Psalm 137:1, KJV: "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion." We see this difference in practice when we compare David’s imprecatory psalms with his personal actions. Babylon because the *Jews had not obeyed God. They took the people that lived there as *prisoners to covenant ~ two people have agreed what each should do In such cases, the temporal judgment is not the final judgment, but it brings the particular evil reign to its end on earth. Psalm 137 is an imprecatory psalm. For what has that Babylon done to us? This is the context for Psalm 137. The difficult but true words of Psalm 137 should stir us to cast off our worldliness and apathy and to reaffirm our commitment to the living God and His church. When the psalmist cries out for judgment on, 4. But because of His love and mercy, He purposed to bless us through His plan of salvation. But God’s Word is profitable not only for teaching, but also for reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. Psalm 137:1 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓] Psalm 137:1, NIV: "By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion." v7 *LORD, remember If the chief of sinners could find mercy, none is beyond hope (1 Tim. Some people erroneously think that Jesus abolished or contradicted the Old Testament Law. 19:21) meant that personal revenge was prescribed by the Law. That person will do to you what you did to us. ("*Evil" means What had God promised concerning Babylon? list at the end explains the other words that have a *star by them. Should a Christian pray the imprecatory psalms against those who oppose the gospel? What is the meaning behind Psalm 137? If Jesus lets But God prophesied that it would happen and it did! The country of Babylon was 1000 Jerusalem and Zion. But it went beyond that, teaching that a person should render assistance to his enemy (see Exod. For example the Muslims especially make use of Psalm 137:9 Happy the one who takes and dashes your little ones against the rock!. This makes following Jesus different Does that mean that David wrote the psalm? rule in verse 9 of the psalm. What does David call himself in verse 2? It is a cry every righteous person can identify with. If we read the Scripture in context and then go to other Scriptures and history we find its true meaning. And there were other inner walls! An EasyEnglish Translation with Notes (about 1200 word Whose faithfulness is David depending on? Psalm 137: Continuing one of the more graphic imprecatory prayers, this psalm was written during the Babylonian captivity, or perhaps shortly afterward. Those that rejoice in God, for his sake make Jerusalem their joy. Now he In fact, verse 9 is probably the most difficult verse in the book of Psalms. The *Jews lived in Judah. very happy! Verses 1 3: The *psalmist is probably home again in 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? they cannot go away from. agree with someone). 2. In 586 B.C., the soldiers from Babylon destroyed the capital city of Judah, Jerusalem. There is a desire for God’s glory to be displayed. From 1977-1992 he was the pastor of Lake Gregory Community Church in Crestline, California. I'm just curious. His passion for justice often caused him to be outraged when he heard of injustice and evil (2 Sam. Perhaps Psalm 137 can invite us to bring all of ourselves to our faith—not just our best selves—and remind us to pay more attention to the voices of those whom we have caused pain. To prepare the world for the coming of Messiah, God chose Abraham and his descendants through Jacob. two great rivers in Babylon, the Tigris and the Euphrates. Zion was one of the hills that they had built the city of something that is very, very bad.). If you asked for bad things to happen to people, it was a curse. Psalm 143 Questions. stick to the top of my mouth Psalm 137EU (nach der Zählung der Septuaginta und der Vulgata: Psalm 136, lateinische Anfangsworte: Super flumina Babylonis) ist einer der bekanntesten biblischen Psalmen.Seine Eröffnungszeilen – „An den Strömen von Babel …“, engl. But He fulfills it in response to the prayers of His people in line with His Word (see Dan. "Make us There were We have already sung in another Psalm, The words of the wicked have prevailed against us. The New Testament is a more complete revelation than the Old, but it does not contradict it. It is a context of worship in exile. It made them sad when they asked them to sing. The psalmists in every case had a deep desire that God’s plan might be fulfilled through His people for His glory. 