Psalms 126:5

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. THEY THAT SOW IN TEARS SHALL REAP IN JOY. The sowing answers, to the humble beginnings of the second temple, "the day of small things" (). The poor sower at times masts with trials in sowing which move him even to tears, as he knows his all depends on the venture, and that produce is uncertain. But the joyful harvest compensates him for all his toils. He had sown in anxiety, through the disappearance of the rain-streams; but these re-appear, so he joyfully reaps an abundant crop. What sometimes happens in the sowing and reaping of the natural crop, always comes to pass in the spiritual world. Believers who sow the seed of any good work in tears, through discouragements, are sure, by the Lord's turning again the blessing to them, to reap in joy. Compare...

5._They who sow in tears shall reap in joy. _This sentence_, _in my opinion, ought not less to be extended to the future than understood of the past. The carrying away of the Jews into Babylon was to them as a seed-time; (94) God having, by the prophecy of Jeremiah, encouraged them to hope for the harvest. Still, it was not without very great heaviness and anguish of heart that they were dragged into such long continued captivity. It was, as if in the time of dearth the poor husbandman, who already experiences the gnawings of hunger, were compelled to abridge himself of his ordinary food in order to provide for the coming year; and although this is a hard and distressing case, he is yet moved to sow from the hope of the harvest. The Jews then, when led into captivity, were, doubtless, no less sorrowful than he who, in the time of scarcity, casts the precious seed into the ground; but aft...

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 affliction. And they that sow, in the tears of godly sorrow, to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting; and that will be a joyful harvest indeed. Blessed are those that mourn, for they shall be for ever comforted. When we mourn for our sins, or suffer for Christ's sake, we are sowing in tears, to reap in joy. And remember that God is not mocked; for whatever a man soweth that shall he reap, Galatians 6:7. Here, O disciple of Jesus...

Verse Psalms 126:5. _THEY THAT SOW IN TEARS SHALL REAP IN JOY._] This is either a _maxim_ which they gather from their own history, or it is a _fact_ which they are now witnessing. We see the benefit of humbling ourselves under the mighty hand of God; we have now a sweet return for our bitter tears. Or, We _have_ sown in tears; now we reap in joy. We are restored after a long and afflicting captivity to our own country, to peace, and to happiness....

THEY THAT SOW IN TEARS SHALL REAP IN JOY - Though the sowing of seed is a work of labor and sorrow - often a work so burdening the farmer that he weeps - yet the return - the harvest - is accompanied with rejoicing. The truth is expressed in a general form, as illustrating the idea that enterprises which are begun under many difficulties, and which require much labor, will be crowned with success, and that the joy is more than an equivalent for all the weariness and sorrow. Thus it is in respect to the toil of the farmer; the cares and anxieties of the student; the work of conversion and repentance; the labors of the Christian pastor; the efforts of the Sabbath-school teacher; the faithfulness of the Christian parent; the endeavors of a church for a revival of religion; the zeal and sacrifice of the Christian missionary. The particular, allusion here is to the exiles, in their long and w...

EXPOSITION This psalm seems to be a joint thanksgiving and complaint, composed soon after the return from the Captivity. It has been said to present an "enigmatical contrast" (Cheyne) in its two portions. But as the "complaint" is first subdued, and then merges into a joy-song (Psalms 126:5, Psalms 126:6), there is really no want of harmony in the composition. The double aspect of the Return—its "bitter-sweetness"—impressed itself upon the nation from an early date (see Ezr 3:9 -14). PSALMS 126:1 WHEN THE LORD TURNED AGAIN THE CAPTIVITY OF ZION; literally, _when the Lord turned again the returning of Zion_;_ i_._e_. "brought back those who r

THEY THAT SOW IN TEARS SHALL REAP IN JOY. A proverbial expression, encouraging faith in prayer put up for the return of the captivity, whether in a literal or spiritual sense. Praying or seeking the Lord is sowing in righteousness, Hosea 10:12; which is often attended with tears and weeping; the issue of them is not always seen soon: these, like seed, lie buried under the clods, but take effect and will rise up in due time: saints should wait patiently for a return of them, as the husbandman for the fruits of the earth; in due time they will produce a large crop of blessings, a plentiful harvest, which the praying saint will reap with joy; as those that prayed and waited for the redemption in Jerusalem; and as those that pray for the latter day glory, the conversion of the Jews, the fulness of the Gentiles, and the destruction of antichrist; the souls under the altar have been sowing in...

This is one of the «Songs of Degrees.» They are supposed to have been sung as the pilgrim caravan was going up to the temple at Jerusalem. Every time they halted and pitched their tents, they sang a Psalm. If carefully read, it will be found that these Psalms exhibit a real advance in experience. For instance, the keynote of the 125 th is stability, while that of the 126 th is joy, and especially joyful hope. Each one appears to advance a stage higher than the one that precedes it. Psalms 126:1. _When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream._ «It seemed too good to be true. We were in a delirium of joy: ‘We were like them that dream.' Our slumber had been profound; we thought that God had altogether forgotten us; but when we found that he was coming to our rescue, ‘we were like them that dream.'»...

PSALM 120-134 The Psalms of Degrees Fifteen brief Psalms follow, called songs of degrees, or, ascents. They were in all probability used by Israel going up to Jerusalem three times a year to celebrate the feasts of the Lord--”Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, a testimony for Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD.” They are indeed Psalms of “the goings-up” for we rise higher and higher as we read through them. Prophetically they give us again the steps from trial and suffering to the glorious consummation. As they are so simple in language and construction no lengthy annotations are needed. Psalms 120:1 begins with distress, picturing again the suffering of the righteous godly remnant. In Psalms 121:1 the Keeper of Israel, the Covenant Keeping God, is revealed

CXXVI. COMFORT IN TEARS. An apparently easy and really very difficult Ps. According to the usual interpretation which is adopted in RV we have in Psalms 126:1 a picture of the joy felt when Cyrus permitted the Jews to settle in their own land. The time is that of 2 Is. and the reference to the restoration under Cyrus seems to be inevitable. But in Psalms 126:4 it is startling to find the poet praying for a restoration which had already taken place as if it were still in the future. To express this meaning in each place, he has the same phrase turning the captivity, on which see Psalms 14:7 and note. We get something like a consistent explanation by the following changes, not in the text, but the translation. (1) If Yahweh