Psalms 126:1–6
A people back from exile remember laughter; those who sow in tears reap with joy
Study it word by word1A song of the ascents. When YHWH brought back the captives of Zion, we were like those who dream.
2Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “YHWH has done great things with these.”
3YHWH has done great things with us; we were glad.
4Bring back, YHWH, our captivity, like the streambeds in the Negev.
5Those who sow with tears with shouts of joy will reap.
6Going he goes and weeping, the one who carries the bag of seed; coming he will come with shouts of joy, carrying his sheaves.
Its words in the original
- שִׁירshir· song
Song, singing.
- מַּעֲלוֹתmaalot· step; ascent
Step, stair; going up.
- שׁוּבshuv· return, turn back
Turn back, return. Also turn away; in the causative form, bring back, give back, answer. Figuratively, turn back to God (change course). Often adverbial: "again".
- יְהוָהyehva· YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
- שִׁיבַתshivat· return, restoration
A return. Psalm 126:1 speaks of "the return of Zion": the return of the captives or the turning of their fortunes.
- צִיּוֹןtsiyon· Zion
Zion: the fortified hill of Jerusalem that David took from the Jebusites; later the name is used for all Jerusalem and for the temple mount.
- הָיִינוּhayinu· be, become, happen
Be, exist; also "become" or "happen". It is the verb of "there was", "it was" and "it came to pass".
- חֹלְמִיםcholmim· dream
Dream.
- יִמָּלֵאyimale· fill, be full
Fill or be full; also fulfill or complete (a time, a word given).
- שְׂחוֹקsechok· laughter, derision
Laughter; it may be of joy or of mockery.
- פִּיpi· mouth
Mouth. Also what someone says or commands ("by the mouth of" = by the word of); the edge of a sword; "according to".
- לְשׁוֹנֵleshone· tongue
Tongue: the organ of the mouth and also language; also something shaped like a tongue (of flame, of land, of gold).
- רִנָּהrina· cry, shout
Cry: a loud shout, of joy or of pleading, depending on the case.
- יֹאמְרוּyomru· say
Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".
- גּוֹיִםgoyim· nation
Nation, a people with its land. In the plural, "the nations": all the peoples of the world, and especially those who are not Israel.
- הִגְדִּילhigdil· grow up, become great
Grow up, become great; in the causative form, make great, magnify; also be proud.
- עֲשׂוֹתasot· do, make
Do, make, in the widest sense: build, produce, carry out, keep (a command), prepare.
- שְׂמֵחִיםsemechim· joyful, glad
Joyful, glad.
- שְׁבִיתֵshevite· captivity, fortunes
Captivity: the condition of those taken away as prisoners far from their land. "Turn back the captivity" is to restore someone to his former state.
- אֲפִיקִיםafikim· channel, stream bed
A channel: the bed in which the water of a stream or of the sea runs. Also a torrent, or something strong and firm.
- נֶּגֶבnegev· Negev, south
Negev: the dry region in the south of Canaan; so the word also means "south".
- זֹּרְעִיםzorim· sow
Sow; produce seed.
- דִמְעָהdima· tears, weeping
Tears, weeping. In 2 Kings 20:5 YHWH says to Hezekiah: "I have seen your tears." Frequent in the Psalms and in Jeremiah (Psalm 56:8; Jeremiah 9:1).
- יִקְצֹרוּyiktsoru· reap, be short
Reap: cut the grain; harvest. Also be short, be shortened ("is the hand of YHWH too short?").
- הָלוֹךְhaloch· go, walk
Go, walk, come. Figuratively, the way one lives ("walk with God").
- יֵלֵךְyelech· go, walk
Go, walk, depart; in the causative form, lead or bring.
- בָכֹהvacho· weep
Weep, cry; mourn for someone.
- נֹשֵׂאnose· lift, carry, bear
Lift up, carry, bear. "Bear sin" is to suffer its consequences; said of God, "taking away" sin is forgiving it. "Lift up the eyes" is to look.
- מֶשֶׁךְmeshech· acquisition, possession
What is drawn out or acquired; a possession; also a sowing.
- זָּרַעzara· offspring, seed
Seed. From there "offspring": the children and generations that come from someone. Also sowing and semen.
- בֹּאbo· come, go in, bring
Come, arrive, go in, enter. In the causative form, "bring" or "carry in". "Go in to" a woman is to have marital relations with her.
- אֲלֻמֹּתָיalumotay· sheaf
Sheaf: a bundle of stalks of grain tied together.