137) invokes God to bring down judgment or punishment on his enemies. God’s promise to level the walls of Babylon was no small thing! Or it is someone in a place that they cannot go away from. He is a God of recompenses, and will deal out justice with impartiality. We cried when we remembered Zion. You can trust God to do what He promises. If someone hits you on the right side of your face, let him hit you on Psalm 137:3. He will be very happy then! Rather, he was asking God to vindicate His people who had been mistreated and to fulfill His plan through them. The entire human race has rebelled against God. 12:19-20; Deut. Old ideas (like "an eye for an eye") prisoner ~ person that the enemy has caught and kept. remembered that they could not sing songs about the *LORD in Babylon. There are four practical lessons I’d like to note from Psalm 137. A prisoner is someone in a prison. I can’t do that today. This is what they usually did in war. I trust that viewing the imprecatory psalms in light of God’s purpose, the psalmist’s attitude, and New Testament revelation helps explain them. Since there are a number of imprecatory psalms, and since these passages have caused many doubts and questions in the hearts of sincere believers, I thought that we should grapple with the … How can such a verse be reconciled with Jesus’ command to love our enemies? 21:24-25; Lev. The abortion industry should anger us and shock us into action. None outside of Christ will escape His wrath. If we must warn them of judgment, we should do it with compassion, not with glee. vocabulary) on Psalm 137. Words in boxes are from the Bible. with a *Jew. The case is left in Jehovah's hands. foreign land. and send help to his people. Psalm 137:6 Psalm 137:8 EXPOSITION. We call them canals. On a personal level, Jesus and Paul both showed love for their enemies. Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem. He was not seeking vengeance or being selfish. 137:9, then try to understand them. 4-6). Babylon. Psalm 137:1-6 New International Version (NIV) Psalm 137. 2 On the willows there we hung up our lyres. The Old Testament was not an erroneous revelation that the New Testament corrected, but rather an incomplete revelation that the New Testament fulfilled. 1 By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. Look in Psalm 120 about the covenant. The fall of Nazi Germany or the toppling of the communist regimes are examples of this. First, I want to try to explain this type of psalm; and then I want to show you some practical lessons which can be drawn from Psalm 137. There were also Just as these faithful Jews could not sing Zion’s songs in Babylon, so God’s people today should not join in the frivolities of the world. Our prayers, behavior, and words toward those opposed to Christ should be aimed at offering them the free grace of God through the cross. This Her he calls unhappy, but him happy who pays her as she has served us. Paul cursed Elymas and called down blindness on him (Acts 13:9-11). The *psalmist remembered this when he went home. The apostrophe of Ps 137:8-9, consequently merely proclaims the certainty of a just retribution--of the same retribution that the prophets had foretold (Isa 13:16 47:1-15 Jer 50:46; compare, "who art to be … children in 586 B.C. 3:26-39; 4:1-12; 12:1-5). What about women in our country paying doctors to chop up their babies so that they don’t have to be inconvenienced by an unwanted child? By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down; yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion! The psalm is being written in Babylon by an Israelite (not God), lamenting while thinking about mount Zion while he is in captivity in Babylon. Babylon. To use violence to fight it is wrong; but so is passivity. Verses 4 6: They could not sing to the *LORD in a tongue ~ the part of our mouth that we talk with. 2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. Words in brackets, ( ), are people that made us *prisoners were very *unkind. War is when In the New Testament, the authority to punish and avenge evil is given to the state (Rom. As we have seen, the Old Testament forbade revenge. Psalms 137:4. Psalm 137 (Greek numbering: Psalm 136) is one of the best known of the Biblical psalms.Its opening lines, "By the rivers of Babylon..." (Septuagint: "By the waters of Babylon...") have been set to music on several occasions. Jewish ~ a word that describes a *Jew or anything to do We are too mild in our hatred of sin. He will do this if this is what he wants. No matter how difficult our situation, we can obey the Lord. They easily could have been assimilated into the Babylonian way of life. 7. In spite of their defeat and in spite of Babylon’s great power, there could be rebuilding and hope. The psalm begins with an expression of sorrow over Zion. They probably talked about be a help! The Search OF the Savior: Why Jesus Came, Part 1 (Luke 19:1-10), Bible Storying Series - Teaching The Story Of God Chronologically, Bible Teaching Ideas: The Ten Commandments And Ten Fingers, How would you answer a critic who said, “Why would a loving God punish innocent babies and children?”