Oh, if Israel’s salvation would come from Zion. When the Lord restores the captivity of His people, Jacob will rejoice and Israel will be glad.
The psalm ends with a deep longing for salvation that comes from God. The words “Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come from Zion” express the desire that the Lord would finally intervene and deliver His people from the grievous condition in which they are found. Zion was the notable place of God’s presence and of the authority He established among His people; therefore, the salvation expected from there first of all means help and deliverance coming from the Lord. The phrase “When the Lord restores the captivity of His people” does not have to be understood as a prophecy of some specific future captivity. It can describe God’s complete turning of His people’s condition—from suffering to freedom, from humiliation to restoration. The natural result of that salvation is joy: Jacob rejoices and Israel is glad. After the whole course of the psalm, this conclusion shows that in the midst of humanity’s universal corruption, the final word is not the evil one’s. Salvation comes from the Lord. In Christian reading, this hope finds its full fulfillment in the salvation given through Jesus Christ, even though this verse is not directly quoted in the New Testament as a messianic prophecy. The believer is called to place the hope of his salvation in the Lord, being confident that He is able to deliver, restore, and turn the sorrow of His people into joy.