Lord or God is the Lord of all creation) is a well-known Judaism, Jewish liturgical poem, a so-called ''piyyut'' that was probably written in Eretz Yisrael, the Land o ...

. German-speaking Jews have a tradition of adapting the liturgical melodies of each holiday's synagogue services to the singing of Psalm 126 at the table. Whereas fifteen psalms begin with the Masoretic superscription "Shir Hama'alot" (

Song of Ascents Song of Ascents is a title given to fifteen of the Psalms, 120–134 (119–133 in the Septuagint and the Vulgate), each starting with the superscription Shir Hama'aloth ( ''šîr ha-ma‘ălōṯ'', meaning "Song of the Ascents"), or, in the ca ...

), Psalm 126 is eponymously called "Shir Hama'alot" due to its prevalent use. Psalm 126 is one of the 15 Songs of Ascents recited after the Shabbat afternoon prayer in the period between Sukkot and

Shabbat HaGadol Special Shabbatot are Jewish Shabbat days on which special events are commemorated. Variations in the liturgy and special customs differentiate them from the regular Sabbaths and each one is referred to by a special name; many communities also ad ...

(the Shabbat prior to

Passover Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the Biblical story of the Israelites escape from slavery in Egypt, which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, the first month of Aviv, or spring. ...

). Verse 4 is part of

Selichot Selichot ( he, סְלִיחוֹת, səlīḥōt, singular: , ''səlīḥā'') are Jewish penitential poems and prayers, especially those said in the period leading up to the High Holidays, and on fast days. The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy ar ...

Catholic Church

According to the Rule of St. Benedict of 530, this Psalm was assigned to the Office of none from Tuesday until Saturday, and following Psalm 127 and Psalm 128. Currently, in the Liturgy of the Hours, Psalm 126 is recited or sung at

vespers Vespers is a service of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic (both Latin and Eastern), Lutheran, and Anglican liturgies. The word for this fixed prayer time comes from the Latin , meanin ...

on the

Wednesday Wednesday is the day of the week between Tuesday and Thursday. According to international standard ISO 8601, it is the third day of the week. In countries which have Friday as their holiday, Wednesday is the fifth day of the week. In countrie ...

of the third week of the four weekly liturgical cycle. In the liturgy of the Mass, it is read on the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time of the year B6, the second Sunday of Advent and 5th Sunday of

Lent Lent ( la, Quadragesima, 'Fortieth') is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke ...

that year.

Pentecostal

This psalm is a Psalm of praise. It is used in moments of praise and to remind the Pentecostal community that redemption is coming and when it comes, you may not believe it - we were like those who dream!

Secular usage

In keeping with its theme of redemption, Psalm 126 was proposed by Religious Zionists to be the

national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and Europea ...

of the State of Israel. It, along with at least eleven other proposals, was ultimately passed over in favor of "

Hatikvah Hatikvah ( he, הַתִּקְוָה, haTīqvā, ; ) is the national anthem of the State of Israel. Part of 19th-century Jewish poetry, the theme of the Romantic composition reflects the 2,000-year-old desire of the Jewish people to return t ...

", which was ratified as the official national anthem in 2004.

Israeli Prime Minister The prime minister of Israel ( he, רֹאשׁ הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה, Rosh HaMemshala, Head of the Government, Hebrew acronym: he2, רה״מ; ar, رئيس الحكومة, ''Ra'īs al-Ḥukūma'') is the head of government and chief exe ...

Menachem Begin recited Psalm 126 on the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

lawn when he signed the second of the Camp David Accords with Egyptian President

Anwar Sadat Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat, (25 December 1918 – 6 October 1981) was an Egyptian politician and military officer who served as the third president of Egypt, from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 ...

on March 26, 1979.

Musical settings

The complete psalm was set in Latin as a motet for a cappella choir by composers including

George de La Hèle George de La Hèle (also Georges, Helle, Hele) (1547 – August 27, 1586) was a Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance, mainly active in the Habsburg chapels of Spain and the Low Countries. Among his surviving music is a book of eight masses, ...

