Psalms 137:2 — Word Study
WLCעַֽל־ עֲרָבִ֥ים בְּתוֹכָ֑הּ תָּ֝לִ֗ינוּ כִּנֹּרוֹתֵֽינוּ׃
BSAThere onʻal [in that place, on the banks] the willowsʻârâb [by the waterside, poplar trees] we hungtâlâh■ [suspended, to hang] our harpskinnôwr [lyres, musical instruments, in the midst thereof, alongside the rivers]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| עַֽל־ | on | Preposition |
| עֲרָבִ֥ים | poplars | Noun common, masculine plural absolute |
| בְּתוֹכָ֑הּ | in [the] midst of it | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| תָּ֝לִ֗ינוּ | we hung up | Verb, Qal, perfect first person common plural |
| כִּנֹּרוֹתֵֽינוּ׃ | harps our | Noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | There on the willows we hung our harps, |
| KJV | We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. |
| ASV | Upon the willows in the midst thereof We hanged up our harps. |
| YLT | On willows in its midst we hung our harps. |
| WEB | On the willows in that land, we hung up our harps. |
| BBE | Hanging our instruments of music on the trees by the waterside. |
There are no significant differences among the translations on this verse.
The sentence consists of a main clause followed by a prepositional phrase indicating location and a noun phrase specifying the object.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbתָּלָה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 137:2
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Lament by the Rivers of Babylongenerated
Psalm 137:2 describes the sorrow of the Israelites in exile, who, unable to sing the songs of Zion, hung their harps on the willows by the rivers of Babylon. This poignant imagery illustrates their deep longing for their homeland and the joy they once experienced in worship. The surrounding verses further emphasize their grief and the mocking requests from their captors, highlighting the emotional weight of their situation.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 33:2 | Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to Him with ten strings. |
| 2 | Psalm 81:2 | Lift up a song, strike the tambourine, play the sweet-sounding harp and lyre. |
| 3 | Isaiah 24:8 | The joyful tambourines have ceased; the noise of revelers has stopped; the joyful harp is silent. |
| 4 | Ezekiel 26:13 | So I will silence the sound of your songs, and the music of your lyres will no longer be heard. |
| 5 | Amos 8:10 | I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation. I will cause everyone to wear sackcloth and every head to be shaved. I will make it like a time of mourning for an only son, and its outcome like a bitter day. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — כִּנֹּרוֹתֵֽינוּ, ki.no.ro.Tei.nugenerated
The word כִּנּוֹר (*kinnor*) refers to a lyre or harp, a stringed musical instrument significant in ancient Israelite culture. It is often associated with worship and celebration, used in various contexts throughout the scriptures.
In this verse, the plural form kinnorot indicates multiple harps, emphasizing the collective loss of musical expression among the exiled community. The act of hanging them signifies a cessation of joy and worship, reflecting their mourning.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
All translations on this page agree that the harps are hung on the willows, maintaining the imagery of sorrow and loss.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb of the verse is תָּ֝לִ֗ינוּ, we hung up, which governs the action of the sentence. It is accompanied by a prepositional phrase indicating where the action takes place, עַֽל־עֲרָבִ֥ים, on the willows, and a noun phrase that specifies what is being hung, כִּנֹּרוֹתֵֽינוּ, our harps.
The structure emphasizes the location and the objects involved in the action, highlighting the emotional context of the hanging of the harps.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates עַל as ἐπὶ, indicating a similar sense of location. The choice of ἐκρεμάσαμεν for תָּלִינוּ suggests a direct action of hanging, maintaining the original intent of the Hebrew.
This alignment shows that the LXX translators understood the emotional weight of the act, preserving the imagery of sorrow and loss.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 137:2 describes how the Israelites, in their sorrow during exile, hung their harps on the willows by the rivers of Babylon. This act symbolizes their deep sadness and loss of joy in worship, as they longed for their homeland.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Hanging harps symbolizes the Israelites' sorrow and loss of joy in captivity, as they could not sing the songs of Zion.
Willows are often found near water and symbolize mourning in Jewish tradition, making them a fitting backdrop for the Israelites' lament.
The rivers of Babylon represent the place of exile and captivity, contrasting with the joy of Zion, which the Israelites long for.
This verse captures the essence of lamentation and longing for home, which is a central theme throughout Psalm 137.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What emotions do you think the Israelites felt as they hung their harps on the willows?
- How can we relate to the feeling of loss expressed in this verse in our own lives?
- In what ways can music serve as a form of expression during difficult times?
