Christianity

Psalms 126We Were Like Them That Dream

Summary

Psalm 126, a Song of Ascents, remembers the joy when the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion: the people were like those who dream, their mouths filled with laughter, and even the nations said the LORD had done great things for them. It then prays for a fresh restoration, like streams returning to the dry south, and promises that those who sow in tears will reap in joy, coming again rejoicing with their sheaves. Many link it with the return from the Babylonian exile.

Key verse

“They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.”

Psalms 126:5

Themes

Restoration
Joy and Laughter
Tears and Harvest
Hope for Renewal

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.

Text: King James Version (1611/1769), public domain.

Across traditions

Judaism
Psalm 126 in the JPS 1917 Tanakh
Psalm 126 is sung before the grace after meals on the Sabbath and festivals, to many familiar melodies, bringing the hope of return to the family table.
Christianity
Ezra 1: The Decree of Cyrus
Ezra 1 records the decree of Cyrus allowing exiles to return and rebuild the temple, the kind of restoration Psalm 126 celebrates.
Christianity
Luke 6: Ye Shall Laugh
Jesus' blessing on those who weep now, for they shall laugh (Luke 6:21), echoes the reversal of tears into joy in Psalm 126.

Questions about Psalms 126

What does 'they that sow in tears shall reap in joy' mean?

Psalm 126:5 to 6 pictures a farmer weeping as he scatters precious seed in hard times and returning with sheaves at harvest. It expresses hope that present sorrow and labor will yield future joy.

Is Psalm 126 used in Brahms's German Requiem?

Yes. The first movement of Johannes Brahms's A German Requiem sets Matthew 5:4 followed by Psalm 126:5 to 6, on sowing in tears and reaping in joy.