Lorenzo Perosi Monsignor Lorenzo Perosi (21 December 1872 – 12 October 1956) was an Italian composer of sacred music and the only member of the Giovane Scuola who did not write opera. In the late 1890s, while he was still only in his twenties, Perosi was ...

, Jean-Noël Marchand, Dmitri Bortnyansky (1777).

Marc-Antoine Charpentier Marc-Antoine Charpentier (; 1643 – 24 February 1704) was a French Baroque composer during the reign of Louis XIV. One of his most famous works is the main theme from the prelude of his ''Te Deum'', ''Marche en rondeau''. This theme is still us ...

compose in 1670 one "''In convertendo Dominus"'', H.169, for soloists, double chorus, strings and continuo. Also, Sébastien de Brossard, Michel-Richard de Lalande, Patrick Douglas. Jean-Philippe Rameau composed '' In convertendo Dominus'' c. 1710, for choir and orchestra. Jules Van Nuffel wrote a setting for mixed choir and organ as his Op. 32 in 1926. Giovanni Bernardino Nanino set alternate verses for a cappella choir. German settings were made by

Heinrich Schütz Heinrich Schütz (; 6 November 1672) was a German early Baroque composer and organist, generally regarded as the most important German composer before Johann Sebastian Bach, as well as one of the most important composers of the 17th century. He ...

, Johann Hermann Schein and Heinrich Hartmann. Verses 5 and 6 were set by Johannes Brahms within the first movement of ''

'', for choir and orchestra.

Friedrich Kiel Friedrich Kiel (8 October 182113 September 1885) was a German composer and music teacher. Writing of the chamber music of Friedrich Kiel, the scholar and critic Wilhelm Altmann notes that it was Kiel’s extreme modesty which kept him and his ex ...

set the verses 5 and 6 as No. 5 of his Six Motets, Op. 82, published in 1883.

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wo ...

used the second verse in German as the text for the opening movement of his Christmas cantata ''Unser Mund sei voll Lachens'', BWV 110 (1725). Verses of the psalm have been set in English by composers including

William Byrd William Byrd (; 4 July 1623) was an English composer of late Renaissance music. Considered among the greatest composers of the Renaissance, he had a profound influence on composers both from his native England and those on the continent. He ...

and

Charles Villiers Stanford Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (30 September 1852 – 29 March 1924) was an Anglo-Irish composer, music teacher, and conductor of the late Romantic era. Born to a well-off and highly musical family in Dublin, Stanford was educated at the ...

. Jules van Nuffel set the complete psalm in Latin, '' In convertendo Dominus'', in 1926. In 1998, Philip Glass composed a setting in which the chorus sings worldless syllables and a narrator recites the text in English. The psalm is also sung to secular melodies such as "

Waltzing Matilda "Waltzing Matilda" is a song developed in the Australian style of poetry and folk music called a bush ballad. It has been described as the country's "unofficial national anthem". The title was Australian slang for travelling on foot (waltzing) ...

", " The Longest Time","

It's a Small World "It's a Small World" is a water-based boat ride located in the Fantasyland area at various Disney theme parks worldwide, including Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California; Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida; Tokyo D ...

", Beethoven's Ninth, and college football songs, among many others. Sons of Korah included a setting of Psalm 126 on their 2000 album, " Redemption Songs." The psalm inspired the hymn

Bringing in the Sheaves "Bringing in the Sheaves" is a popular American Gospel song used almost exclusively by Protestant Christians (though the content is not specifically Protestant in nature). The lyrics were written in 1874 by Knowles Shaw, who was inspired by Psa ...

, the lyrics were written in 1874 by Knowles Shaw, now usually set to a tune by George Minor, written in 1880.

References

Sources

External links

* *
Psalms Chapter 126
text in Hebrew and English, mechon-mamre.org
Psalm 126 – Amazed at God’s Work
text and detailed commentary, enduringword.com
A song of ascents. / When the LORD restored the captives of Zion
text and footnotes, usccb.org United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

introduction and text, biblestudytools.com * Charles H. Spurgeon
Psalm 126
detailed commentary, archive.spurgeon.org
Psalm 126 / Refrain: The Lord has indeed done great things for us.

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

Psalm 126
at biblegateway.com * Hymnary.org
Hymns for Psalm 126
{{Psalms 126