The Strand Study Bible

PSALMS 126:3

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PSALMS 130:1

done great things for them. 3 The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. 4 Turn again our captivity, O LORD, 1 as the streams in the south. 5 2 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bear- ing precious seed, 3 shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. READ NEXT - Daniel 10-12 Psalm 127 1 Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. 2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. 3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. READ NEXT - II Samuel 23:1-7 Psalm 128 Unknown Psalmist ; A song of degrees Date Written - Unknown 1 Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. 2 For thou shalt eat the 4 labour of thine A psalm of King David ; A song of degrees [Probably written when King David (70 yrs old) wished to leave his son Solomon with some sound family advice - I Ki 2:9] Date Written - c. 1010 BC

hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. 3 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. 4 Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD. 5 The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. 6 Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s chil- dren, and peace upon Israel. Psalm 129 Unknown Psalmist ; A song of degrees [Probably written sometime during the Babylonian captivity - Ezk 1:1] Date Written - c. 592 BC/AM 3408 1 Many a time have they afflicted me 5 from my youth, may Israel now say: 2 Many a time have they afflicted me frommy youth: yet they have not prevailed against me. 3 The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows. 4 The LORD is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked. 5 Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion. 6 Let thembe as the grass upon the house- tops, which withereth afore it groweth up: 7 Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand; nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom. 8 Neither do they which go by say, The blessing of the LORD be upon you: we bless you in the name of the LORD. Psalm 130 Probably a psalm of King David ; A song of degrees [Written after King David (49 yrs old) repented of his sin of adultery and murder - II Sam 12:17] Date Written - c. 1031 BC/AM 2969 1 6 Out of the depths have I cried unto

1. Note - This phrase “ as the streams in the south ” is a reference to the rainy season in the Negev region in Israel, which is normally dry eleven months out of the year. However, once a year when the rainy season overflow with water and its inhabitants are overjoyed. The point of the comparison is this: Just as people of the south (Negev) are full of joy for the life-giving waters that come their way each year, so the people of the captivity are overjoyed at the prospect of going home again. 2. Note - Those who wish to capture God’s attention must first come to Him with a broken and a contrite heart ( They that sow in tears - Psa 51:16-17). 3. Note - The faithfulness of God ( shall ) in bringing in the sheaves is dependent upon hits this region, its stream beds two things: (1) brokenness and humility ( He that goeth forth and weepeth ); and (2) a knowledge of the promises of God ( bearing precious seed ). 4. or, “the fruit of thy toil” 5. or, “from the time of my conception” 6. Jonah 2:2 & Lam 3:55

128:3 When Martin Luther (1483-1546), a celibate Catholic monk, married Katharina von Bora, the one-time nun, it sent shock waves throughout the religious world. In his day, especially among the clergy, marriage was looked down upon as being carnal and worldly. Yet it was this Psalm (Psa 128) that Luther would often use to proclaim the innocence and dignity of marriage. He preached it not as something to apologize for but something to rejoice in. The following is one of Luther’s famous quotes: Let the wife make the husband glad to come home, and let him make her sorry to see him leave. 1 129:2 In a long retrospect of history ( from my youth ) the psalmist, speaking for his people, recalls what Israel has suffered at the hands of the heathen: beginning with Egypt (Exo 14:5-10), Amalek (Exo 17:8), Arad the Canaanite (Num 21:1-3), Sihon, king of the Amorites (Num 21:21-24), Og, king of Bashan (Num 21:32-35), Balak, king of the Moabites (Num 22-24), and the Midianites (Num 25:17-18 & 31:1-8). All these peoples and nations fought against the Israelites before Israel even entered Canaan. Once they entered The Promised Land they would face even more enemies, whose very desire was to destroy the Jews completely: starting with the Canaanites (Joshua), the Philistines (Judges – II Samuel), Syria (I Ki 20 – II Ki 8), Assyria (II Ki 17-19), and Babylon (II Ki 24-25). 1 Martin Luther quote from www. ancient-hebrew.org.