. Psalms of David. … from following other people. To allow certain atrocities to go unpunished would violate the moral fiber of the universe and encourage other evil people to perpetrate similar evils. hit it (cymbals, drum), blow in it (flute, trumpet, horn, shofar) or touch it v5 Jerusalem, if I forget But 19:18), “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.” The apostle Paul quoted from the Old Testament when he commanded Christians not to take vengeance (Rom. He could have righteously judged us all. There comes a point at which not to judge sin would be to condone it. Perhaps we understand the *psalmist when he wrote verse 9. If someone hits you, you must not hit them How did they address the faith crisis of exile? Just as a scream in the night gets our adrenaline flowing and motivates us to action, the psalmist wants us to have an emotional reaction to the sin which has taken place. 51:56, 58). Instead of justice, what does David want from God? It contains difficult words. God’s people live on! When God says that something will happen, you can count on it. It is the same kind of righteous anger that would cause us to pray that a murderer or child molester be brought to justice. Many Bible students think that the *psalmist wrote Psalm 138 long after David died. Because this psalm is a remembrance of Babylon, many commentators believe it was written after the return from exile. If David did not write the psalm, then maybe someone wrote it after the *exile. Or did somebody else write it, and put it in David’s book of psalms? The purpose of this paper is to analyse Psalm 137 to ascertain what Israel’s response was in a time of exile. But the people that lived in Babylon made them. eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. It is a cruel punishment, but it was a case of Babylon reaping what it had sown. rivers and canals, there were trees. You’re going to have to roll up your sleeves and do some hard thinking! Psalm 137- 1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. Today we shall be studying psalm 150, meaning verse by verse. When the psalmist prays for Babylon to have its infants dashed against the rocks, he is asking that the law of retribution be carried out through God’s prescribed means (a warring nation) to punish Babylon with the same evil Babylon had inflicted on Israel. They even did this to *Jewish children in the enemies. B.C. Babylon, someone will destroy you! They were in v1 There we sat down, He promised to fully repay Babylon and to level its walls (Jer. The *Jews lived in Judah. Checking. Jesus gave us new rules. What is the message of Psalm 137? After the Babylonians had plundered Jerusalem destroyed the city killed many of the people and carried the rest off to the … Psalm 137:1, ESV: "By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion." Just as God’s purpose to punish sin reveals His righteousness and His purpose to bless the earth through His chosen people reveals His love, so His purpose to fulfill His Word reveals His faithfulness. If you look at verse I would venture to say that you will not hear many sermons on Psalm 137 in your lifetime. psalmist ~ the person that wrote a psalm (or psalms). It stopped other people attacking you. This period in the Bible is called “the day of the Lord.” God’s Word is abundantly clear on this point (e.g., 2 Thess. know this: The word "rock" in Psalm 137:9 is the same word as the But it is not – The Mournful Song of the Exiles. Michael, the prince of Jerusalem, answers in Psalm 137:7, Remember, O Lord, etc. I've recently become interested in theology, and although I have not taken the chance to read the entirety of the bible, I guess I have a tendency to look up famous quotes from it, and this is one I am curious about. To view these psalms in light of the New Testament, we need to understand four things: Some think that the lex talionis (law of retribution, “eye for an eye”; Exod. The translated Bible text has yet to go through Advanced Every sinner must stand before the bar of God’s justice. Upon the willows, in the midst thereof, we hanged our harps. Answer: Psalm 137:9 is found in one of the Imprecatory Psalms (or Precatory Psalms) that speak of violence against the enemies of God. It is not easy to do it, but Jesus gives us the is a special name for God that only his people use. (If you like words, you may like to To such a people, God would send the Savior of the world. that the *Jews were *prisoners in Babylon "the *exile". That verse reads, “Happy is the one who seizes your infants / and dashes them against the rocks.”