Psalm 137 – A Detailed Explanation
Introduction
Psalm 137 is one of the most poignant and emotionally charged psalms in the entire Book of Psalms. It is a communal lament, a cry of grief and longing from the Israelite exiles in Babylon after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE. This psalm is both deeply sorrowful and intensely passionate, reflecting on themes of loss, memory, identity, longing for justice, and divine vengeance. What makes Psalm 137 unique is its unflinching honesty—an outpouring of raw human emotion directed toward God and shaped by the historical trauma of exile.
Let’s explore this psalm verse by verse, understanding its context, structure, themes, and the powerful theological and emotional implications it holds.
Text of Psalm 137 (ESV)
1 By the waters of Babylon,
there we sat down and wept,
when we remembered Zion.2 On the willows there
we hung up our lyres.3 For there our captors
required of us songs,
and our tormentors, mirth, saying,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”4 How shall we sing the Lord's song
in a foreign land?5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand forget its skill!6 Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,
if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
above my highest joy!7 Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites
the day of Jerusalem,
how they said, “Lay it bare, lay it bare,
down to its foundations!”8 O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed,
blessed shall he be who repays you
with what you have done to us!9 Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones
and dashes them against the rock!
Historical Context
The historical background of Psalm 137 is the Babylonian Exile, one of the most traumatic events in Israel’s history. In 586 BCE, the Babylonian Empire, under King Nebuchadnezzar, destroyed Jerusalem and Solomon's Temple and deported many Israelites to Babylon. This exile marked the end of the Davidic monarchy and plunged the people into spiritual and national crisis.
Psalm 137 is likely written during or shortly after this period. It captures the experience of displacement and captivity, the pain of cultural and religious dislocation, and the desire for both restoration and retribution.
Verse-by-Verse Commentary
Verses 1–3: Mourning in Babylon
“By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion.”
The psalm begins with a vivid image: the exiles sitting by the rivers (likely the Euphrates or its canals), mourning their lost homeland. The act of sitting and weeping reflects deep sorrow and helplessness. “Zion” refers to Jerusalem, especially in its spiritual and cultural identity as the center of worship and God's dwelling place.
“On the willows there we hung up our lyres.”
The lyres, or harps, symbolize joy and worship. Hanging them on the trees signifies a cessation of music—a poetic way of expressing the loss of joy and the impossibility of celebration in exile.
“For there our captors required of us songs…”
Here we see the cruelty of the captors, who mockingly demand entertainment from their victims. They request the “songs of Zion,” perhaps the festive worship songs once sung in the Temple, now ironically asked for in a foreign and hostile land. This compounds the emotional pain, as it mocks their identity and faith.
Verse 4: Theological Crisis
“How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?”
This verse marks the theological and existential crisis of the exiles. Worship, especially in ancient Israelite thought, was deeply tied to location—the Temple in Jerusalem. In Babylon, they feel dislocated from God’s presence. Singing the Lord’s song seems not only inappropriate but impossible, given their separation from the sacred space of Zion.
The question also hints at a deeper concern: Can the covenant survive in exile? Can the people of God still worship God away from the land God gave them? This verse encapsulates the identity crisis of exile.
Verses 5–6: Oath of Remembrance
“If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill!”
This is a solemn vow never to forget Jerusalem. The psalmist invokes a curse upon himself—if he should forget Zion, may he lose the ability to play the lyre, the very instrument associated with worship and praise.
“Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth…”
This second self-imposed curse emphasizes the same theme: the inability to sing or speak if Jerusalem is forgotten. It’s a dramatic way of saying that remembering Jerusalem is not just important—it’s essential to life, identity, and faith. Jerusalem is the symbol of hope and the embodiment of God's promise.
Verse 7: A Call for God to Remember Edom
“Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem…”
This shift in the psalm’s tone turns from lament to imprecation. The Edomites were descendants of Esau, Israel’s distant relatives. According to the psalmist, they stood by or even encouraged the destruction of Jerusalem, shouting “Lay it bare!” during its fall. The psalmist pleads with God to remember (and punish) their betrayal.
This verse reflects not only nationalistic anger but also a desire for divine justice. It also reflects the bitterness of betrayal, especially from a neighboring people who shared kinship ties.
Verses 8–9: The Controversial Curse on Babylon
“O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed…”
The psalmist now addresses Babylon directly. The phrase “daughter of Babylon” refers to the city and its people collectively. The psalmist proclaims Babylon’s eventual downfall—something prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah had predicted. It is both a prophetic and emotional outcry.
“Blessed shall he be who repays you with what you have done to us!”
This is a cry for lex talionis—the principle of retributive justice (“an eye for an eye”). The speaker expresses a desire that Babylon receive the same treatment it gave Israel. This is not about random violence but about reciprocity and vengeance in a world where divine justice has been temporarily eclipsed.
“Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!”
This final verse is one of the most disturbing in the Bible. It expresses violent rage in poetic form, a curse calling for the killing of Babylonian infants—a gruesome image of vengeance.
Rather than prescribing action, this verse reflects the extreme emotional pain and anger of a traumatized people. It’s important to read it not as divine command but as human anguish. In the context of ancient warfare, this kind of brutality was not uncommon, and the psalmist is expressing a desire for the tables to turn.
Themes in Psalm 137
1. Exile and Longing
At its heart, Psalm 137 is about longing—for home, for God, for justice. The exiles are physically far from Jerusalem, but their hearts remain tethered to it. The psalm gives voice to the ache of displacement and spiritual homesickness.
2. Memory and Identity
Memory plays a crucial role. Remembering Zion becomes a sacred duty. To forget would be to sever one's identity as a member of God's people. The act of remembering becomes resistance against assimilation and cultural erasure.
3. Worship in Crisis
The psalm reflects the struggle of how to maintain faith and worship in a place of suffering. How does one praise God when everything is lost? Psalm 137 wrestles with the idea of singing in exile—a metaphor for worship amid despair.
4. Justice and Vengeance
Verses 7–9 reflect a longing for justice. The intensity of the curses at the end highlights the rawness of the trauma. These verses reveal that the Bible does not sanitize human emotion. It presents the full range of human experience, including anger, grief, and the thirst for retribution.
Modern Relevance
Psalm 137 has resonated through centuries, particularly in contexts of oppression, exile, and resistance. For example:
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African American spirituals often drew from Psalm 137, identifying with the pain of exile and slavery.
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Holocaust survivors and post-colonial movements have found in it a voice for their own suffering.
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In modern times, the psalm continues to be a source of reflection for those experiencing displacement due to war, persecution, or diaspora.
Its power lies in its honesty—it neither denies grief nor suppresses the call for justice.
Theological Reflection
Psalm 137 reminds us that Scripture includes not only songs of praise but also cries of pain. It gives permission to grieve, to question, even to rage. And while the imprecatory verses may offend modern sensibilities, they point to the depth of injustice the Israelites endured and the intensity of their faith, which believed that God cared enough to hear even their most furious prayers.
Importantly, Christians interpret psalms like this through the lens of Jesus, who calls for forgiveness and nonviolence. Yet even in Christian tradition, Psalm 137 is not dismissed—it’s embraced as an authentic expression of lament and a call for divine justice.
Conclusion
Psalm 137 is a profound, painful, and powerful piece of poetry. It is born out of real suffering and speaks directly to the human condition—how we remember, how we grieve, and how we yearn for justice. While its ending may be hard to read, the psalm overall serves as a reminder that God welcomes all our emotions—not just the beautiful ones, but the broken, the bitter, and the burning ones too.
It’s a psalm that refuses to forget, refuses to let go, and insists that even in exile, the voice of the oppressed must be heard.
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