When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.
Psalms 126:1-6.-Thanksgiving for the deliverance out of Babylon already vouchsafed to Zion, to her joy, so that the pagan spoke of the great things which the Lord had done for her (Psalms 126:1-3); Lord complete the deliverance by not letting the work be interrupted. Faith anticipates that the work of rebuilding the temple, now carried on with tears because of the Samaritan foe (Ezra 3:1-13; Ezra 4:1-24; Ezra 5:1-17; Ezra 6:1-22), will be completed with joy (Psalms 126:4-6); cf. Psalms 125:1-5, introduction. The psalm is for the comfort and guidance of the Church in all times of trial, when joyful hopes raised by deliverances are threatened with disappointment. Favours already received are to be the ground of prayer and believing hope that God will crown His goodness by new acts of grace.
When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion - i:e., When He restored her to prosperity. So the idiomatic phrase is used, Psalms 53:6, a psalm of David, ages before the return from the Babylonian captivity; which, however, is doubtless the particular event here alluded to under the general phrase. Compare Job 42:10; Psalms 14:7; Hosea 6:11. Hengstenberg translates, 'When the Lord turned to the returning of Zion' - i:e., turned in mercy to them when they returned in penitence to Him (Deuteronomy 30:2-3; Deuteronomy 30:9-10; Deuteronomy 4:30; Isaiah 10:21-22; Isaiah 59:20; Nehemiah 1:8-9). The Hebrew х shiybaah (H7870)] occurs only here. It may either be from the root, to lead captive [shaabah]; and then it is the same as the similar word [shibuwt, or shibiyt] "captivity," Psalms 126:4. So the English version. Or else it is from the root, to return х shuwb (H7725)] - literally, 'turned the returning.' So I prefer, on account of the different forms in Psalms 126:1 and Psalms 126:4. The sense is much the same-`When God gave them a complete returning.'
We were like them that dream - we could scarcely believe our eyes that our deliverance was a reality. Compare Isaiah 29:7-8, the same image in a different application. Great joy seems too good to be true. So Jacob felt on hearing of Joseph's being alive, and moreover governor of Egypt (Genesis 45:26: cf. Acts 12:9; Luke 24:11).