Psalm 137

Psalm 137 belongs to Book Five of the Psalms (Psalms 107–150). The preceding psalm, Psalm 136, is a song of thanksgiving that repeats the refrain "for his mercy endureth for ever." Psalm 137 marks a sharp change of mood, expressing the grief of the Babylonian exile. The Hebrew text has no superscription (a title placed before the psalm).

Structure

• Verses 1–4 The captives sit by the rivers of Babylon, weeping as they remember Zion, and hang their harps upon the willows. When their captors ask for one of the songs of Zion, they reply by asking how they can sing the LORD's song in a strange land.
• Verses 5–6 The psalmist swears an oath: if he forgets Jerusalem, let his right hand forget its skill and his tongue cleave to the roof of his mouth.
• Verses 7–9 The psalmist asks the LORD to strike the children of Edom, who cried "Rase it" (tear it down) on the day Jerusalem fell. The psalm then declares blessed the one who repays Babylon as it has done.

Key Verses

• Psalm 137:1 "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion." This verse is a defining expression of the sense of loss during the exile.
• Psalm 137:4 "How shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land?" This question is frequently cited as a reflection on how to keep the faith in a foreign land.
• Psalm 137:9 The verse pronouncing blessed the one who dashes the little ones against the stones is the passage in this psalm on which interpretations diverge most sharply.

People and Places

• Babylon: The nation that destroyed Judah and carried its people into captivity. The "rivers" are commonly understood to be the Euphrates and its canals.
• Zion and Jerusalem: The city where the temple stood and the object of the captives' longing.
• Edom: The descendants of Esau. Books such as Obadiah portray Edom as rejoicing over Jerusalem's destruction when the city fell.

Interpretive Considerations

Psalms that, like verses 7–9, call for judgment on enemies are commonly called "imprecatory psalms." This passage has been read in several ways.

• As an honest prayer that leaves vengeance to God rather than taking it into one's own hands. This view is explained in connection with Romans 12:17–21.
• As an appeal for justice, asking God to repay according to what was done.
• Some early Church Fathers, including Augustine, offered an allegorical (symbolic) interpretation in which the "little ones" represent the first stirrings of sin in the heart and the "rock" represents Christ.

How this passage relates to Luke 6:27–36, which teaches love for one's enemies, has long been a subject of discussion. In the New Testament, passages such as Revelation 18:20–21 depict the fall of "Babylon the great" and take up the theme of this psalm once again.