Psalms 137:8
Psalms 137:8 in Multiple Translations
O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, blessed is he who repays you as you have done to us.
O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.
O daughter of Babylon, that art to be destroyed, Happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee As thou hast served us.
O daughter of Babylon, whose fate is destruction; happy is the man who does to you what you have done to us.
Daughter of Babylon, you will be destroyed! Happy is the one who pays you back, who does to you what you did to us!
O daughter of Babel, worthy to be destroyed, blessed shall he be that rewardeth thee, as thou hast serued vs.
O daughter of Babylon, O destroyed one, O the happiness of him who repayeth to thee thy deed, That thou hast done to us.
Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, he will be happy who repays you, as you have done to us.
O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be , that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.
The Lord will repay for me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: O despise not the work of thy hands.
And you people of Babylon, you will certainly be destroyed! Those who punish you in return for what you did to us will be happy;
Berean Amplified Bible — Psalms 137:8
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Psalms 137:8 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
בַּת
בָּבֶ֗ל
הַ/שְּׁד֫וּדָ֥ה
אַשְׁרֵ֥י
שֶׁ/יְשַׁלֶּם
לָ֑/ךְ
אֶת
גְּ֝מוּלֵ֗/ךְ
שֶׁ/גָּמַ֥לְתְּ
לָֽ/נוּ
בַּת
bath
H1323
Bath (Shua)
N-fs
בָּבֶ֗ל
Bâbel
H894
Babylon
N-proper
הַ/שְּׁד֫וּדָ֥ה
shâdad
H7703
to ruin
Art | V-Qal-Inf-c
אַשְׁרֵ֥י
ʼesher
H835
blessed
N-mp
שֶׁ/יְשַׁלֶּם
shâlam
H7999
to complete
Rel | V-Piel-Imperf-3ms
לָ֑/ךְ
Prep | Suff
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
Obj.
DirObjM
גְּ֝מוּלֵ֗/ךְ
gᵉmûwl
H1576
recompense
N-ms | Suff
שֶׁ/גָּמַ֥לְתְּ
gâmal
H1580
to wean
Rel | V-Qal-Perf-2fs
לָֽ/נוּ
Prep | Suff
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Psalms 137:8
בַּת
bath
H1323
"Bath (Shua)"
N-fs
The Hebrew word for daughter is used to describe a female child or a woman, and can also be used figuratively. In the Bible, it is used to describe women like Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah and later of King David.
Definition: A woman living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.38.2; daughter of: Shua (H7770); married to Judah (H3063); mother of: Er (H6147), Onan (H0209) and Shelah (H7956) the wife of Uriah whom David had murdered, having had adulterous relations with her; subsequently wife of David and mother of Solomon, Shimea, Shobab, and Nathan (alternate spelling to 'Bathsheba')
Usage: Occurs in 498 OT verses. KJV: apple (of the eye), branch, company, daughter, [idiom] first, [idiom] old, [phrase] owl, town, village. See also: Genesis 5:4; Exodus 2:21; Ruth 1:13.
בָּבֶ֗ל
Bâbel
H894
"Babylon"
N-proper
Babel refers to Babylon, a city and empire in the Bible, meaning confusion or mixing. It appears in Genesis 11:9 and is associated with the tower of Babel. The city was situated on the Euphrates River.
Definition: § Babel or Babylon = "confusion (by mixing)" Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital of Babylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates
Usage: Occurs in 233 OT verses. KJV: Babel, Babylon. See also: Genesis 10:10; Jeremiah 29:22; Psalms 87:4.
הַ/שְּׁד֫וּדָ֥ה
shâdad
H7703
"to ruin"
Art | V-Qal-Inf-c
To ruin or devastate is the meaning of this word, often used to describe the powerful and destructive actions of God or human enemies, as seen in the conquest of Canaan. It can also mean to be powerful or impregnable, as in the case of the strongholds of David. This concept is explored in the book of Psalms.
