Tag Archives: Psalm 126

Language, Psalms, Teaching

Psalm 126 – The streams of the Negev

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1 When Yahweh restored the fortunes of Zion, *

then were we like those who dream.

2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, *

and our tongue with shouts of joy.

3 [2] Then they said among the nations, *

“Yahweh has done great things for them.”

4 [3] Yahweh has done great things for us, *

and we are glad indeed.

5 [4] Restore our fortunes, Yahweh, *

like the watercourses of the Negev.

6 [5] Those who sowed with tears *

will reap with songs of joy.

7 [6] Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed, *

will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves.

——————–

This is the companion reading to the Track 2 Old Testament selection, which will be read aloud in unison or sung by a cantor on the twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost [Proper 25], Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. It will follow a reading from Jeremiah 31, where Yahweh said to the prophet: “With weeping they shall come, and with consolations I will lead them back, I will let them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble.” That set will precede a reading from Hebrews, where Paul wrote, “For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.” All will accompany the Gospel reading from Mark, where it is written: “Jesus and his disciples came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside.”

This song of praise for the promise of restoration is one of the “songs of ascent,” which means it would have been sung by Israelites as they walked up the steps of Mount Ophel, in the City of David, to the place where the Tabernacle had been set up. It is a six verse song; but for some unknown reason the Episcopal Church has divided the second verse into two verses, making it appear to be seven verses. The NRSV (the source of the Episcopal Church’s translations) shows this psalm as being six verses. Therefore, I have placed the real verse numbers in brackets; and, I will refer to the proper verse number in my interpretations.

In the translations by the NRSV (and presumably others), four times the proper name Yahweh was written by David and all times the translation is shown as “Lord.” There would be no generic “lord” who would “restore the fortunes of Zion.” It was not some generic “lord” who “has done great things for us and them.” The only legitimate excuse for degrading the name of Yahweh to a generic “lord” is to make it appear that Christians are not Jews and Yahweh is the name of the “God of Israel.” That is a confession of a soul’s failure to realize that to be “in the name of” Yahweh means to be both married spiritually to Him (as His wife) and to be the mother of His resurrected Son, who name is Jesus. The name “Jesus” means “Yah[weh] Saves.” Therefore, to be “in the name of Jesus” means to be in the name of Yahweh … not in the name of some generic lord.

Verse one is poorly translated, as there is nothing written that says “restored the fortunes.” That written is [transliterated] “bə·šūḇ Yah·weh ’eṯ-šî·ḇaṯ,” from the roots “shub and shibah,” which say “return, brought back … captivity.” As a song of David, when there was no known “captivity” that the Israelites knew, other than that as the slaves of Egypt, the meaning of “Zion” becomes key towards understanding this verse.

The name “Zion” means “fortress.” When one realizes the City of David was formerly the “fortress” of the Jebusites, which were peoples who lived underground and had never been defeated by any leader of Israel, with an agreement signed by Abraham never to attack Jesus from underground, the use here denotes marriage to Yahweh. David symbolically married the Israelites to Yahweh when he took the “fortress” as his own and joined it with the Ark of the Covenant [and Tabernacle]. By doing so (at the command of Yahweh), David “returned” the Israelites to “Yahweh’s captivity,” relative to them being His slaves replacing the servants of His that were the Jebusites.

The remainder of verse one then explains: “we were like those who dream.” In that, the Hebrew words “hayah” and “chalam” better translate as “we became like those who are strong,” with that being an indication of those who “recover” and are “healthy.” This is David singing about the taking of Zion as the enslavement of all future Israelites (and thus Jews, and thus Christians) to serve Yahweh as His wives. That state of service is “like those who dream,” where a soul is as real is a dream, with neither being able to be pointed to as proof that dreams or souls exist. It is this “return to captivity” that is like the Israelites were in Egypt, when they had become “captives of Yahweh,” their most holy Husband. Marriage of their souls to Him meant the captivity of His possession or ownership, so Yahweh was the King of each Israelite (not David or any other human lord) and expected to serve Him absolutely. All of this responsibility is because the protectors of the land promised to the Israelites – the Jebusites – had been removed from having any power to govern or administer to the people, after David took their “fortress” and made “Zion” his capital city.