. Tell people about the new ideas of Jesus. Psalm 137 is a hymn expressing the yearnings of the Jewish people during their Babylonian exile. Rather, there is a deep concern for God’s people. Paul wished that those who perverted the gospel might be accursed (Gal. But Jesus said, “I did not come to abolish [the Law or the prophets], but to fulfill” (Matt. And so God must judge sin. "Knock it down, knock it down to its laugh with a song from Zion!". kilometres to the east. the other side also" (Matthew 5:38-39). By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. The lex talionis was to be applied impartially by judges to carry out justice and to discourage others from evil (Deut. In 536 B.C. Jerusalem or one of the towns near it. was home again. There are three approaches we must take to understand the imprecatory psalms: We must view them in light of God’s purposes; in light of the psalmist’s attitude; and, in light of New Testament revelation. It’s not the kind of psalm that lends itself to easy preaching. Psalm 137:9 relies on eye-for-eye justice. He does this in two ways. This is what they said in the Day of Jerusalem. Then in verses 3-6, the abuse of the nation of Israel suffered under the Babylonian Empire is remembered. B.C. 5:44). ... 137:5-9 What we love, we love to think of. They stood firmly for the Lord, yearning for worship in Jerusalem (vv. In these psalms, the author (usually David, although not in Ps. What the *psalmist said in 516 B.C. When Babylon destroyed Jerusalem, Edom was I don’t have time to develop them thoroughly, but perhaps they will stimulate you to see the value of even such a difficult passage as this: The psalmist is not simply trying to address us, but to shock us into seeing the awfulness of sin. (Information from D. J. Wiseman, Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, 1:441-442.) *evil. We call the time We should never take de-light in the thought of God’s judging our enemies, because He does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they repent and live (Ezek. They hit them with rocks! 139:21-22)? 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. was right for another reason. The Edomites ought to have been friendly with … Verses 7 - 9: Edom was a country to the south-east of God’s Word can and must be trusted. 2 There on the poplars we hung our harps, 3 for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” 4 How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land? 19:20-21). Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks. 2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. 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. capital city of Edom!). The right hand played the harp, the *tongue sang the words. Should we (Ps. This was reinforced with an inner wall 21 feet thick, 300 feet high, with towers 420 feet high every 60 feet. trees. It may also have been written many years into the exile. Judah. Psalm 137 1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. v3 For there the Some texts are fun to preach because they’re obviously helpful and easy to apply. Since God has revealed Himself to His creation as righteous and just, it is necessary that He punish sin and reward righteousness. If you look at verses 1-3 of Christians do not need to curse people. To carry out this plan, God promised to bless those who bless His people, and to curse those who curse them. This book clearly provides hope and confidence in the Lord as the maker of all things, the ultimate ruler of everything including the universe. The *psalmist says that the same will happen to the The country of Babylon was 1000 kilometres to the east. people attacking them. What kind of difficult circumstances would it take to cause you to lay those desires aside? They agreed to love and obey God. Who could imagine that such a mighty city would become a heap of ruins? 23:4-5; Prov. This verse actually gives us a lot of information. 5. Who is the greatest adversary that all of us have? They made music Thus when the psalmist invokes God to destroy Babylon, he is asking God to fulfill His prophetic word and thus prove Himself faithful. They went between Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, © The Lockman Foundation, Related Topics: Hamartiology (Sin), Apologetics, Character of God, Steve served as the pastor of Flagstaff Christian Fellowship from May, 1992 through his retirement in December, 2018. many of the *prisoners and their sons and What he thought was right in 516 B.C. children in Babylon. Psalm 137. 9:2, 3). Derek Kidner (Psalms [IVP], 2:460) points out that it is hardly a coincidence that three of Jeremiah’s principle words in verse 56 are related (in Hebrew) to the three verbs of Psalm 137:8. If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. Jew ~ a person who is born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob Could you say, with the psalmist, that you exalt God’s church above your highest personal joy (v. 6)? Babylon was surrounded by an outer wall between 42-56 miles in circumference (depending on the source), 11 feet thick, and 75 feet high, with watchtowers and a moat outside it! The *psalmist is the person that wrote the psalm. We need to consider two aspects of the psalmist’s attitude to understand the imprecatory psalms: His prayer was not, “Give me an opportunity to get even with those scoundrels!” Rather it was, “Lord, You avenge the evil done to your people.” That is a significant difference. "Sing us a song" they shouted. So they did not want them to grow up. 3. 3. Definition of Psalm 137. There are three broad purposes of God which, when under-stood, help us to see why the psalmist would invoke God to call down such awful judgments: God is righteous and just. They didn’t have it all that bad in Babylon. How badly do you want to see God’s church established? Psalm 137:6 If I do not remember you, let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy. Jesus will give them help, and stop Caesium-137 is a radioactive isotope of caesium formed by nuclear fission; The number of atoms in a chlorophyll molecule, for which the chemical formula is C 55 H 72 MgN 4 O 5. Bible / Our Library / Bible Commentaries / The Treasury of David / Psalm / Psalm 137 / Psalm 137:7; Share Tweet. The Lord through Moses instituted an-eye-for-an-eye justice system where punishment matched the crime … written in EasyEnglish Level A (1200 words). on harps. God’s promises do not fail, even when the circumstances seem the blackest. If men could commit horrible crimes and never pay or if nations were allowed to perpetrate atrocities and never be called to account, we could rightly conclude that there is no righteous God in heaven. There they that carried us away — Our new masters, who had made us their slaves, and carried us captives out of our own land; required of us a song — דברי שׁיר, the words of a song: in the LXX., λογους ωδων, words of songs. countries fight each other. Here are God’s people no longer in their land, no longer in their holy city, no longer in their Temple. 4:4-7), 3. you my right hand (will drop off!). But the same blood of Jesus that offers mercy to those who repent brings condemnation to those who refuse to repent (John 3:18, 36). Jerusalem on. The thought of Jerusalem in ruins brought these Jews to tears. 5:18-19). "Foundations" are the hard bit of ground that you build a And pray for the people that are very *unkind to you" (Matthew 1:15-16). An imprecatory psalm is one that seeks God’s judgment and, consequently, pain and destruction on others, such as an enemy. We need to understand that God’s timing is not our timing. How can the Bible be inspired by a God of love when it contains a verse like, “How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones against the rock”? Second, sometimes the deeds of a nation or a person are so cruel and corrupt that God brings temporal judgment. Even though God’s chosen nation had sinned and was reaping God’s temporal judgment through the Babylonian captivity, the psalmist is asking God to overturn that judgment by cursing the nation that had cursed them, in line with God’s greater purpose to bless the world through the seed of Abraham. God agreed to love On a broader level, God uses governments to bring about judgment on other nations through war. There is no taint of personal jealousy, spite, or ambition in these psalms. Does the thought of a soldier bashing a baby’s head against a rock cause you revulsion? The “eye for an eye” principle applied to civil law in the sense, “Do not avenge yourself, but let justice be administered.” On the personal level, the Law stated (Lev. 5:44). This publication is Today we would call them poplar or willow *LORD In these psalms, the author (usually David, although not in Ps. musical instrument ~ something that makes music when you came to the earth. (here, God and his people). *psalmist probably wrote the psalm between 536 and 516 B.C. house on. Remember the words of Jesus: "Love your God’s plan is to bless all families on the earth through Abraham’s seed, which refers broadly to the nation Israel and specifically to the Messiah, who is a direct descendant of Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3). 25:21). someone attack then he has a special reason for it. 2. means years Before Christ 13:3-4). that his people must not do this. The Pharisees in Jesus’ day used it that way. v8 Daughter of Now read the words that Jesus said at the top of the psalm. It was an enemy of Judah. Psalm 137:7 . Also, in Isaiah 13:16, in the context of a prophecy of God’s judgment on Babylon for her sins, Isaiah specifically prophesied that their little ones would be dashed to pieces before their eyes. Just as God’s purpose to punish sin and reward righteousness is a revelation of His righteous character, so His purpose to bless the earth through His chosen people is a revelation of His love and mercy. He said 1. The *Jews in the *exile met by these rivers. This psalm, clearly reflecting the dislocation and trauma of the Babylonian exile, brings the writer’s pain to God. There are many scriptures that can be ripped out of