Definition: 1) to deal violently with, despoil, devastate, ruin, destroy, spoil 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to violently destroy, devastate, despoil, assail 1a2) devastator, despoiler (participle) (subst) 1b) (Niphal) to be utterly ruined 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to assault 1c2) to devastate 1d) (Pual) to be devastated 1e) (Poel) to violently destroy 1f) (Hophal) to be devastated Also means: shud (שׁוּד "to waste" H7736)
Usage: Occurs in 47 OT verses. KJV: dead, destroy(-er), oppress, robber, spoil(-er), [idiom] utterly, (lay) waste. See also: Judges 5:27; Jeremiah 25:36; Psalms 17:9.
אַשְׁרֵ֥י
ʼesher
H835
"blessed"
N-mp
This Hebrew word means happiness or blessedness, often used to express how happy someone is. It appears in the Bible as an interjection, similar to 'how happy!' In the KJV, it is translated as 'blessed' or 'happy'.
Definition: 1) happiness, blessedness 1a) often used as interjection 1b) blessed are
Usage: Occurs in 42 OT verses. KJV: blessed, happy. See also: Deuteronomy 33:29; Psalms 119:2; Psalms 1:1.
שֶׁ/יְשַׁלֶּם
shâlam
H7999
"to complete"
Rel | V-Piel-Imperf-3ms
This verb means to be at peace or to make peace with someone. It is used in the Bible to describe a state of safety or friendship. In the KJV, it is translated as 'make amends' or 'be at peace'.
Definition: 1) to be complete, be sound 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to be complete, be finished, be ended 1a2) to be sound, be uninjured 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to complete, finish 1b2) to make safe 1b3) to make whole or good, restore, make compensation 1b4) to make good, pay 1b5) to requite, recompense, reward 1c) (Pual) 1c1) to be performed 1c2) to be repaid, be requited 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to complete, perform 1d2) to make an end of Aramaic equivalent: she.lam (שְׁלֵם "be complete" H8000)
Usage: Occurs in 107 OT verses. KJV: make amends, (make an) end, finish, full, give again, make good, (re-) pay (again), (make) (to) (be at) peace(-able), that is perfect, perform, (make) prosper(-ous), recompense, render, requite, make restitution, restore, reward, [idiom] surely. See also: Genesis 44:4; Psalms 7:5; Psalms 22:26.
לָ֑/ךְ
""
Prep | Suff
אֶת
ʼêth
H853
"Obj."
DirObjM
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Definition: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)
Usage: Occurs in 6782 OT verses. KJV: (as such unrepresented in English). See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 10:8; Genesis 19:21.
גְּ֝מוּלֵ֗/ךְ
gᵉmûwl
H1576
"recompense"
N-ms | Suff
This word means a reward or recompense for something, like a payment for work done. In the Bible, it is used to describe God's rewards for the faithful, like in Psalm 19. The KJV translates it as recompense or reward.
Definition: 1) dealing, recompense, benefit 1a) dealing (of one's hand) 1b) recompense 1c) benefit
Usage: Occurs in 17 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] as hast served, benefit, desert, deserving, that which he hath given, recompense, reward. See also: Judges 9:16; Isaiah 3:11; Psalms 28:4.
שֶׁ/גָּמַ֥לְתְּ
gâmal
H1580
"to wean"
Rel | V-Qal-Perf-2fs
This verb means to wean a child or to treat someone well or poorly. It can also mean to ripen or bear fruit, and is translated as bestow, recompense, or requite in the KJV.
Definition: 1) to deal fully with, recompense 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to deal out to, do to 1a2) to deal bountifully with 1a3) to recompense, repay, requite 2) (Qal) to wean a child (Niphal) to be weaned 3) (Qal) to ripen, bear ripe (almonds)
Usage: Occurs in 32 OT verses. KJV: bestow on, deal bountifully, do (good), recompense, requite, reward, ripen, [phrase] serve, mean, yield. See also: Genesis 21:8; Psalms 103:10; Psalms 7:5.
לָֽ/נוּ
""
Prep | Suff
Study Notes — Psalms 137:8
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Psalms 137:8 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Psalms 137:8
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 137:8
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 137:8
- Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 137:8
- Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 137:8
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 137:8
- Cambridge Bible on Psalms 137:8
- Barnes' Notes on Psalms 137:8
- Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 137:8
- Sermons on Psalms 137:8
Context — By the Rivers of Babylon
6May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not exalt Jerusalem as my greatest joy!
