Bible Commentaries
Psalms 137

Verses 1-9

Psalms 137

Sadness In Babylon

Scripture v. 1-9:

Verse 1 recounts Israel’s sad days in Babylon, "By the river of Babylon, (along flowing streams) there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion," the city of their God, Ezekiel 1:1; Daniel 8:2. The Jews usually had their places of prayer by the riverside, Acts 16:13; La 2:18; 3:48; Acts 20:37; Isaiah 66:10.

Verse 2 adds "We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof," which harps they no longer used in Babylon, for they were away from God, or Zion, where God revealed His presence, therefore away from joy and gladness, Genesis 31:27; 2 Samuel 6:5; Job 30:31; Isaiah 24:8; Revelation 18:22. See also Isaiah 5:12; Isaiah 24:11; Leviticus 23:40; Isaiah 15:7; La 5:15.

Verse 3 relates that the people of Babylon who had carried them into captivity "required of us a song," to sing the words of a song, repeatedly saying, "sing us one of the joyful songs of Zion," Though they were then in captivity, in great sorrow, Genesis 14:12; Psalms 80:6.

Verse 4 asks just how they may really sing the Lord’s song, the joyful song of deliverance, in a strange (heathen) land, 2 Chronicles 29:27.

Verse 5 addresses Jerusalem, the city of peace, saying, "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand (of strength) forget her cunning," to even play the harp, Psalms 76:5; Job 31:22.

Verse 6 adds "If I do not remember thee (which would be ingratitude) let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, become speechless. If I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy, "as my primary source of joy, Ezekiel 3:26; Job 19:10; Isaiah 2:2.

Verse 7 appeals "Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom," their malice, "in the day of Jerusalem," when it was destroyed, "who said, raze it (burn it to the ground) raze it, make it bare, even to the foundation thereof," Ezekiel 25:12; Ezekiel 35:5; La 4:21,22; Jeremiah 49:7-22; Habakkuk 3:13; 2 Kings 1:10.

Verse 8 addresses Israel’s captors, "O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed, (by Divine decree). Happy shall be he that rewardeth (administers retribution to) thee as thou hast served us," 2 Kings 19:21; Jeremiah 48:10; Psalms 18:3; Isaiah 13:19; Isaiah 59:18.

Verse 9 concludes that "Happy shall be he that taketh (seizes) and dasheth (repeatedly) thy little ones against the stones," until they have killed, annihilated them, as described Isaiah 13:16; 2 Kings 8:12; 2 Kings 6:21; Mark 6:19.