Psalms 137

This psalm comes from the Jewish exiles in Babylon. It moves from sorrow over a lost Jerusalem, to a solemn vow never to forget her, to a fierce cry for justice against Edom and Babylon. It shows how honestly God’s people may bring grief and anger to him.

Psalms 137:1

The exiles sit by Babylon’s canals and weep. They are far from home, and the memory of Zion, where God’s temple stood, makes the pain sharper. Their grief is honest, and Scripture lets it stand as prayer.

BSA: Babylon (“a city of confusion, Babel”): The name recalls Babel, the proud human city, so the place of exile stands for a world set against God. wept (“with grief, in sorrow”): Their tears are deep mourning, not passing sadness.

See also: Jeremiah 29:4-7.

Psalms 137:2

The harps were made for joyful worship. Now they are hung up on the willows, silent. The people have no heart for music while their city lies in ruins and they live as captives.

BSA: hung (“suspended, to hang”): The instruments are put out of use, as if worship itself were on hold.

Psalms 137:3

The captors wanted entertainment. They asked for the holy songs of Zion as if they were a show. It was cruel mockery, treating the people’s most sacred worship as a party piece for those who had destroyed their home.

BSA: tormentors (“those who caused us suffering, oppressors”): These are the ones who inflicted the suffering, and now they ask for cheerful songs. Sing us (“perform for us, entertain us”): They wanted a performance, not worship.

Psalms 137:4

The question is not a flat refusal but a cry of the heart. The songs of the LORD belong to worship, not to entertainment for mockers, and they feel too heavy to sing in a land of exile. The verse shows reverence for God’s praise.

BSA: LORD (“Yehovah, the covenant God”): These are songs of the God who made promises to his people, which makes them too precious to hand over for mockery.

See also: Psalm 42:3.

Psalms 137:5

The singer turns to Jerusalem with a solemn oath: if he ever forgets her, may his right hand fail. The hand that plays the harp would lose its skill. Loyalty to God’s city is placed above comfort.

BSA: cease to function (“forget her cunning, lose its skill”): The hand that has learned to play would forget its skill, so his gift would be lost if his devotion failed.

Psalms 137:6

The oath goes on: may his tongue stick to the roof of his mouth, unable to sing, if he fails to remember Jerusalem. Her welfare must be his highest joy, above any pleasure Babylon offers. Faithful memory keeps hope alive in exile.

BSA: exalt (“elevate, lift up”): Jerusalem is to be lifted above every other delight. joy (“gladness, delight”): True gladness is found in God’s purposes, not in what the exiles’ surroundings offer.

See also: Psalm 122:6.

Psalms 137:7

The psalmist asks God to remember Edom. Edom was Israel’s neighbor and the descendant of Jacob’s brother Esau, and when Jerusalem fell the Edomites cheered on the destruction. He leaves the matter in God’s hands rather than taking revenge himself.

BSA: Edom (“the region, twin brother of Jacob”): Edom’s betrayal was the worse because they were family. foundations (“the base, starting point”): They wanted Jerusalem wiped out completely, leaving nothing standing.

Hebrew: עָרוּ (ʿaru, H6168) — “strip bare, raze.” The word is repeated, ‘Strip it, strip it!’ It echoes the eager, mocking shout of a crowd urging on the ruin.

See also: Obadiah 1:10-14.

Psalms 137:8

The psalm now turns to Babylon, which is called ‘doomed to destruction.’ The psalmist asks for justice: that Babylon be paid back in kind for what it did. It is a prayer that wrongdoing not go unanswered forever, and it hands judgment to God.

BSA: repays (“rewards, gives recompense”): The word speaks of fair payment, not unlimited vengeance. blessed (“happy, joyful”): Whoever carries out God’s judgment is said to be happy, because wrong is finally answered.

See also: Jeremiah 50:15; Romans 12:19.

Psalms 137:9

This is the hardest verse in the psalm. It is a raw cry from people who saw their own children suffer such violence, asking that Babylon be paid back in kind. It shows pain brought honestly to God. Christians read it beside Jesus’ call to love enemies, and see that final justice belongs to God.

BSA: infants (“little ones, young children”): The word shows how horrifying and complete the downfall of a nation is.

See also: Isaiah 13:16; Matthew 5:44.