7Remember, O LORD, the sons of Edom on the day Jerusalem fell: “Destroy it,” they said, “tear it down to its foundations!”
8O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, blessed is he who repays you as you have done to us.
9Blessed is he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Revelation 18:6 | Give back to her as she has done to others; pay her back double for what she has done; mix her a double portion in her own cup. |
| 2 | Jeremiah 25:12–14 | But when seventy years are complete, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their guilt, declares the LORD, and I will make it an everlasting desolation. I will bring upon that land all the words I have pronounced against it, all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations. For many nations and great kings will enslave them, and I will repay them according to their deeds and according to the work of their hands.’” |
| 3 | Isaiah 14:4–24 | you will sing this song of contempt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has ceased, and how his fury has ended! The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers. It struck the peoples in anger with unceasing blows; it subdued the nations in rage with relentless persecution. All the earth is at peace and at rest; they break out in song. Even the cypresses and cedars of Lebanon exult over you: “Since you have been laid low, no woodcutter comes against us.” Sheol beneath is eager to meet you upon your arrival. It stirs the spirits of the dead to greet you— all the rulers of the earth. It makes all the kings of the nations rise from their thrones. They will all respond to you, saying, “You too have become weak, as we are; you have become like us!” Your pomp has been brought down to Sheol, along with the music of your harps. Maggots are your bed and worms your blanket. How you have fallen from heaven, O day star, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, O destroyer of nations. You said in your heart: “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of assembly, in the far reaches of the north. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” But you will be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit. Those who see you will stare; they will ponder your fate: “Is this the man who shook the earth and made the kingdoms tremble, who turned the world into a desert and destroyed its cities, who refused to let the captives return to their homes?” All the kings of the nations lie in state, each in his own tomb. But you are cast out of your grave like a rejected branch, covered by those slain with the sword, and dumped into a rocky pit like a carcass trampled underfoot. You will not join them in burial, since you have destroyed your land and slaughtered your own people. The offspring of the wicked will never again be mentioned. Prepare a place to slaughter his sons for the iniquities of their forefathers. They will never rise up to possess a land or cover the earth with their cities. “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of Hosts. “I will cut off from Babylon her name and her remnant, her offspring and her posterity,” declares the LORD. “I will make her a place for owls and for swamplands; I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of Hosts. The LORD of Hosts has sworn: “Surely, as I have planned, so will it be; as I have purposed, so will it stand. |
| 4 | Isaiah 47:1–15 | “Go down and sit in the dust, O Virgin Daughter of Babylon. Sit on the ground without a throne, O Daughter of Chaldea! For you will no longer be called tender or delicate. Take millstones and grind flour; remove your veil; strip off your skirt, bare your thigh, and wade through the streams. Your nakedness will be uncovered and your shame will be exposed. I will take vengeance; I will spare no one.” Our Redeemer—the LORD of Hosts is His name— is the Holy One of Israel. “Sit in silence and go into darkness, O Daughter of Chaldea. For you will no longer be called the queen of kingdoms. I was angry with My people; I profaned My heritage, and I placed them under your control. You showed them no mercy; even on the elderly you laid a most heavy yoke. You said, ‘I will be queen forever.’ You did not take these things to heart or consider their outcome. So now hear this, O lover of luxury who sits securely, who says to herself, ‘I am, and there is none besides me. I will never be a widow or know the loss of children.’ These two things will overtake you in a moment, in a single day: loss of children, and widowhood. They will come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and the potency of your spells. You were secure in your wickedness; you said, ‘No one sees me.’ Your wisdom and knowledge led you astray; you told yourself, ‘I am, and there is none besides me.’ But disaster will come upon you; you will not know how to charm it away. A calamity will befall you that you will be unable to ward off. Devastation will happen to you suddenly and unexpectedly. So take your stand with your spells and with your many sorceries, with which you have wearied yourself from your youth. Perhaps you will succeed; perhaps you will inspire terror! You are wearied by your many counselors; let them come forward now and save you— your astrologers who observe the stars, who monthly predict your fate. Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot deliver themselves from the power of the flame. There will be no coals to warm them or fire to sit beside. This is what they are to you— those with whom you have labored and traded from youth— each one strays in his own direction; not one of them can save you. |