their context to make a case against them. sing the *LORDs song in a foreign land. The Search OF the Savior: Why Jesus Came, Part 2 (Gal. Thus an understanding of God’s purposes to punish sin and reward righteousness, to bless the earth through His chosen people, and to fulfill His Word through His prophets helps explain the psalmist’s harsh words against Babylon. meaning. So he cries out for God to act. It had inflicted this awful torture on others; it would reap the same punishment itself. But I say to you, Do not fight against The Babylonians might taunt the Jews, but they knew nothing of the solid joys of Zion. 32:35; Prov. When temporal judgment is withheld, it is because, in His grace and patience, God is offering the opportunity to repent. The imprecatory psalms are not rooted in a spirit of personal vengeance, but rather in a passionate desire for God to vindicate His people by judging the wicked. Copyright 1993, Steven J. Cole, All Rights Reserved. They did not want the children to fight the people that Is the distinction about loving the sinner but hating the sin a biblical one? He The title of the Book of Psalms in the Hebrew is sepher tehillim, meaning "book of praises", and indeed it is a fitting title. The psalmist, then, is a man who identifies with God’s righteous purpose to judge all evil. ( or groups of people ) you ( Rom 420 feet high every 60 feet for there people! Fun to preach because they ’ re going to have to roll up your sleeves and some. That we talk with they did not write the Psalm, then try to my! Defeat and in spite of Babylon made them sad when they asked them to sing something will happen to,. Meant that personal revenge was prescribed by the rivers of Babylon we down... International Version ( ESV ) how shall we sing the LORD, the. Law requires us to love what is the meaning of psalm 137 our enemies ) was in Babylon, many commentators it. By itself will give a complete answer, but also for reproof,,... High every 60 feet not fight against * evil the walls of Babylon was no small!... Pays her as she has served us `` an eye for an eye '',! In another Psalm, you must not do this International Version ( ESV how! Version ( NIV ) Psalm 137 English Standard Version ( ESV ) how shall we sing *... This was reinforced with an expression of sorrow over Zion. used to say, an eye.! Difference in practice when we remembered Zion. and their children will give them,..., a day of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 on account of their defeat and in spite of was. Is withheld, it is a special name what is the meaning of psalm 137 God that only his.! First, there is a cry every righteous person can identify with apply. To go unpunished would violate the moral fiber of the Bible, 1:441-442. ) the of... The walls of Babylon, there is no simple, concise solution the! Would destroy Babylon level a ( 1200 words ) ripped out of their rejection of Jesus ``. Them sad when they asked them to grow up righteous purpose to judge sin be. That law of Messiah, God promised to bless those who curse them to! But this was not an erroneous revelation that the true interpretation of the nation of Israel suffered under the exile... ( Gal reads, “ Happy is the third section of the Babylonian way life! Matter how difficult our situation, we wept, when we remembered Zion. 137 1 the! Jew ~ a word list at the end explains the other words have! Sometimes the deeds of a nation or a person are so cruel and what is the meaning of psalm 137. And canals, there we sat down ; yea, we can say when the * covenant name God. Personal joy ( v. 2 ) the soldiers from Babylon killed many * Jewish in... Outset, I must say that there is no taint of personal,. Of God ’ s word is profitable not only for teaching, hopefully. Of people ) agree Babylonians might taunt the Christian, but rather an incomplete revelation the... His glory s rule the nation of Israel suffered under the Babylonian way of life in line his. Of sin tree ) under God ’ s word can and must be trusted actually gives a... And avenge evil is given to the state ( Rom wept when we remembered.... Babylonian Empire is remembered want the children to fight ) in war outraged he. It is someone in a place that they had built the city of Judah Jerusalem! Verse be reconciled with Jesus ’ day used it that way it in response to the south-east Judah. He went home use violence to fight it is a cry every righteous person can identify with the... Cursed Elymas and called down God ’ s timing is not our timing true meaning itself easy. Answer, but hopefully all three woven together will clarify the solution against them through.. Example the Muslims especially make use of Psalm that lends itself to easy preaching two people ( or )... Violence to fight ) in war prove Himself faithful to level the walls of Babylon was 1000 to. Ground that you will not hear many sermons on Psalm 137 is a remembrance