New King James Version
Psalms 126:4
4Bring back our captivity, O Lord, As the streams in the South.
Psalms 126:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south.
- New International Version (NIV)Restore our fortunes, Lord, like streams in the Negev.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negeb!
- New Living Translation (NLT)Restore our fortunes, Lord, as streams renew the desert.
Context of Psalms 126:4
2Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” 3The Lord has done great things for us, And we are glad. Bring back our captivity, O Lord, As the streams in the South. 5Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. 6He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him.
Read all of Psalms 126Psalms 126:4 word by word
שׁוּבָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה אֶת־שְׁבִיתֵ֑נוּ כַּאֲפִיקִ֥ים בַּנֶּֽגֶב׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 126:4
- Psalms 126:1When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream.
- Psalms 85:4Restore us, O God of our salvation, And cause Your anger toward us to cease.
- Hosea 1:11Then the children of Judah and the children of Israel Shall be gathered together, And appoint for themselves one head; And they shall come up out of the land, For great will be the day of Jezreel!
- Joshua 3:16that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho.
- Isaiah 41:18I will open rivers in desolate heights, And fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, And the dry land springs of water.
Commentaries on Psalms 126:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Turn 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 beyond the Euphrates. The Jewish captives did not all return at once; they came back at different times, and under different leaders, Ezra, Nehemiah, Zerubbabel, etc. As the streams in the south - Probably the Nile is meant. It is now pretty well known that the Nile has its origin in the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Turn 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 that God would “turn” their captivity; that is, looking upon the captivity as not wholly ended, or as, in some sense, still continuing, that it might please him wholly to turn it, or to end it. The language would be applicable, if there was a new “captivity”…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-6Verses 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. Suffering saints are often in tears; they share the calamities of human life, and commonly have a greater share than others. But they sow in tears; they do the duty of an afflicted state. Weeping must not hinder sowing; we must get good from times of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-6The prophets had spoken of the restoration as a time when the wilderness would change into the garden of Eden (Isaiah 51:3; Ezekiel 47). However, the reality was far from paradise. Here, the restoration community prays for complete redemption (see Haggai 2:19). like streams in the Negev: Seasonal rains filled the dry riverbeds (wadis), making the land green again. The prayer seeks a similar change in Israel’s fortunes, fulfilling the imagery of the…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. All did not return at once; hence the prayer for repeated favors. as the streams in the south--or, the torrents in the desert south of Judea, dependent on rain (Jos 15:9), reappearing after dry seasons (compare Job 6:15; Psa 68:9). The point of comparison is joy at the reappearing of what has been so painfully missed.Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 126:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Psalms 126
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- The Treasury of David
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries