Friday in Easter Week
Click here to learn more!
Read the Bible
English Revised Version
Psalms 137:3
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- FaussetEncyclopedias:
- CondensedParallel Translations
for our captors there asked us for songs,and our tormentors, for rejoicing:“Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”
For there, those who led us captive asked us for songs. Those who tormented us demanded songs of joy: "Sing us one of the songs of Tziyon!"
For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"
Those who captured us asked us to sing; our enemies wanted happy songs. They said, "Sing us a song about Jerusalem!"
for there our captors ask us to compose songs; those who mock us demand that we be happy, saying: "Sing for us a song about Zion!"
For there they who took us captive demanded of us a song with words, And our tormentors [who made a mockery of us demanded] amusement, saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion."
For there our captors demanded of us songs, And our tormentors, jubilation, saying, "Sing for us one of the songs of Zion!"
For there, those who led us captive asked us for songs. Those who tormented us demanded songs of joy: "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"
Then they that ledde vs captiues, required of vs songs and mirth, when wee had hanged vp our harpes, saying, Sing vs one of the songs of Zion.
For there our captors asked us about the words of a song,And our tormentors asked joyfully, saying,"Sing for us one of the songs of Zion."
for there our captors requested a song; our tormentors demanded songs of joy: "Sing us a song of Zion."
Our enemies had brought us here as their prisoners, and now they wanted us to sing and entertain them. They insulted us and shouted, "Sing about Zion!"
when those who had taken us captive asked us to sing them a song; our tormentors demanded joy from us — "Sing us one of the songs from Tziyon!"
For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that made us wail [required] mirth, [saying,] Sing us [one] of the songs of Zion.
There in Babylon, those who captured us told us to sing. Our enemies told us to entertain them. They said, "Sing us one of your songs about Zion."
For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and our captors said to us, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
Those who captured us told us to sing; they told us to entertain them: "Sing us a song about Zion."
For there our captors asked of us words of a song, and our tormentors asked of us jubilation, "Sing for us from a song of Zion."
For there our captors asked us the words of a song; yea, our plunderers asked joy, saying , Sing to us a song of Zion.
The, they that led vs awaye captyue, requyred of vs a songe and melody in or heuynes: synge vs one of the songes of Sion.
For there they that led us captive required of us songs, And they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
For there those who had taken us prisoners made request for a song; and those who had taken away all we had gave us orders to be glad, saying, Give us one of the songs of Zion.
For there they that led us captive asked of us words of song, and our tormentors asked of us mirth:
For there they that carried vs away captiue, required of vs a song, and they that wasted vs, required of vs mirth: saying, Sing vs one of the songs of Zion.
For there they that led vs away captiue required of vs some matter of a song: and [for] our waylynges myrth, [saying] sing vs one of the songes of Sion.
For there they that had taken us captive asked of us the words of a song; and they that had carried us away asked a hymn, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Sion.
For thei that ledden vs prisoners; axiden vs there the wordis of songis. And thei that ledden awei vs seiden; Synge ye to vs an ympne of the songis of Syon.
For there those that led us captive required of us songs, And those that wasted us [required of us] mirth, [saying], Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us [required of us] mirth, [saying], Sing us [one] of the songs of Zion.
For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, And those who plundered us requested mirth, Saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"
For our captors demanded a song from us. Our tormentors insisted on a joyful hymn: "Sing us one of those songs of Jerusalem!"
For those who held us there made us sing. And those who made it hard for us asked for joy. They said, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion."
For there our captors asked us for songs, and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"
For, there, our captors asked of us words of song, and our plunderers - gladness, - Sing us of the songs of Zion!
(136-3) For there they that led us into captivity required of us the words of songs. And they that carried us away, said: Sing ye to us a hymn of the songs of Sion.
For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"
For there our captors asked us the words of a song, And our spoilers -- joy: `Sing ye to us of a song of Zion.'
For there our captors demanded of us songs, And our tormentors mirth, saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion."
