Psalms — Chapter 137

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1By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

2We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.

3For 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.

4How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?

5If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.

6If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.

7Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.

8O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.

9Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.

1By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept, When we remembered Zion.

2Upon the willows in the midst thereof We hanged up our harps.

3For 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.

4How shall we sing Jehovah`s song In a foreign land?

5If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, Let my right hand forget [her skill].

6Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, If I remember thee not; If I prefer not Jerusalem Above my chief joy.

7Remember, O Jehovah, against the children of Edom The day of Jerusalem; Who said, Rase it, rase it, Even to the foundation thereof.

8O daughter of Babylon, that art to be destroyed, Happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee As thou hast served us.

9Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones Against the rock. Psalm 138 A [Psalm] of David.

1By the rivers of Babylon we sit down and weep when we remember Zion.

2On the poplars in her midst we hang our harps,

3for 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!”

4How can we sing a song to the Lord in a foreign land?

5If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand be crippled.

6May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, and do not give Jerusalem priority over whatever gives me the most joy.

7Remember, O Lord, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. They said, “Tear it down, tear it down, right to its very foundation!”

8O daughter Babylon, soon to be devastated, how blessed will be the one who repays you for what you dished out to us.

9How blessed will be the one who grabs your babies and smashes them on a rock.

1By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down. Yes, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

2On the willows in that land, we hung up our harps.

3For 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!”

4How can we sing Yahweh’s song in a foreign land?

5If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill.

6Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I don’t remember you; if I don’t prefer Jerusalem above my chief joy.

7Remember, Yahweh, against the children of Edom, the day of Jerusalem; who said, “Raze it! Raze it even to its foundation!”

8Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, he will be happy who rewards you, as you have served us.

9Happy shall he be, who takes and dashes your little ones against the rock.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Videos
Reflection

Summary

A lament of exile — 'By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion'; the exiles cannot sing the LORD's song in a foreign land; ends with fierce imprecation against Babylon.

Authorship & Background

Author: Multiple authors — primarily David (73 psalms attributed), plus Asaph (12), Sons of Korah (11), Solomon (2), Moses (1), Heman (1), Ethan (1), and anonymous. The Psalter was compiled over approximately 1000 years and served as Israel's hymnal and prayer book. The book is divided into five 'books' (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150), paralleling the five books of Moses. Key themes: worship, lament, praise, trust, kingship, creation, wisdom, Messianic prophecy, and the full range of human emotion brought before God.
Classification: Communal Lament / Imprecatory Psalm Attributed Author: Anonymous (clearly post-exilic, written during or after the Babylonian captivity) Key Themes: The pain of exile, inability to sing in a foreign land, memory of Jerusalem, longing for homeland, the raw emotion of loss, imprecation against Babylon and Edom
Historical Context: Psalm 137 is perhaps the most emotionally raw psalm in the Psalter — a lament from Babylonian exile (586-538 BC). The exiles sit by Babylon's rivers weeping, harps hung on willows, while their captors mock them: "Sing us one of your songs!" But how can you sing the LORD's song in a foreign land? The psalm ends with one of the most disturbing verses in Scripture (v.9) — a cry for violent retribution against Babylon. This must be read as the raw expression of a people who watched their children murdered during Jerusalem's fall (2 Kings 25), not as moral prescription. The psalm is theologically honest about the human experience of trauma and desire for justice.
Structure:
  • Weeping by the Rivers (vv.1-4)
  • Vow to Remember Jerusalem (vv.5-6)
  • Imprecation Against Edom and Babylon (vv.7-9)

Map & Geography

  • Zion (v.1, v.3): The hill on which Jerusalem/the Temple stood; often used poetically for God's dwelling.
  • Babylon (v.1, v.8): Capital of the Babylonian empire; place of Judah's exile (modern Iraq).
  • Jerusalem (v.5, v.6, v.7): Capital of Judah; the holy city where the Temple stood.
  • Edom (v.7): Land south of the Dead Sea; descendants of Esau.

Videos

The Bible Project — Psalms Overview

Reflection

  • 1. Grief is valid worship (v.1). Sitting, weeping, remembering — these are not failures of faith. They are the honest response to devastating loss. God receives lament as worship.
  • 2. "How shall we sing?" (v.4). Sometimes you can't. Sometimes worship is impossible because the pain is too fresh. The psalm doesn't answer the question — it just asks it honestly.
  • 3. Never forget where you belong (vv.5-6). No matter how comfortable exile becomes, remember Jerusalem. Remember where your true home is. Don't let a foreign land become your identity.
  • 4. Scripture includes raw human emotion (v.9). This verse is not prescriptive but descriptive — the cry of trauma. The Bible includes it because God can handle our worst thoughts. Bring even THESE to Him rather than acting on them.