| 5 | Revelation 14:8–11 | Then a second angel followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who has made all the nations drink the wine of the passion of her immorality.” And a third angel followed them, calling out in a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image, and receives its mark on his forehead or on his hand, he too will drink the wine of God’s anger, poured undiluted into the cup of His wrath. And he will be tormented in fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. Day and night there is no rest for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” |
| 6 | Isaiah 21:1 | This is the burden against the Desert by the Sea: Like whirlwinds sweeping through the Negev, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror. |
| 7 | Isaiah 13:1–22 | This is the burden against Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz received: Raise a banner on a barren hilltop; call aloud to them. Wave your hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles. I have commanded My sanctified ones; I have even summoned My warriors to execute My wrath and exult in My triumph. Listen, a tumult on the mountains, like that of a great multitude! Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms, like nations gathered together! The LORD of Hosts is mobilizing an army for war. They are coming from faraway lands, from the ends of the heavens— the LORD and the weapons of His wrath— to destroy the whole country. Wail, for the Day of the LORD is near; it will come as destruction from the Almighty. Therefore all hands will fall limp, and every man’s heart will melt. Terror, pain, and anguish will seize them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look at one another, their faces flushed with fear. Behold, the Day of the LORD is coming— cruel, with fury and burning anger— to make the earth a desolation and to destroy the sinners within it. For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light. The rising sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light. I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity. I will end the haughtiness of the arrogant and lay low the pride of the ruthless. I will make man scarcer than pure gold, and mankind rarer than the gold of Ophir. Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken from its place at the wrath of the LORD of Hosts on the day of His burning anger. Like a hunted gazelle, like a sheep without a shepherd, each will return to his own people, each will flee to his native land. Whoever is caught will be stabbed, and whoever is captured will die by the sword. Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes, their houses will be looted, and their wives will be ravished. Behold, I will stir up against them the Medes, who have no regard for silver and no desire for gold. Their bows will dash young men to pieces; they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb; they will not look with pity on the children. And Babylon, the jewel of the kingdoms, the glory of the pride of the Chaldeans, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah. She will never be inhabited or settled from generation to generation; no nomad will pitch his tent there, no shepherd will rest his flock there. But desert creatures will lie down there, and howling creatures will fill her houses. Ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will leap about. Hyenas will howl in her fortresses and jackals in her luxurious palaces. Babylon’s time is at hand, and her days will not be prolonged. |
| 8 | Jeremiah 50:1–64 | This is the word that the LORD spoke through Jeremiah the prophet concerning Babylon and the land of the Chaldeans: “Announce and declare to the nations; lift up a banner and proclaim it; hold nothing back when you say, ‘Babylon is captured; Bel is put to shame; Marduk is shattered, her images are disgraced, her idols are broken in pieces.’ For a nation from the north will come against her; it will make her land a desolation. No one will live in it; both man and beast will flee.” “In those days and at that time, declares the LORD, the children of Israel and the children of Judah will come together, weeping as they come, and will seek the LORD their God. They will ask the way to Zion and turn their faces toward it. They will come and join themselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will never be forgotten. My people are lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray, causing them to roam the mountains. They have wandered from mountain to hill; they have forgotten their resting place. All who found them devoured them, and their enemies said, ‘We are not guilty, for they have sinned against the LORD, their true pasture, the LORD, the hope of their fathers.’ Flee from the midst of Babylon; depart from the land of the Chaldeans; be like the he-goats that lead the flock. For behold, I stir up and bring against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the land of the north. They will line up against her; from the north she will be captured. Their arrows will be like skilled warriors who do not return empty-handed. Chaldea will be plundered; all who plunder her will have their fill,” declares the LORD. “Because you rejoice, because you sing in triumph— you who plunder My inheritance— because you frolic like a heifer treading grain and neigh like stallions, your mother will be greatly ashamed; she who bore you will be disgraced. Behold, she will be the least of the nations, a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert. Because of the wrath of the LORD, she will not be inhabited; she will become completely desolate. All who pass through Babylon will be horrified and will hiss at all her wounds. Line up in formation around Babylon, all you who draw the bow! Shoot at her! Spare no arrows! For she has sinned against the LORD. Raise a war cry against her on every side! She has thrown up her hands in surrender; her towers have fallen; her walls are torn down. Since this is the vengeance of the LORD, take out your vengeance upon her; as she has done, do the same to her. Cut off the sower from Babylon, and the one who wields the sickle at harvest time. In the face of the oppressor’s sword, each will turn to his own people, each will flee to his own land. Israel is a scattered flock, chased away by lions. The first to devour him was the king of Assyria; the last to crush his bones was Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.” Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “I will punish the king of Babylon and his land as I punished the king of Assyria. I will return Israel to his pasture, and he will graze on Carmel and Bashan; his soul will be satisfied on the hills of Ephraim and Gilead. In those days and at that time, declares the LORD, a search will be made for Israel’s guilt, but there will be none, and for Judah’s sins, but they will not be found; for I will forgive the remnant I preserve. Go up against the land of Merathaim, and against the residents of Pekod. Kill them and devote them to destruction. Do all that I have commanded you,” declares the LORD. “The noise of battle is in the land— the noise of great destruction. How the hammer of the whole earth lies broken and shattered! What a horror Babylon has become among the nations! I laid a snare for you, O Babylon, and you were caught before you knew it. You were found and captured because you challenged the LORD. The LORD has opened His armory and brought out His weapons of wrath, for this is the work of the Lord GOD of Hosts in the land of the Chaldeans. Come against her from the farthest border. Break open her granaries; pile her up like mounds of grain. Devote her to destruction; leave her no survivors. Kill all her young bulls; let them go down to the slaughter. Woe to them, for their day has come— the time of their punishment. Listen to the fugitives and refugees from the land of Babylon, declaring in Zion the vengeance of the LORD our God, the vengeance for His temple. Summon the archers against Babylon, all who string the bow. Encamp all around her; let no one escape. Repay her according to her deeds; do to her as she has done. For she has defied the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. Therefore, her young men will fall in the streets, and all her warriors will be silenced in that day,” declares the LORD. “Behold, I am against you, O arrogant one,” declares the Lord GOD of Hosts, “for your day has come, the time when I will punish you. The arrogant one will stumble and fall with no one to pick him up. And I will kindle a fire in his cities to consume all those around him.” This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “The sons of Israel are oppressed, and the sons of Judah as well. All their captors hold them fast, refusing to release them. Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of Hosts is His name. He will fervently plead their case so that He may bring rest to the earth, but turmoil to those who live in Babylon. A sword is against the Chaldeans, declares the LORD, against those who live in Babylon, and against her officials and wise men. A sword is against her false prophets, and they will become fools. A sword is against her warriors, and they will be filled with terror. A sword is against her horses and chariots and against all the foreigners in her midst, and they will become like women. A sword is against her treasuries, and they will be plundered. A drought is upon her waters, and they will be dried up. For it is a land of graven images, and the people go mad over idols. So the desert creatures and hyenas will live there and ostriches will dwell there. It will never again be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation. As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah along with their neighbors,” declares the LORD, “no one will dwell there; no man will abide there. Behold, an army is coming from the north; a great nation and many kings are stirred up from the ends of the earth. They grasp the bow and spear; they are cruel and merciless. Their voice roars like the sea, and they ride upon horses, lined up like men in formation against you, O Daughter of Babylon. The king of Babylon has heard the report, and his hands hang limp. Anguish has gripped him, pain like that of a woman in labor. Behold, one will come up like a lion from the thickets of the Jordan to the watered pasture. For in an instant I will chase Babylon from her land. Who is the chosen one I will appoint for this? For who is like Me, and who can challenge Me? What shepherd can stand against Me?” Therefore hear the plans that the LORD has drawn up against Babylon and the strategies He has devised against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely the little ones of the flock will be dragged away; certainly their pasture will be made desolate because of them. At the sound of Babylon’s capture the earth will quake; a cry will be heard among the nations. |
| 9 | Isaiah 44:28 | who says of Cyrus, ‘My shepherd will fulfill all that I desire,’ who says of Jerusalem, ‘She will be rebuilt,’ and of the temple, ‘Let its foundation be laid.’” |
| 10 | Psalms 149:6–9 | May the high praises of God be in their mouths, and a double-edged sword in their hands, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with shackles of iron, to execute the judgment written against them. This honor is for all His saints. Hallelujah! |
Psalms 137:8 Summary
Psalms 137:8 is a prayer that asks God to bring judgment upon Babylon for the way they treated God's people. The Psalmist is saying that it would be a blessing for someone to treat Babylon the same way they treated others, as a form of justice and punishment. This verse is not about promoting revenge, but about trusting in God's righteousness and justice, as seen in Romans 12:19 and Hebrews 10:30. It reminds us that God is a God of justice and will ultimately bring punishment to those who do evil, and it encourages us to trust in His goodness and sovereignty.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to be 'doomed to destruction' as stated in Psalms 137:8?