- How does this imagery of hanging harps resonate with your understanding of worship?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentary on this verse, such as from Augustine of Hippo, reflects on the sorrow expressed by the Israelites as they lament their captivity.
"On the willows in the midst thereof we hung up our instruments of music" [Psalms 137:2].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 137 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 137:2 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleWe hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. These were musical instruments, used in the temple service by the Levites, who seem to be the persons here speaking; who took care of them,
Read John Gill on Psalms 137 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryWe hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof - in the midst of the land of Babylon.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 137 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThese are, not without great probability, supposed to be the words of some holy Levites, who had been accustomed to music, both vocal and instrumental, in the service of the temple. Harps are here put by a synecdoche for all instruments of music. It is further to be observed, that although the harp was used by the Grecians in mourning, yet it was used by the Hebrews in rejoicing, as is manifest from ,28 Psalms 43:4, &c. This passage is to be understood either, 1. Figuratively, signifying only that they abandoned all signs and means of comfort; or rather, 2. Properly, as the following songs are, which the Babylonians required them to sing to their harps. And these harps they might either, 1.…
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 137 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 137:2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.Ver. 2. We hanged our harps] Harps we had, and knew how to handle them (the Jews were famous artists, noted for their skill, specially in poetry, music, and mathematics), but we had little mind to it as now the case stood with us; our country lying desolate, ourselves could not be but disconsolate. Barbiton hic paries habebit (Horat. lib. 3, Od. 26).
Read John Trapp on Psalms 137 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(2) Willows.—It is perhaps not necessary to attempt to identify the trees mentioned in this verse, since the touching picture may only be a poetical way of expressing the silence during the exile of all the religious and festal songs. The ‘ereb’ is certainly not the willow, a tree not found in Babylonia, but the poplar (Populus Euphraticus).
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 137 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 2. We hanged our harps upon the willows] The ערבים arabim or willows were very plentiful in Babylon. The great quantity of them that were on the banks of the Euphrates caused Isaiah, Isaiah 15:7, to call it the brook or river of willows. This is a most affecting picture. Perhaps resting themselves after toil, and wishing to spend their time religiously, they took their harps, and were about to sing one of the songs of Zion; but, reflecting on their own country, they became so filled with distress, that they unstrung their harps with one consent, and hung them on the willow bushes, and gave a general loose to their grief. Some of the Babylonians, who probably attended such meetings for…
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 137 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges2. Upon the willows in the midst thereof, We hung out harps. the willows] Cp. Isaiah 44:4. The tree meant, however, was probably not the weeping willow, but the populus Euphratica.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 137 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleWe hanged our harps upon the willows - The harps once used to accompany the songs of praise and the service of God in the temple; the harps with which they had sought to beguile their weary hours,
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 137 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
There on the willows we hung our harps,
On the willows in that land, we hung up our harps.
There on the willows we hung our harps,
On the poplars in her midst we hang our harps,
Tyndale line
We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
Upon the willows in the midst thereof We hanged up our harps.
Upon the willows in the midst thereof we hanged up our harps.
We hung our harps upon the willows in the midst of it.
Wee hanged our harpes vpon the willowes in the middes thereof.
Strictly literal
We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
On willows in its midst we hung our harps.
We hung our harps on willows in its midst.
Upon the willows in her midst had we hung up our harps.
On the poplars there we hung our harps.
From the Latin
I will worship towards thy holy temple, and I will give glory to thy name. For thy mercy, and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy holy name above all.
Simplified
We hung up our harps on the willow trees.
Hanging our instruments of music on the trees by the waterside.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree in this verse, with four out of five words matched. The Septuagint's word order differs, but the essential meaning remains consistent with the Hebrew text.
עַֽל־ עֲרָבִ֥ים בְּתוֹכָ֑הּ תָּ֝לִ֗ינוּ כִּנֹּרוֹתֵֽינוּ׃
4 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 137:2
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
base
עַל, עָ֑ל
subst. height
As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against
Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed
—
of clothing, etc., which any one wears
With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it
Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him
Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him
על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him
חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)
H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears
. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it
. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him
. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him
. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him
. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)
5921 `al al
properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the
singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a
particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always
in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great
variety of applications (as follow):--above, according
to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because
of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both
and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in
(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,
through(-out), to, touching, X with.
see HEBREW for 05920
עַל (al) — upon.
prep
1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against
1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards
1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)
1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)
1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)
1e) over (of suspension or extension)
1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)
1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)
1h) to (as a dative)
[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.
