Psalms Chapter 137 — Longing for Jerusalem
Captives in Babylon weep for their homeland, refusing to sing their sacred songs for their captors and vowing to always remember Jerusalem.
1By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down.
2On the willows in that land,
3For there, those who led us captive asked us for songs.
4How can we sing the LORD’s song in a foreign land?
5If I forget you, Jerusalem,
6Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I don’t remember you,
7Remember, LORD, against the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem,
8Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction,
9Happy shall he be,
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Psalm 137:1
“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down. Yes, we wept, when we remembered Zion.”
This verse famously captures the collective sorrow and nostalgia of the displaced Jewish people.
Psalm 137:4
“How can we sing the LORD’s song in a foreign land?”
It expresses the spiritual conflict of maintaining sacred traditions while living in a land of captivity.
Chapter Summary
Psalm 137 is a communal lament expressed by the Israelites during their period of exile in Babylon. The chapter opens with the people sitting by the rivers of Babylon, weeping as they recall the memory of Zion. In their grief, they hang their harps on the willow trees, signifying a time where music and joy have ceased. Their Babylonian captors demand that they sing the songs of Zion, but the exiles struggle with the spiritual conflict of singing the Lord's song in a foreign land. The psalmist expresses an intense personal commitment to Jerusalem, declaring that if they ever forget the city, their right hand should lose its skill and their tongue should cease to speak. The psalm concludes with a raw cry for justice against the Edomites, who encouraged the destruction of Jerusalem, and against Babylon itself, reflecting the deep pain of a displaced people seeking divine retribution for their suffering.
Frequently Asked Questions
The captives hung their harps on the willow trees as a sign of mourning and a refusal to perform their joyful sacred songs for the entertainment of their captors. It represents the silencing of their music in the face of deep cultural and spiritual grief.
The 'foreign land' refers to Babylon, where the Israelites were taken as captives after the fall of Jerusalem. This setting serves as the backdrop for their lament and their struggle to maintain their identity while far from home.
The psalmist vows that if they forget Jerusalem, they should lose their ability to play music or speak. This emphasizes that their connection to their holy city and their God is more important than their own physical well-being or artistic talents.
Study Note
Psalm 137 is one of the few psalms that can be dated to a specific historical period—the Babylonian Exile in the 6th century BCE.
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