the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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King James Version
Psalms 126:6
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They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.
He that goes forth and weeps, bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with joy, bringing his sheaves [with him].
Those who cry as they carry out the seeds will return singing and carrying bundles of grain.
The one who weeps as he walks along, carrying his bag of seed, will certainly come in with a shout of joy, carrying his sheaves of grain.
He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless return with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves [with him].
He who goes out weeping, carrying seed for sowing, Will assuredly come again with joy, carrying his sheaves.
He who goes back and forth weeping, carrying his bag of seed [for planting], Will indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
Thei goynge yeden, and wepten; sendynge her seedis. But thei comynge schulen come with ful out ioiyng; berynge her handfullis.
Though he goeth on his way weeping, bearing forth the seed; he shall come again with joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
He who goes out weeping, bearing a trail of seed, will surely return with shouts of joy, carrying sheaves of grain.
We cried on the way to plant our seeds, but we will celebrate and shout as we bring in the crops.
He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
Though a man may go out weeping, taking his vessel of seed with him; he will come again in joy, with the corded stems of grain in his arms.
He who goes out weeping as he carries his sack of seed will come home with cries of joy as he carries his sheaves of grain.
He goeth forth and weepeth, bearing seed for scattering; he cometh again with rejoicing, bearing his sheaves.
Those who cried as they carried the seeds will be happy when they bring in the crops!
Though he goeth on his way weeping that beareth the measure of seed, {P}
He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtlesse come againe with reioycing: bringing his sheaues with him.
He who goes out crying as he carries his bag of seed will return with songs of joy as he brings much grain with him.
Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.
They went weeping and caried precious seede: but they shall returne with ioye and bring their sheaues.
He who goes forth and weeps, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
Those who wept as they went out carrying the seed will come back singing for joy, as they bring in the harvest.
He that, doth indeed go forth, and weep, bearing seed enough to trail along, doth, surely come in, with shouting, bringing his sheaves.
(125-6) Going they went and wept, casting their seeds. (125-7) But coming they shall come with joyfulness, carrying their sheaves.
He that goes forth weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
He that goeth foorth on his way, and wepyng beareth pretious seede: shall doubtlesse returning, come againe with a ioyfull noyse, bryngyng his sheaues with hym.
They went on and wept as they cast their seeds; but they shall surely come with exultation, bringing their sheaves with them.
Though one goes along weeping,carrying the bag of seed,he will surely come back with shouts of joy,carrying his sheaves.
He who goes out weeping, carrying seed for sowing, Will assuredly come again with joy, carrying his sheaves.
He who diligently goes out with weeping, carrying the seed bag, shall certainly come in with rejoicing, carrying his sheaves.
Surely he who walks and weeps, bearing a trail of seed, shall come again with joyful shouting, bearing his sheaves.
Whoso goeth on and weepeth, Bearing the basket of seed, Surely cometh in with singing, bearing his sheaves!
They that sowe in teeres, shal reape in ioye. He yt now goeth his waye wepige & beareth forth good sede, shal come agayne with ioye, and brynge his sheaues with him.
One who goes here and there weeping, carrying his bag of seed, Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him.