conj
Prep — PrepositionHR
On
Light; the sun, (Gen. 41:45, 50), the great seat of sun-worship, called also Bethshemesh (Jer. 43:13) and Aven (Ezek. 30:17), stood on the east bank of the Nile, a few miles north of Memphis, and near Cairo, in the north-east. The Vulgate and the LXX. Versions have “Heliopolis” (“city of the sun”) instead of On in Genesis and of Aven in Ezekiel. The “city of destruction” Isaiah speaks of (19:18, marg. “of Heres;” Heb. ‘Ir-ha-heres, which some MSS. read Ir-ha-heres, i.e., “city of the sun”) may be the name given to On, the prophecy being that the time will come when that city which was known as the “city of the sun-god” shall become the “city of destruction” of the sun-god, i.e., when idolatry shall cease, and the worship…
(abode or city of the sun), a town of lower Egypt, called BETH-SHEMESH in (Jeremiah 43:13) On is better known under its Greek name Heliopolis. It was situated on the east side of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, just below the point of the Delta, and about twenty miles northeast of Memphis. The chief object of worship at Heliopolis was the sun, whose temple, described by Strabo, is now only represented by the single beautiful obelisk, of red granite so feet 2 inches high above the pedestal which has stood for more than 4000 years, having been erected by Usirtesen, the second king of the twelfth dynasty. Heliopolis was anciently famous for its learning, and Eudoxus and Plato studied under its priests. The first mention of this place in the Bible is in the history of Joseph, to whom we read Pharaoh gave "to wife Asenath the daughter…
See HELIOPOLIS.
pain; force; iniquity
עֲרָבָה (arabah) refers to a type of tree, specifically a poplar or willow. It is derived from the root associated with willows, indicating its use in construction, such as wattles. The entries highlight its significance in the context of trees characterized by dark wood, but do not provide specific verse references.
[עֲרָבָה] n.[f.] poplar
base
H6155 [עֲרָבָה] poplar
6155 `arab aw-rawb'
from 6148; a willow (from the use of osiers as
wattles):--willow.
see HEBREW for 06148
עֲרָבָה (a.ra.vah) — (Brook of) Willows.
Combined with na.chal (נַ֫חַל "Brook" H5158)
עֲרָבָה (a.ra.vah) — willow.
1) poplar, willow
1a) a tree characterised by dark wood
N-fp — Noun common · masculine plural absoluteHNcmpa
תָּ֫וֶךְ (tavek) means 'midst' or 'middle,' indicating a central position or location. It can also imply being 'among' or 'between' things, particularly in contexts involving separation or division. The term appears in various forms, such as 'into' or 'through,' especially after verbs of motion.
תָּ֫וֶךְ 416 subst. midst
base
H8432 תָּ֫וֶךְ subst. midst
8432 tavek taw'-vek
from an unused root meaning to sever; a bisection, i.e. (by
implication) the centre:--among(-st), X between, half, X
(there- ,where-), in(-to), middle, mid(-night), midst (among),
X out (of), X through, X with(-in).
תָּ֫וֶךְ (ta.vekh) — midst.
1) midst, middle
1a) midst, middle
1b) into, through (after verbs of motion)
1c) among (of a number of persons)
1d) between (of things arranged by twos)
1e) from among (as to take or separate etc)
HR/Ncmsc/Sp3fs — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncmsc/Sp3fs
תָּלָה (talah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to hang. It encompasses various usages, including hanging objects, putting someone to death by hanging, and displaying items. The entries indicate its forms in different stems, such as Qal (to hang), Niphal (to be hanged), and Piel (to hang up for display).
תָּלָה vb. hang
Qal hang
Niph. princes have been hung up by their hands
Pi. hang up for display
base
H8518 תָּלָה hang
8518 talah taw-law'
a primitive root; to suspend (especially to gibbet):--hang
(up).
תָּלָה (ta.lah) — to hang.
1) to hang
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to hang
1a1a) to hang up (any object)
1a1b) to put to death by hanging
1b) (Niphal) to be hanged
1c) (Piel) to hang, hang up (for display)
V-Qal-Perf-1cp — Verb · Qal · perfect first person common pluralHVqp1cp
כִּנּוֹר (kinnor) refers to a lyre or harp, derived from a root meaning to twang. The term is consistently used across lexicons to denote this stringed musical instrument.
כִּנּוֹר n.m. lyre
base
H3658 כִּנּוֹר lyre
3658 kinnowr kin-nore'
from a unused root meaning to twang; a harp: -harp.
כִּנּוֹר (kin.nor) — lyre.
lyre, harp
N-mp | Suff — Noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHNcfpc/Sp1bp