Psalm 126

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Joy

JOY (שִׂמְחָה, simchah; χαρά, chara). Closely related to gladness and happiness, although joy is more a state of being than an emotion; a result of choice. One of the fruits of the spirit (Gal 5:22–23). Having joy is part of the experience of being a Christian.

Joy can produce gladness and happiness, but where gladness and happiness is based on emotions or on how one feels, joy on the other hand more of a state of being than emotion.

Joy is a choice.

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Cultural Relevance

Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit; it is expected of Christians because it is the natural result of having received salvation. The joy comes on account of what Christ has done, irrelevant of whatever other circumstances are happening in one’s life.

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Development

Development

Emotions in the Old Testament were generally connected to various body parts—the heart could have emotions and thoughts, while the gut or liver were also of importance for emotions. Smith explains, “Israelites associated emotions with the internal organs where the emotions were perceived to be felt physically” (Smith, “Israelite Emotion,” 431). While anger is often associated with a burning of the nostrils, the heart is the center for joy. However, joy does not remain in the heart, but is part of a movement towards appropriate action, explaining the relevance of joy in religious activities (Smith, “Israelite Emotion,” 435–36).

John 16:20–22 NASB95

“Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy. “Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. “Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.

The song of Ascents were most likely sung by pilgrims on their way to the temple on Mount Zion for feast celebrations. In other words, it is a song on the way to Jerusalem. We have to find a song on the way to Jerusalem.

Verse 1 - This could be a reference to the joy of the exiles returning to Jerusalem, or possibly the joyful “dream” of return.

Verse 2 - The joy of those returned from Babylon was ecstatic, and elicited the admiration even of the heathen, as illustrating God’s great power and goodness.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 1 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 385.

Proverbs 17:22 NASB95

A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.