Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's striking here is that the nations notice and remark on God's power. It wasn't just the freed Israelites who felt the overwhelming joy; their deliverance was so astonishing it compelled even outsiders to recognize, "The LORD has done great things for them." This isn't just about internal joy, but about God's glory being displayed to the whole world.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This psalm opens with an image of the exiles returning from captivity, so overwhelming that it felt like a dream. Verse 2 describes the immediate, explosive joy of that return – not just private elation, but public celebration that caught the attention of surrounding nations. The surrounding commentaries highlight that this wasn't just any deliverance, but a miraculous act so evident that even non-Israelites recognized it as the powerful work of the LORD.
Imagine a silence so deep it could only be broken by uncontrollable laughter and shouts. This wasn't just happiness; it was an overwhelming, public declaration of divine intervention.
The verse paints a vivid picture of transformation. The exiles, who had been silent and sorrowful in their captivity, now find their mouths filled with laughter and their tongues with joyful shouts.
An Ecstatic Response
This isn't a quiet, internal joy. It's an outward explosion of emotion – laughter and singing are physical manifestations of overwhelming relief and gladness. It’s the kind of joy that can’t be contained, bursting forth in a way that captures attention.
A Mark of God's Favor
This profound shift from sorrow to ecstatic joy wasn't just a personal experience; it was a public spectacle. The intensity of their happiness was so striking that it drew the attention of the surrounding nations, leading them to acknowledge God's powerful work.
What happens when God works in the lives of His people? Even those outside the covenant community take notice and speak of His mighty deeds.
The second half of the verse reveals a powerful consequence of God's deliverance: it becomes a testimony to the world.
Witnessing Divine Power
When the exiled Israelites returned, their incredible restoration was so evident that even the surrounding nations couldn't ignore it. They declared, “The LORD has done great things for them.” This wasn't just a neutral observation; it was an admission of the sheer power and might of Israel's God.
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God's Glory Displayed
The psalmist emphasizes that this outward declaration by the nations magnified God's reputation. It showed that Israel's God was not merely a tribal deity but a powerful sovereign whose actions were remarkable and undeniable, even to those who didn't worship Him.
Understand the original words
goy · Hebrew Noun
The collective group of non-Israelite peoples. In the Old Testament, the nations are often depicted as witnesses to God's dealings with Israel, meant to recognize His sovereignty and power.
The overwhelming joy described in Psalm 126 wasn't just a feeling; it was a public declaration. The return from Babylonian exile, orchestrated by a foreign king, was so astounding that even the surrounding nations recognized it as a powerful act of God, validating Israel's faith.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem
The Babylonians conquer Jerusalem, destroy the Temple, and deport many Judeans into exile. This marks a period of immense national sorrow and displacement.
c. 539 BC
Cyrus conquers Babylon
Cyrus the Great, king of Persia, overthrows the Neo-Babylonian Empire. This political shift paves the way for the return of exiled peoples.
538 BC— this verse
Edict of Cyrus
Cyrus issues a decree allowing deported peoples, including the Judeans, to return to their homelands and rebuild their temples. This marks the beginning of the return from Babylonian exile.
c. 537 BC
First Return of Exiles
The first wave of Judeans, led by figures like Zerubbabel, returns to Jerusalem and begins the arduous process of rebuilding the city and its Temple.
This passage echoes the theme of joyful restoration, urging Jerusalem to 'put on your beautiful garments' because the Lord has redeemed her, much like Psalm 126:2 celebrates the overflowing joy after a divine deliverance.
Job 8:21This verse provides a parallel to the idea of a mouth filled with laughter, contrasting the fullness of joy with past sorrow, suggesting that divine intervention can turn desolation into rejoicing.
Jeremiah 30:19This prophecy speaks of a future restoration where 'out of them shall come songs of thanksgiving,' mirroring the exultant praise and shouts of joy described in Psalm 126:2 after God's mighty acts.
Ezra 1:1-4This historical account directly illustrates Psalm 126:2, detailing how Cyrus the Persian king was moved by the Lord to decree the return of the exiles and the rebuilding of the temple, prompting amazement among surrounding nations.
Luke 1:63The immediate filling of Zechariah's mouth with praise and blessing after the birth of John the Baptist echoes the sudden, overwhelming joy and vocal expression of God's greatness seen in Psalm 126:2.
cambridgePsalms 126:2: "Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them."
2 . Then was our mouth filled with laughter ] Cp. Job 8:21 . singing ] Or, shouts of joy , a word characteristic of the second Isaiah ( Isaiah 44:23 ; Isaiah 48:20 ; Isaiah 49:13 ; Isaiah 51:11 ; Isaiah 54:1 ; Isaiah 55:12 ). The Psalms of the Return (93–100) were the expression of this joy. then said they among the nations] Even heath…
clarkePsalms 126:2: "Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them."
Then upas our mouth filled with laughter - The same effect as was produced on the poor liberated Grecians mentioned above. Then said they among the heathen - The liberty now granted was brought about in so extraordinary a way, that the very heathens saw that the hand of the great Jehovah must have been in it.
What's striking here is that the nations notice and remark on God's power. It wasn't just the freed Israelites who felt the overwhelming joy; their deliverance was so astonishing it compelled even outsiders to recognize, "The LORD has done great things for them." This isn't just about internal joy, but about God's glory being displayed to the whole world.
This psalm opens with an image of the exiles returning from captivity, so overwhelming that it felt like a dream. Verse 2 describes the immediate, explosive joy of that return – not just private elation, but public celebration that caught the attention of surrounding nations. The surrounding commentaries highlight that this wasn't just any deliverance, but a miraculous act so evident that even non-Israelites recognized it as the powerful work of the LORD.
This psalm opens with an image of the exiles returning from captivity, so overwhelming that it felt like a dream. Verse 2 describes the immediate, explosive joy of that return – not just private elation, but public celebration that caught the attention of surrounding nations. The surrounding commentaries highlight that this wasn't just any deliverance, but a miraculous act so evident that even non-Israelites recognized it as the powerful work of the LORD.
"Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad." — What's striking here is that the nations notice and remark on God's power. It wasn't just the freed Israelites who felt the overwhelming joy; their deliverance was so astonishing it compelled even…
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Last reviewed October 2026