He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed,Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, carrying his sheaves with him.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
that goeth: Psalms 30:5, Job 11:13-17, Isaiah 61:3, Jeremiah 50:4, Jeremiah 50:5, Galatians 6:7, Galatians 6:8
precious seed: or, seed basket
shall doubtless: Isaiah 9:2, Isaiah 9:3, Luke 15:18-24, Acts 16:29-34, Revelation 7:15-17
Reciprocal: Leviticus 23:32 - afflict Numbers 29:7 - afflict 2 Samuel 15:30 - weeping Ezra 3:12 - wept Job 8:21 - he fill Psalms 51:8 - Make Psalms 56:8 - put Psalms 90:15 - Make Psalms 97:11 - sown Psalms 129:7 - he that bindeth Proverbs 11:18 - but Ecclesiastes 3:4 - time to weep Ecclesiastes 7:3 - is better Ecclesiastes 7:8 - Better Ecclesiastes 11:1 - for Jeremiah 31:9 - come Hosea 10:12 - Sow Matthew 5:4 - General Luke 6:21 - ye that weep Luke 7:38 - weeping Luke 22:62 - and wept John 16:20 - your 1 Corinthians 7:30 - that weep 2 Corinthians 7:7 - mourning Philippians 3:8 - doubtless Hebrews 6:7 - receiveth James 4:9 - afflicted
Gill's Notes on the Bible
He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed,.... Which he sows in tears. This is but a repetition and confirmation of what is before expressed in different words; and may be applied, as to a praying saint, so to a faithful preacher of the word. The word is the precious seed which he bears, which he takes out of the granaries of the Scriptures; and carries from place to place, and scatters and sows, Luke 8:11; compared to seed, because of its meanness in the eyes of those that know it not; because of its generative virtue and increase, which it has from God, and which, unless sown in the earth, produces no fruit: and it is called "precious seed", because either bought at a great price, when grain is dear; or because it usually is the choicest wheat that is the sowing seed; and so may denote the preciousness and value of the Gospel, dispensed by Christ's faithful ministers, which is called a sowing of spiritual things, 1 Corinthians 9:11; which should be done plentifully and constantly, and with the same sort of seed or doctrine, and which requires art and skill; and is often performed weeping or with tears, because of their own insufficiency, through fear of success, and through want of it; and because of the badness of the ground, the hardness of men's hearts they have to do with. The allusion seems to be to a poor husbandman, that has got but little seed to sow, and this bought at a dear price; and which he buries under the clods, and fears it will rise no more; and weeps as he sows, because of the badness of the weather, or of the soil, doubting of success. Aben Ezra, by the words rendered "precious seed", or, as they may be, "a draught of seed" r, understands the vessel in which the sower carries his seed, the seed basket, from whence he draws and takes out the seed, and scatters it; see Amos 9:13; so the Targum,
"bearing a tray of sowing corn;''
shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves [with him]; the seed he has been to and fro in sowing springs up under a divine blessing; and, beyond his expectation and fears, produces a large and plentiful crop; which he reaps, and returns home, not with his arms full of sheaves only, but with his cart laden with them: so a faithful minister, sooner or later, is blessed with converts, who will be his joy and crown of rejoicing another day: see John 4:35 1 Thessalonians 2:19.
r משך הזרע "tractionem seminis", Montanus, Piscator, Gejerus.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
He that goeth forth and weepeth - He that goes forth weeping - still an allusion to the farmer. He is seen moving slowly and sadly over the plowed ground, burdened with his task, an in tears.
Bearing precious seed - Margin, “seed-basket.” Literally, “bearing the drawing out of seed;” perhaps the seed as drawn out of his bag; or, as scattered or sown regularly in furrows, so that it seems to be drawn out in regular lines over the fields.
Shall doubtless come again - Shall come to this sown field again in the time of harvest. He will visit it with other feelings than those which he now has.
With rejoicing ... - Then his tears will be turned to joy. Then the rich harvest will wave before him. Then he will thrust in his sickle and reap. Then he will gather the golden grain, and the wain will groan under the burden, and the sheaves will be carried forth with songs of joy. He will be abundantly rewarded for all his toil; he will see the fruit of his labors; he will be filled with joy. The design of this illustration was, undoubtedly, to cheer the hearts of the exiles in their long and dangerous journey to their native land; it has, however, a wider and more universal application, as being suited to encourage all in their endeavors to secure their own salvation, and to do good in the world - for the effort is often attended with sacrifice, toil, and tears. The joy of heaven will be more than a compensation for all this. The following remarks by Dr. Thomson (Land and the Book, vol. i., pp. 118, 119) will furnish an illustration of the meaning of this passage: “I never saw people sowing in tears exactly, but have often known them to do it in fear and distress sufficient to draw them from any eye. In seasons of great scarcity, the poor peasants part in sorrow with every measure of precious seed cast into the ground. It is like taking bread out of the mouths of their children; and in such times many bitter tears are actually shed over it. The distress is frequently so great that government is obliged to furnish seed, or none would be sown. Ibrahim Pasha did this more than once within my remembrance, copying the example, perhaps, of his great predecessor in Egypt when the seven years’ famine was ended. The thoughts of this psalm may likewise have been suggested by the extreme danger which frequently attends the farmer in his plowing and sowing.
The calamity which fell upon the farmers of Job when the oxen were plowing, and the donkeys feeding beside them, and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them away, and slew the servants with the edge of the sword Job 1:14-15, is often repeated in our day. To understand this, you must remember what I just told you about the situation of the arable lands in the open country; and here again we meet that verbal accuracy: the sower goes forth - that is, from the village. The people of Ibel and Khiem, in Merj ‛Aiyun, for example, have their best grain-growing fields down in the ‛Ard Huleh, six or eight miles from their homes, and just that much nearer the lawless border of the desert. When the country is disturbed, or the government weak, they cannot sow these lands except at the risk of their lives. Indeed, they always go forth in large companies, and completely armed, ready to drop the plow and seize the musket at a moment’s warning; and yet, with all this care, many sad and fatal calamities overtake the people who must thus sow in tears.