As the first verse of this song, it acts as the theme statement that all subsequent verses support. This makes it imperative to realize that David’s Israel had no fortunes prior that could be restored. The only true fortune each Israelite had was his or her soul. This means the name “Israelites” was not relative to the name of land on the planet Earth, but a statement about the souls of those who had Yahweh-assisted power to keep that land, because they each were “Those Who Retained Yahweh,” as His “elohim.” The Jebusites were earthly “elohim” who served Yahweh and protected the people after Moses led them to enter Canaan. Their souls were yo-yos between commitment to the Law and infidelity to that commitment; so, the Jebusites played a role in the placement of Judges. When David became the final Judge of Israel, the responsibility “returned Yahweh captivity to the fortress” that was each individual body of flesh, animated by a soul.

In verse two, the literal translation of the Hebrew into English has it say, “then was filled with laughter our mouth and our tongue with singing at that time they said among the nations ; great things Yahweh has done with these .” This has to be seen as the joy that comes from being a Yahweh elohim, when one’s soul feels the elation of union with His Spirit. One wants to laugh and play while singing loudly. This came when the people entered the Promised Land and were seen as one collection of people who shared the same purpose in life. They were truly a nation unto Yahweh, unlike any other nation on earth. Yahweh was their King, because all were subservient to His Will. When that presence led the people, great things occurred.

Verse three then literally translates to state: “great things Yahweh has done for us , we are glad .” Here, David is repeating the second half of verse two, which says all things great done by Israelites are the deeds of Yahweh, not human beings alone. All that Israel accomplished once in the Promised Land was due to Yahweh, with His assistant elohim helping in the overthrow of enemies. It is, therefore, that success led by Yahweh that makes David repeat the gladness in the hearts of all Israelites, as they all Retained Yahweh, each an el in His name.

Verse four then contains two words written in parentheses and brackets, which are “[šə·ḇū·ṯê·nū]“ and “(šə·ḇî·ṯê·nū),” repeating the “return to captivity” that was stated in verse one. The brackets indicate the past “captivity” in Egypt, with the parentheses representing an unseen or hidden “captivity” as the Sons of Yahweh, His elohim. Thus, the symbolism of a “return to captivity” is reflected in “as the streams in the Negev,” which is the “dry place” [another meaning of “Zion”] that is semidesert. Thus, the return of Yahweh captivity is like the dry earth seeks the rain, so when it comes it carves out a path that the water desires to take.

The metaphor of the Negev should be seen as would happen much later in history, when Ezekiel was a prophet of Yahweh and was asked, “Mortal, can these dry bones life?” The “valley of dry bones” can be seen reflected in the picture below. Dry bones are nothing but earth, void of the animation that comes from the temporary life of a soul. More than a soul being symbolic of the “streams” that run through the dry bones and then dry up, returning the bones to a dry state again [symbolic of incarnation and reincarnation], the outpouring that comes from a return to Yahweh’s captivity is eternal life, which never dries up. Thus, Yahweh told Ezekiel to prophesy to the dry bones so they would reach that eternal state of being.

Verse five then literally translates into English to say, “those who scatter seeds in tears in joy shall reap .” This means the ministry of a true Israelite, who sows the seeds of commitment to Yahweh to his and her family, so the children grow to maturity with the same set of values, learning to have faith in Yahweh. This means the tears sown will be the necessary cutting of the apron strings from the children, so they enter the world as adult bodies of flesh with a soul that is still unmarried to Yahweh. The tears will be from their sins, coming from breaking the promises of their parents, as Yahweh elohim. The joy comes when the lessons scattered onto dry bones take root and grow when the rain of love for Yahweh brings a flood of emotion in return. This is when the children will mature as the first fruits each season; and, Israel – a nation of people in service to Yahweh – will reap the benefits of that ongoing harvest.

Verse six then literally translates into English as: “walking he goes forth and weeping carrying a bag of seed to come and come again with rejoicing ; carrying his sheaves .” This states the expectations that come from teaching your children to love Yahweh and become His brides, generation after generation. The Hebrew that translates as “bag of seed” [“me·šeḵ-haz·zā·ra‘”] can equally translate as “trail of offspring.” This is David singing of the truth of an Israelite, as Yahweh elohim who continuously plant the seeds of priesthood for Yahweh, so the dry bones of the earth can be returned souls to Yahweh, without the pains and agonies of eternal reincarnations. The “rejoicing” comes when souls have married Yahweh and told the true Promised Land is Salvation and a return to Eden.

