1When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.
2Then 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.
3The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.
4Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south.
5They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.
6He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
📖 Chapter study
Summary
A song of joy and hope about the return from captivity, comparing the experience to a dream, and declaring that 'they that sow in tears shall reap in joy.'
Explanation
This seventh 'Song of Degrees' likely celebrates the return of the exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem (539 BC onward), an experience so unexpected and joyful that it is described as a dream ('we were like them that dream'). The second part of the psalm (v.4-6) shifts tone to a request for this restoration to continue, using the agricultural image of sowing amid hardship (represented by tears) and reaping with joy at the right time. The application for today is that investing effort and faith into something difficult now — even through tears — can yield a harvest of joy in the future, even when the waiting is uncertain.
Fun facts
- The image of 'sowing in tears' and 'reaping in joy' (v.5-6) reflects a real agricultural practice of the time, in which the sower would literally weep from hunger and scarcity while using his last seeds, trusting in a future harvest.
- This psalm is traditionally sung at Jewish celebrations related to restoration and hope, including at wedding ceremonies.