And still another origin may be found for the thoughts of the psalm in the extreme difficulty of the work itself in many places. The soil is rocky, impracticable, overgrown with sharp thorns; and it costs much painful toil to break up and gather out the rocks, cut and burn the briers, and to subdue the stubborn soil, especially with their feeble oxen and insignificant plows. Join all these together, and the sentiment is very forcibly brought out, that he who labors hard, in cold and in rain, in fear and danger, in poverty and in want, casting his precious seed in the ground, will surely come again, at harvest-time, with rejoicing, and bearing his sheaves with him.”
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Psalms 126:6. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed — The metaphor seems to be this: A poor farmer has had a very bad harvest: a very scanty portion of grain and food has been gathered from the earth. The seed time is now come, and is very unpromising. Out of the famine a little seed has been saved to be sown, in hopes of another crop; but the badness of the present season almost precludes the entertainment of hope. But he must sow, or else despair and perish. He carries his all, his precious seed, with him in his seed basket; and with a sorrowful heart commits it to the furrow, watering it in effect with his tears, and earnestly imploring the blessing of God upon it. God hears; the season becomes mild; he beholds successively the blade, the ear, and the full corn in the ear. The appointed weeks of harvest come, and the grain is very productive. He fills his arms, his carriages, with the sheaves and shocks; and returns to his large expecting family in triumph, praising God for the wonders he has wrought. So shall it be with this handful of returning Israelites. They also are to be sown-scattered all over the land; the blessing of God shall be upon them, and their faith and numbers shall be abundantly increased. The return here referred to, Isaiah describes in very natural language: "And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering to the Lord out of all nations, upon horses, and in chariots, and in litters, upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the Lord, as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the Lord," Isaiah 66:20.
ANALYSIS OF THE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SIXTH PSALM
The parts of this Psalm are three: -
I. An expression of joy for their strange deliverance from captivity.
II. A prayer for the return of the remaining part.
III. A moral collected by the psalmist from it.
1. The psalmist celebrates their return, and amplifies it three ways: -
1. From the cause, Jehovah. Cyrus gave a commission for it; but it was the Lord who disposed his heart so to do: "When the Lord turned," c.
2. From the manner of it. It was strange and wonderful they could scarcely believe it.
3. From the joy at it, inward and external. 1. Their "mouths were filled with laughter." 2. Their "tongue with singing." A thankful tongue expressed the feelings of a thankful heart.
That God did this for them he proves by two evidences: -
1. The heathen: "Then said they among the heathen." They saw that they were permitted to return by virtue of a royal edict; that the very king who gave the commission was named by a prophet; that they had rich gifts given them, the vessels of gold and silver restored, c. Who could do all these things but GOD?
2. The Jews. It is true, said the Jews, what you acknowledge. 1. "The Lord hath done great things for us." Beyond our merit, beyond our hope. 2. "Whereof we are glad," for we are freed from a galling yoke.
II. But there were some Jews left behind, for whom they pray.
1. "Turn their captivity also." Put it in their hearts to join their brethren. Several, no doubt, stayed behind, because they had married strange wives, c.
2. "Turn it as the streams in the south." Or, as some read it, streams of water on a parched land. Judea has been lying waste we need many hands to cultivate it. When all join together in this work the land will become fruitful, like the parched ground when powerful rivulets are sent through it in all directions.
III. The benefit of this will be great for although it may cost us much hard labour and distress in the beginning, yet the maxim will hold good - "They who sow in tears shall reap in joy." Which the psalmist amplifies in the next verse.
1. "He that goeth forth and weepeth." The poor husbandman, for the reasons given above and in the notes, bearing precious seed - seed bought with a high price, which augments his grief, being so poor.
2. "He shall doubtless come again" - in harvest with joy, having a plentiful crop; for every grain sown at least one full-fed ear of corn, with at the lowest thirty-fold. Some maxims are to be gathered from the whole: Penitential sorrow shall be followed by the joy of pardoning mercy; he that bears the cross shall wear the crown; and, trials and difficulties shall be followed by peace and prosperity.