As a song of praise to be sung on the twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost, when one’s own personal ministry for Yahweh should already be well underway, the lesson is that of verse one: Return to Yahweh through captivity as His priests of servitude. The ministry of a true Christian today is no different that it was when David was the final Judge of Israel and wrote prophetic songs for souls to know and love. A false shepherd in modern times pretends to care about everyone in the world, while stepping all over the children that watch and learn, “Do as I say, not as I do.” If the children are led astray by such planters of doubt, then how can they lead a flock to find Yahweh in marriage? They will reap sheaves of weeds. That is dry bones saying the holy water of Yahweh is global warning and causing destruction of a natural environment where lizards and snakes love the dry wilderness. They see only the physical, never the spiritual. Israel split and fell just as has Christianity, because the priests of Yahweh have lost their way. Marriage to Yahweh and becoming His elohim [angles in the flesh, or Saints] is the only way to harvest a crop that isn’t only weeds.

Language, Psalms, Teaching

Psalm 126 – The test of sowing the seeds of joyfulness

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1 When Yahweh restored the fortunes of Zion, *

then were we like those who dream.

2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, *

and our tongue with shouts of joy.

3 [2] Then they said among the nations, *

“Yahweh has done great things for them.”

4 [3] Yahweh has done great things for us, *

and we are glad indeed.

5 [4] Restore our fortunes, Yahweh, *

like the watercourses of the Negev.

6 [5] Those who sowed with tears *

will reap with songs of joy.

7 [6] Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed, *

will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves.

——————–

This is the Psalm that will be read aloud in unison or sung by a cantor on the fifth Sunday in Lent, Year C, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. It will follow a reading from Isaiah, where Yahweh spoke through him, saying “he wild animals will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.” This pair will precede the selection from Philippians, where Paul wrote: “Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” All readings will accompany the Gospel selection from John, where is written: “Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him.”

You will notice how I have adjusted the verse numbers to match the verses separated by David. The NRSV agrees with this numbering; but the Episcopal Church has found verse two to be too long for their purposes and changed it into a non-existent verse. The corrected verse numbers are in bold type, within brackets. The commentaries to follow will address that numbering order. Additionally, in four places the NRSV (et al) have taken the proper name of “Yahweh” and replaced it with a generic “Lord.” There are so many “Lords” these days, it is hard to keep up with who the LGBTQ leaders of the Episcopal Church are calling their “god” this week. I have restored the name “Yahweh” in bold type. If that offends anyone, then I doubt you will continue beyond this point.

In verse one and the true verse four, one will find the NRSV translation saying “restored the fortunes” and restore our fortunes.” Because that is so misleading – making listeners or readers think Yahweh cares how much “fortune” a soul has – as commonly measured in material worth – the association with named places (“Zion” and “Negev”) makes this song seem to be about Jews being able to once again lay claim to property. Because that is so wrong, I will comment on literal translations of this text, that are mine, based on the Hebrew-to-English tool I use. [BibleHub Interlinear]

Verse one translates literally to state in English: “a song , of ascents when returned Yahweh the captivity of dryness ; we became like those who dream .” In David’s view of the land he ruled, there had never been a loss of fortune, unless one wants to look at the grand scope of history, where Jacob and his sons moved to Egypt, leaving all the lands he had possessed behind (amid a famine, when property values take a huge tumble). Thus, this verse is singing about the dryness [the meaning behind the name “Zion”] that is a lack of spiritual waters that Egypt had brought. To be “like those who dream” can allude to Joseph – a dreamer of wisdom – who made the move to Egypt inviting. Still, “Zion” is the name applied to the place inhabited by the Jebusites, whose underground tunnels reflected the grave, where death brings on the dreams of sleep. Thus, verse one is singing about reincarnation, which is then a reflection upon a soul’s resurrection to everlasting life.

The return of the Israelites, led by Joshua and the Ark of the Covenant, meant life was given back to the land of Canaan. This revitalization is then said in verse two to say, “at that time was filled with laughter our tongue with singing at that time they said among the people ; grown up Yahweh has made with these .” To translate “ḇag·gō·w·yim” [transliterated form of “goy”] “among the nations” is skipping forward in history, to when King Solomon has prostituted his godlike status “among the nations,” so Solomon was seen as “great.” None of that had happened when David wrote this song. The only nations around knew nothing of “Yahweh,” and none of those saw the land of the Israelites (led by David) as significant. Thus, David is singing about those divinely married souls led by Joshua into the Promised Land as possessing “mouth and tongue” of Yahweh, which impressed many local “peoples” to say, “Those who left five hundred years ago have come back matured in religion. They were elevated in stature because of Yahweh having married their souls.”

