The psalm begins with an expression of sorrow over Zion. Praise the name of the L ord, give praise, O v servants of the L ord, 2 who n stand in the house of the L ord, in w the courts of the house of our God! The first part of the psalm tells the story of exile in Babylon (587-538 B.C.E.). The purpose of this paper is to analyse Psalm 137 to ascertain what Israel’s response was in a time of exile. Forgiveness doesn’t mean forgetting or excusing. Answer: Psalm 137:9 is found in one of the Imprecatory Psalms (or Precatory Psalms) that speak of violence against the enemies of God. TheTorah.com is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Remember” and “forget” stand out in this psalm. How did they address the faith crisis of exile? “For indeed the day is coming, burning like a furnace, and all the arrogant evildoers will be chaff. NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 137:7-9 7 Remember, O Lord, against the sons of Edom The day of Jerusalem, Who said, "Raze it, raze it To its very foundation." To complete their woes, they insulted over them; they required of them mirth and a song. . 3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. For what has that Babylon done to us? (5-9) 1-4 Their enemies had carried the Jews captive from their own land. The poignancy comes in its personal description of the distress of Babylonian exile; the trouble is in its terrible outburst against the oppressors. Her he calls unhappy, but him happy who pays her as she has served us. I ... You see, when they were in their land, the nation of Israel existed as a theocracy, meaning that God was their ultimate ruler, and so the culture of their worship and the rest of their culture fit together perfectly under the Law of God (at least in theory!). Psalm 137 is a hymn expressing the yearnings of the Jewish people during their Babylonian exile. This was very barbarous; also profane, for no songs would serve but the songs of Zion. 3 For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, And those who # Ps. Psalms 137. 3. the thrust of the Psalm as a whole. 135 u Praise the L ord! Psalm 119 Verses 137-144 Tsadde Verse 137 — Exposition; Notes; KJV NKJV NLT NIV ESV CSB NASB. In English it is generally known as "By the rivers of Babylon", which is how its first words are translated in the King James Version.It is Psalm 136 in the slightly different numbering system of the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate versions of the Bible. 137. The Devil may never get you to do drugs, drink, or smoke, but if he can just get you to hang up your harp & sing a silent song, he's got you. They stedfastly resolved to keep up this affection. Exile is thus primarily not a geographical issue, but it is a social, moral, cultural, liturgical and spiritual issue; an understanding that one is in a hostile, alien situation. Psalm 137 – The Mournful Song of the Exiles. Commentary for Psalms 137 . 2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. A. The title of the Book of Psalms in the Hebrew is sepher tehillim, meaning "book of praises", and indeed it is a fitting title. But for you who respect my name, the sun of vindication will rise with healing wings, and you will skip about like calves released from the stall. Psalm 137 is the 137th psalm of the Book of Psalms, and as such it is included in the Hebrew Bible. 1 By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept. Tehillim - Psalms - Chapter 137 « Previous Chapter 136. By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept When we remembered Zion. This is a most affecting picture. Psalm 137 is a hymn expressing the yearnings of the Jewish people during their Babylonian exile. 1. Psalm 137 gives permission, and actually authorizes the powerless who have been brutalized to vent their indignation and turn to God for justice. (1-4) Their affection for Jerusalem. Ps 137:1-4 137 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We have already sung in another Psalm, The words of the wicked have prevailed against us. In Psalm 137:9, the Jews are singing a song about how they want revenge exacted upon their enemies who treated them cruelty. --Robert Rollock. 8 O … Psalms 137:2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. Scoffers are not to be compiled with. Psalm 137 (Babylon) Lyrics: By the rivers, there we sat / In Babylon we sat and we wept / And upon the willow trees / Hung our hearts / When we remembered Zion / By our captors we were told / … This is the repayment. If it were not inspired it would nevertheless occupy a high place in poesy, especially the former portion of it, which is tender and patriotic to the highest degree. Whole Psalm. Verse 9 names the crime: killing babes. Psalm 137. 3 For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, And those who () plundered us requested mirth, Saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” Next » Chapter 138. Psalms 137:1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. 1. Last week I began a series looking at Psalm 137. Psalms 137. 2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. Commentary on Psalm 137:5-9 (Read Psalm 137:5-9) What we love, we love to think of. Before Psalm 137:4 we have to imagine that they answered the request of the Babylonians at that time in the language that follows, or thought thus within themselves when they withdrew themselves from them. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land? 1. ... 2. the etymology of cognate roots is often a pointer to meaning. Show content in: English Both Hebrew. This is a complicated and difficult question. 1. rivers of Babylon—the name of the city used for the whole country. By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. Your Name, O Lord, Endures Forever. What did they ask the Lord to remember? 1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. Those that rejoice in God, for his sake make Jerusalem their joy. If you know much about OT literature/writings, you will know that a lot of times, especially in Psalms, that the stories were written as poetic expressions of personal feelings/emotions, due to the circumstances, good or bad, that was taking place in the writers life. This book clearly provides hope and confidence in the Lord as the maker of all things, the ultimate ruler of everything including the universe. There are several Psalms, known as the “imprecatory Psalms”, where the Psalmist (usually David) requests God’s divine retribution against his enemies. The first is, an heavy complaint of the church, unto Ps 137:7. Then in verses 3-6, the abuse of the nation of Israel suffered under the Babylonian Empire is remembered. What did the Jewish exiles in Babylon remember? Psalm 137:5-6 is a self curse used for literary intensity! Singing to the self. They are enraged because of their treatment at the hands of the Babylonians. 137 By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept When we remembered Zion. Psalm 137:4. Clarke's Psalms 137:2 Bible Commentary We hanged our harps upon the willows - The ערבים arabim or willows were very plentiful in Babylon. Herewith the Psalm closes, Happy, that takes and dashes your little ones against the rock Psalm 136:9. The Psalmist is saying, “I have seen horrible things. Psalm 137:8 speaks of Babylon being repaid by having precisely what she did to the Jews done back to her. Psalm 137 is at once one of the most poignant and most troubling of the psalms. 3 Praise the L ord, for x the L ord is good; sing to his name, y for it is pleasant! The coming day will burn them up,” says the Lord who rules over all. Whole Psalm. How shall we sing the Lord’s song — Those sacred songs which are appropriated to the worship of the true God in his temple, and are appointed by him to be sung only to his honour and in his service; in a strange land — When we are banished from our own temple and country, and among those who are strangers and enemies to our God and his worship? What should you remember? Every chapter is devoted to praise and thanksgiving from the author to Yahweh. The Psalms: 137: The Mourning of the Exiles in Babylon: 1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. Why? This plaintive ode is one of the most charming compositions in the whole Book of Psalms for its poetic power. Rashi 's Commentary: Show Hide. 2 We hung our harps. When we remembered Zion. Psalm 137:9 lives in this nexus. The other is an heavy imprecation and a prophetical denunciation against the enemies of the church, unto the end of the Psalm. Ps 137:1-9. 1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat, we also wept when we remembered Zion. “It will not leave even a root or branch. Question: "What does Psalm 137:9 mean when it says, ‘Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks’?" PSALM 137. It may also have been written many years into the exile. 4 For the L ord has z chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his a own possession. The Treasury of David . This Psalm is composed of two parts. (1-3) Mourning by Babylon’s rivers. Psalm 137. PSALM 137 OVERVIEW. 137. When suffering, we should recollect with godly sorrow our forfeited mercies, and our sins by which we lost them. If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. meaning. remembered Zion—or, Jerusalem, as in Ps 132:13. And whereas poetry has its function, Halacha and the concept of justice prohibit us from turning the thought into the deed. Psalm 137 is an imprecatory psalm. I want horrible things to happen to the perpetrators.” But it is enough to say it, not to act on it. In its whole form of nine verses, the psalm reflects the yearning for Jerusalem as well as hatred for the Holy City's enemies with sometimes violent imagery. What do you make of the psalmist’s strong words about vengeance against those who have hurt him? JPSOA has "keep Jerusalem in memory at my happiest hour." The Jews bewail their captivity. This Psalm records the mourning of the captive Israelites, and a prayer and prediction respecting the destruction of their enemies. Because this psalm is a remembrance of Babylon, many commentators believe it was written after the return from exile. Chapter 137. That verse reads, “Happy is the one who seizes your infants / and dashes them against the rocks.” An imprecatory psalm is one that seeks God’s judgment and, consequently, pain and destruction on others, such as an enemy. One of the primest examples of this is here in Ps. 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