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
For there: Psalms 123:3, Psalms 123:4, Lamentations 2:15, Lamentations 2:16
a song: Heb. the words of a song
wasted us: Heb. laid us on heaps, Psalms 79:1, Nehemiah 4:2, Jeremiah 9:11, Jeremiah 26:18, Micah 3:12, Luke 21:6
the songs of Zion: Psalms 9:14, Psalms 65:1, 1 Chronicles 15:27, 1 Chronicles 16:7, Isaiah 35:10, Isaiah 51:11, Jeremiah 31:12, Jeremiah 31:13, Revelation 14:1-3
Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 29:27 - the song Proverbs 25:20 - so Isaiah 26:1 - in the land Jeremiah 8:21 - the hurt Lamentations 1:7 - the adversaries Lamentations 3:14 - General Zephaniah 3:18 - sorrowful
Gill's Notes on the Bible
For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song,.... Or, "words of a song" z. To repeat the words of one of the songs of Zion, as it is afterwards expressed: this the Babylonians did, as the Targum; who were they that carried the Jews into captivity; and this is given as a reason why they hung their harps on willows, and were so sorrowful, because such a request as this was made;
and they that wasted us [required of us] mirth: the Chaldeans, who plundered them of their substance, and reduced their city and temple to heaps of rubbish, as the word a used signifies; or who heaped reproaches upon them, as Jarchi: these insisted not only on having the words of a song repeated to them, but that they should be set to some tune and sung in a manner expressing mirth, or would provoke unto it: or "our lamentations", according to Kimchi; that is, the authors of them b, so barbarous were they;
[saying], sing us [one] of the songs of Zion; which used to be sung in Zion in the temple, called the songs of the temple, Amos 8:3; this demand they made either out of curiosity, that they might know something of the temple songs and music they had heard of; or rather as jeering at and insulting the poor Jews in their miserable and melancholy circumstances; as if they had said, now sing your songs if you can: or in order to make themselves sport and diversion with them, as the Philistines with Samson. The spiritual songs of Zion are the songs of electing, redeeming, calling, pardoning, and justifying grace; which natural men neither understand, nor can learn, but scoff at and despise.
z ×××¨× ×©×ר "verba cantici", Pagninus, Montanus, Musculus, Piscator, Gejerus, Michaelis; "verba earminis", Cocceius. a ת××××× × "qui veluti in acervos nos redegerunt", Tigurine version, Grotius. b Vid. Stockium, p. 447.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
For there they that carried us away captive - The Babylonians.
Required of us a song - Asked of us a song. The word does not express the idea of compulsion or force. Margin, as in Hebrew, words of a song. Perhaps the idea is that they did not merely ask music, but they wished to hear the words - the songs themselves - in which they were accustomed to praise God. This may have been a taunt, and the request may have been in derision; or it may have been seriously, and with no desire to reproach them, or to add to their sorrows. We are not to impute bad motives to others where there is no evidence that there are any, and where the supposition of good motives will answer just as well; and the expression here may have been a kind and natural wish to hear the songs of these foreigners - songs of which they might have heard much by report; perhaps songs which they had overheard them singing when they were in a less desponding state of mind, and when they sought to comfort themselves by these ancient national melodies. As the only reason assigned for not complying with this request was that they could not âsing the Lordâs song in a strange landâ Psalms 137:3, we are rather led to infer that there was no bad motive - no disposition to taunt and ridicule them by the request that was made.
And they that wasted us - Margin, laid us on heaps. The Hebrew word means a tormentor; properly, one who extorts lamentation from others, or who causes them to howl - to wit, under oppression or wrong. The Septuagint and Latin Vulgate render it, âThey who led us away.â The general idea is, those under whom they were then suffering; or, who had caused these trials to come upon them.
Required of us mirth - literally, âOur tormentors, joy.â The Hebrew word means joy; and the sense is, that they asked them to give the usual indications of joy and happiness - to wit, a song. The language means, âCheer up; be happy; give us one of the beautiful songs which you were accustomed to sing in your own land.â It may, indeed, have been in derision; but there is no proof that it was.
Saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion - The songs - the sacred hymns - which you were accustomed to sing in worship in your own land.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Psalms 137:3. They that carried us away captive required of us a song — This was as unreasonable as it was insulting. How could they who had reduced us to slavery, and dragged us in chains from our own beautiful land and privileges, expect us to sing a sacred ode to please them, who were enemies both to us and to our God? And how could those who wasted us expect mirth from people in captivity, deprived of all their possessions, and in the most abject state of poverty and oppression?
