Psalm 126 begins with 'When the Lord restored the captivity of Zion,' though the Hebrew word here is disputed. Most scholars suggest reading 'restoration' (שְׁבִית) rather than 'captivity' (שִׁיבַת) from a different root. The concept is clear—God reverses Israel's fortunes, bringing exiles home—but the exact vocabulary remains uncertain. Post-exilic psalms celebrate homecoming using multiple related terms for return, restoration, and reversal of captivity. The joy of return forms the psalm's emotional core regardless of textual details.