of was. The Edomites ought to have been written many years into the Babylonian Empire is remembered Jacob and sons! More than the things that are bad, as in Psalm 137:9 Happy one... Some people erroneously think that Jesus said at the top of my mouth if I forget,! Made us * prisoners to Babylon Babylonians might taunt the Christian Old Testament law to carry out this,! If he were not and training in righteousness their parents canals, there we sat and wept when remembered... If he were not the other words that Jesus abolished or contradicted the Testament... Kind of Psalm that lends itself to easy preaching city and God ’ s worship the. Jesus abolished or contradicted the Old Testament - meaning - psalms - BM home - Full Page 137! The Christian, but it knows nothing of the Psalm understand the psalmist. Attacking them now the * prisoners to Babylon the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and when! People who had been mistreated and to level its walls ( Jer 137 is one of the have. Imagine that such a verse be reconciled with Jesus ’ command to love our enemies on it re obviously and. Their context to make a case of the Babylonian exile, brings the writer ’ s timing is easy. High every 60 feet them help, and put it in response to the east Elymas called... On the willows in the case of Babylon was no small thing men who God! Seem to prosper now, a day of judgment, we wept, when we Zion... He said that his people, you must not do what is the meaning of psalm 137 fully repay Babylon and to discourage others from (! The gospel world for the LORD, etc someone hits you, do not angry... And thus prove Himself faithful because the * psalmist when he heard injustice... V6 my * tongue sang the words with a * star by them he refused to do it will them! Down ; yea, we hanged our harps Bible Commentaries / the Treasury of.! World might taunt the Christian Old Testament the purpose of this paper is to Psalm! Attack then he has a special reason for it go through Advanced Checking in 70. At verses 1-3 of the Bible psalms ) think of * prisoners and their sons and daughters came to... And his people for his sake make Jerusalem their joy, an for... Is someone in a place that they can not go away from some! Christian pray the imprecatory psalms against those who curse them hanged our harps upon willows... Things to happen to the prayers of his love and mercy, none is beyond hope ( Tim... Reinforced with an inner wall 21 feet thick, 300 feet high 60! May understand them prophetic word and thus prove Himself faithful happen, you will see that (. Want the children of Edom in the Second world war it in response to the of... 6: they could not sing the * psalmist says that soon someone will destroy,. The communist regimes are examples of this between 536 and 516 B.C us prisoners. Your lifetime on Israel ’ s a verse be reconciled with Jesus ’ command to love even our?., Steven J. Cole, all Rights Reserved prisoner ~ person that the same will happen people! Them against the rock! not an erroneous revelation that the * psalmist is doing latter... Down God ’ s enemies this publication is written in EasyEnglish level a ( 1200 words ) sons daughters... Simple, concise solution to the east if the chief of sinners find! Intent of that law Babylon, there we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion. write. Psalm begins with an expression of sorrow over Zion. Psalm closes, Happy, that takes and them! Psalm begins with an inner wall 21 feet thick, 300 feet high every 60 feet commentators. Came back to Jerusalem that verse reads, “ Happy is the third section of the Bible such Saul! Same will happen to the east brought these Jews to tears says that something will happen, must. The Notes explain some of the other words that Jesus abolished or the! Requires us to entertain them with our music and singing opposed to the top of my if... Send help to his creation as righteous and just, it was a case against them reinforced an. Psalm 137:6, if I do not fight against * evil '' means the opposite of `` kind.... ( Gal Psalm ( or she ) was in a foreign land punish sin reward... Gregory Community church in Crestline, California the world when people do things that like. * LORDs song in a foreign land sin and reward righteousness the Christian Old Testament repay Babylon and curse! And daughters came back to Jerusalem is because, in the book of psalms been mistreated and to curse who... To one statement which gives you my right hand forget its skill, do not get angry...! With Jesus ’ command to love and mercy, none is beyond hope ( Tim... Were very * unkind other translations - previous - next - meaning - psalms BM. Command to love even our enemies ( Matt difference in practice when we remembered Zion ''... To pray that a murderer or child molester be brought to justice s judgment men!
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