To be doomed to destruction means that God has ordained judgment upon a person or nation, as seen in Revelation 18:8 where Babylon's judgment is prophesied, and in Psalms 9:17 where the wicked will be turned back to Sheol.
Is the blessing in Psalms 137:8 promoting revenge or retaliation?
The blessing in this verse is not about personal revenge, but rather about God's justice and righteousness being upheld, as seen in Deuteronomy 32:35, where the Lord says, 'Vengeance is Mine, and recompense'.
How does this verse relate to the preceding verses in Psalms 137?
The preceding verses, particularly Psalms 137:7, set the context for the judgment upon Babylon, as the Edomites are remembered for their role in Jerusalem's fall, and now Babylon is being addressed for their part in the destruction, as prophesied in Isaiah 13:1 and Jeremiah 51:1-64
Does this verse condone violence against infants as mentioned in Psalms 137:9?
This verse, and the following one, are not promoting or condoning violence, but rather using hyperbolic language to express the severity of God's judgment upon Babylon, similar to what is seen in Isaiah 13:16 and Hosea 13:16, which also use strong imagery to convey God's wrath.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways I can trust in God's justice and righteousness, even when I see wickedness and evil in the world?
- How can I balance the desire for justice with the command to love my enemies, as seen in Matthew 5:44 and Luke 6:27-36?
- In what ways can I remember and pray for those who are suffering at the hands of oppressors, and how can I be a part of bringing hope and relief to them?
- What does this verse teach me about the nature of God's judgment, and how can I apply that to my own life and relationships?
Gill's Exposition on Psalms 137:8
O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed,.... By the determinate counsel and decree of God, and according to divine predictions; see Jeremiah 50:1; so mystical Babylon, antichrist, and the man
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 137:8
O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 137:8
Daughter of Babylon; by which he understands the city and empire of Babylon, and the people thereof. Who art to be destroyed; who art by God’ s righteous and irrevocable sentence devoted to certain destruction. Happy shall he be; as being God’ s instrument to vindicate his honour, and execute his just judgments, and fulfil his counsel and word; which Cyrus was to his own great glory and advantage, as appears both from sacred and profane history. That rewardeth thee as thou hast served us; that shall use thee with equal cruelty.
Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 137:8
Psalms 137:8 O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy [shall he be], that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.Ver. 8. That art to be destroyed] Spoliatrix, saith the Syriac, Isaiah 33:1. Happy shall he be] i.e. Well rewarded with wealth and good wishes.
Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 137:8
(8) Daughter of Babylon—i.e., Babylon itself. (See Psalms 9:14, Note.) Who art to be destroyed.—Considerable doubt attaches to the meaning of the Hebrew word here. Our version is that of Theodotion. Aquila and Jerome have “wasted” (comp. Prayer Book version); Symmachus, “robber;” the LXX. and Vulg., “wretched.” As pointed, the word is a passive participle, and must be rendered as by Aquila, “wasted” or “destroyed,” but with the recollection that a Hebrew would thus speak proleptically of a doom foreseen though not accomplished. Delitzsch quotes an Arab saying: “Pursue the caught one “—i.e., sure to be caught. The “luxury of revenge” is well expressed in this beatitude, pronounced on him who can carry out to all its bitter end the lex talionis. Commentators have in turn tried to disguise and justify the expression of passion. Happily the Bible allows us to see men as they were without taking their rules of feeling and conduct as ours. “The psalm is beautiful as a poem—the Christian must seek his inspiration elsewhere.”