Verse three then is David singing, “they grew up Yahweh has made with us , we are glad .” Here is the second use of “hiḡ·dîl” [transliterated from “gadal”], which Strong’s says means “to grow up, become great.” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance says this word can be found implying “advance, boast, bring up, exceed, excellent, become, do, give,” To place focus of “great things” is then following an incorrect desire to make this song of praise be about all the “fortunes” that comes from claiming to believe in one God. The point being made by David is this “growth” is a spiritual “advance.” It is what takes the normal soul in the flesh and makes it “exceed” and produce “excellent” production. It is a “birth” that has been “given,” thus received, where true Israelites had become what “Yahweh has made with us.” This is a song of praise because David then added, “we are glad.” The presence of Yahweh has brought their soul happiness.

In verse four is a return to a translation that says “restore our fortunes,” when that is not the main focus intended. In verse one is written “šî·ḇaṯ” [transliterated form of “shibah”], which means “captivity” (with some lean to “restoration”). Here, in verse for is the same Hebrew word repeated – “šə·ḇū·ṯê·nū” [transliterated form of “shabuth”] – which means “captivity” or “captives.” In the repetition of this word, the first is placed in brackets, with the second surrounded by parentheses, as: “[šə·ḇū·ṯê·nū] (šə·ḇū·ṯê·nū)”. The placement of brackets implies no need to translate this word, while the parentheses implies an aside that is more of a thought or whisper, than a word of text.

The literal translation of verse four is as such: “return Yahweh this [captivity] (captives) ; as the channels in the parched rolling hills .” Here, the brackets and the parentheses indicate the unseen presence of a soul within a soul, with both being “captives” in a body of flesh. This repetition then speaks of the divine marriage between a soul and Yahweh’s Spirit (the one we now call Jesus). Thus, the verse loudly sings, “return Yahweh this,” which reflects back on the gladness of divine possession stated in verse three. That perceived in verse three as singing about the spiritual growth that Yahweh makes of us is then silently said to be a desired “captivity,” where the soul is held “captive” of that which no longer sins. Thus, the “rivers in the Negev” are unseen, under the “dry, parched” surface [with those words being the meaning behind “negeb”], which forms a series of “rolling hills” that are barren wilderness [the meaning of “Negev”]. It means inner peace withstands all external difficulties, when Yahweh has “returned” a soul to Him.

Verse five then sings literally in English: “those who plant seeds in tears (of weeping) , in joyful shouts will be the reaper .” From seeing the landscape of the Negev at the end of verse four, to see the dismal outlook of anything ever being fruitful and productive becomes the outlook of a hard and resistant world. The pressures of life bring tears (of weeping) that offer prayers to Yahweh as the “seeds planted.” There is nothing about this psalm that seeks “fortune” or some form of material favor from Yahweh. One prays for one’s own soul to be able to produce good fruit for Yahweh. As good fruit, oneself becomes nourishment – manna from heaven – that can sustain others. Thus, when one is found the answer to one’s prayers, it is time to rejoice and give all thanks to Yahweh.

Verse six then literally sings in English: “continually he goes forth and weeping carrying acquisition sowing to come and come rejoicing ; carrying his sheaves .” Here, again but unstated, is “weeping” while planting seeds. This is a “continual” act that must be done in the physical world. The seasons change and that which has “grown up” will be used and returned to a state of need. This then sings about the necessity of ministry, where one’s children and one’s children’s children all become the seeds of the good fruit that must “continuously be put forth” into the world. The world grows tears and those tears need to be answered as prayers returned by Yahweh. Yahweh’s lineage is Spiritual, not physical bloodlines or honored families that amass great wealth in the name of a Lord. The laborers must “come and come,” all must “come rejoicing” in His name. Thus, David sang that the continued Spirit reborn in true Israelites would mean Yahweh always “carrying the sheaves” of spiritual food to His people.

As a Psalm of David to be sung on the fifth Sunday in Lent, when the season of testing is still in one’s own personal wilderness, the lesson must be seen to grow up and mature in Christ – the Anointment of Yahweh’s Spirit upon one’s soul. One needs to see there is no such thing as freedom, like the modern world loves to use to make souls become more addicted to the material realm. If there were true freedom, then one’s soul could leap away from this miserable world and be done with all Satan’s tests. The message of David is to be “returned to captivity,” which is oneness with Yahweh [not some magical Lord]. One need to mature by knowing one’s soul is joined with Yahweh’s Spirit. This inner gladness is how one laughs are the tests of the devil. One is proved ready to sow the seeds of love that plants the thought of divine marriage, where souls can only escape the captivity of the physical realm by becoming good fruit in barren surroundings. David is teaching our souls to rejoice at the test of Lent and be prepared to sow the seeds of Yahweh’s love in ministry, after the test of Lent has been passed.