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 137:8
Verse 8. O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed] Or, O thou daughter of Babylon the destroyer, or, who art to be ruined. In being reduced under the empire of the Persians, Babylon was already greatly humbled and brought low from what it was in the days of Nebuchadnezzar; but it was afterwards so totally ruined that not a vestige of it remains. After its capture by Cyrus, A.M. 3468, it could never be considered a capital city; but it appeared to follow the fortunes of its various conquerors till it was, as a city, finally destroyed. Rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.] This was Cyrus, who was chosen of God to do this work, and is therefore called happy, as being God's agent in its destruction. Greater desolations were afterwards brought upon it by Darius Hystaspes, who took this city after it had revolted, and slaughtered the inhabitants, men and women, in a barbarous manner. Herod. lib. iii.
Cambridge Bible on Psalms 137:8
8. O daughter of Babylon] The city of Babylon personified. who art to be destroyed] The most obvious translation is that of R.V. marg., that art laid waste. So Aq. and Jerome, vastata. But the following clauses apparently imply that Babylon has not been destroyed, and the participle may be ‘prophetic,’ that art doomed to be laid waste[84]. Delitzsch quotes examples of a similar idiom in Arabic. ‘The stricken one,’=‘one who is doomed to be stricken.’ So Theodotion, ἡδιαρπασθησομένη. Some of the Ancient Versions, however (Symm., Syr., Targ.), render thou waster, a rendering which only requires a slight change of the text, and is adopted by many critics. [84] Coverdale and the Great Bible of 1539 have, thou shalt come to misery thy self, from Zόrich Bible, und du Babel, wirst auch ellend werden. The P.B.V. wasted with misery, from the Great Bible of 1540, may have been suggested by Mόnster’s devastata and the Vulg. misera.
Barnes' Notes on Psalms 137:8
O daughter of Babylon - That is, Babylon itself; the city of Babylon. On the word “daughter” as thus used, see the notes at Isaiah 1:8.
Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 137:8
8. Daughter of Babylon—A periphrasis for Babylonians, or the metropolitan cities of the empire. Who art to be destroyed.
Sermons on Psalms 137:8
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(Revelation) the Doom of the Commercial Babylon by Willie Mullan | In this sermon, the speaker begins by praising the Lord and emphasizing His strength and power. The speaker then mentions singing a song of praise to Jesus and expresses gratitude |
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Exposition on Psalm 149 by St. Augustine | St. Augustine preaches about the importance of praising the Lord in voice, understanding, and good works, emphasizing the need to sing a new song unto Him. He contrasts the old son |
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The Sovereignty of God as to the House of God by T. Austin-Sparks | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of having a genuine and heartfelt relationship with God. He highlights how the prophets in the Bible, such as Hosea and Ezekie |
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The Voice of Jeremiah by T. Austin-Sparks | T. Austin-Sparks emphasizes the prophetic voice of Jeremiah, who, despite facing rejection and apparent failure, remained faithful to God's calling. Jeremiah's ministry highlighted |
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(How to Understand the Kjv Bible) 12 Psalm 137 by Keith Simons | Keith Simons teaches on Psalm 137, emphasizing its prophetic nature and the deep sorrow of the Israelites in Babylon after the destruction of Jerusalem. He explores the contrast be |
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Isaiah and the Nations by A.B. Simpson | A.B. Simpson emphasizes the significance of understanding Isaiah's prophecies in the context of the surrounding nations that influenced Israel's history. He explains how Judah and |
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Isaiah Chapter 5 Isaiah and the Nations by A.B. Simpson | A.B. Simpson emphasizes the significance of understanding the geopolitical context of Isaiah's prophecies, particularly the neighboring nations that influenced Israel and Judah. He |