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Psalms 137

BSB·9 verses ·Old Testament
✦ Tap any verse to open Scripture Explorer — original Hebrew/Greek, commentary, notes & highlights
1Byעַ֥ל‘al — upon, over, against; concerningH5921 — Full Word Study → the riversנַהֲר֨וֹת׀na·hă·rō·wṯ — River, StreamH5104 — Full Word Study → of Babylonבָּבֶ֗לbā·ḇel — Gate of GodH894 — Full Word Study → we satיָ֭שַׁבְנוּyā·šaḇ·nū — to dwell, inhabit, settle, remainH3427 — Full Word Study → andגַּם־gam- — also, even, moreover, both...andH1571 — Full Word Study → weptבָּכִ֑ינוּbā·ḵî·nū — to weep, cry, shed tearsH1058 — Full Word Study → when we rememberedבְּ֝זָכְרֵ֗נוּbə·zā·ḵə·rê·nū — to remember, recall, or mentionH2142 — Full Word Study → Zionצִיּֽוֹן׃ṣî·yō·wn — The Lord's MountainH6726 — Full Word Study →. 2There onעַֽל־‘al- — upon, over, against; concerningH5921 — Full Word Study → the willowsעֲרָבִ֥ים‘ă·rā·ḇîm — Willow tree; weeping willowH6155 — Full Word Study → we hungתָּ֝לִ֗ינוּtā·lî·nū — to hang, suspend, or hang upH8518 — Full Word Study → our harpsכִּנֹּרוֹתֵֽינוּ׃kin·nō·rō·w·ṯê·nū — stringed musical instrument; lyreH3658 — Full Word Study →, 3forכִּ֤יkî — because, since, that (conjunction/reason marker)H3588 — Full Word Study → thereשָׁ֨םšām — There, in that placeH8033 — Full Word Study → our captorsשׁוֹבֵ֡ינוּšō·w·ḇê·nū — To take captive; to seize and carry awayH7617 — Full Word Study → requestedשְֽׁאֵל֪וּנוּšə·’ê·lū·nū — to ask, request, inquire, or demandH7592 — Full Word Study → a songשִׁ֭ירšîr — Song; singing; musical compositionH7892 — Full Word Study →; our tormentors demandedוְתוֹלָלֵ֣ינוּwə·ṯō·w·lā·lê·nū — one who wastes or destroys; a squandererH8437 — Full Word Study → songs of joyשִׂמְחָ֑הśim·ḥāh — Joy, gladness, rejoicingH8057 — Full Word Study →: “Singשִׁ֥ירוּšî·rū — to sing, make musicH7891 — Full Word Study → us a songמִשִּׁ֥ירmiš·šîr — Song; singing; musical compositionH7892 — Full Word Study → of Zionצִיּֽוֹן׃ṣî·yō·wn — The Lord's MountainH6726 — Full Word Study →.” 4Howאֵ֗יךְ’êḵ — How? In what way? Where?H349 — Full Word Study → can we singנָשִׁ֥ירnā·šîr — to sing, make musicH7891 — Full Word Study → a songשִׁיר־šîr- — Song; singing; musical compositionH7892 — Full Word Study → of the LORDיְהוָ֑הYah·weh — The LORD; God's covenant nameH3068 — Full Word Study → inעַ֝֗ל‘al — upon, over, against; concerningH5921 — Full Word Study → a foreignנֵכָֽר׃nê·ḵār — foreign, alien, strangerH5236 — Full Word Study → landאַדְמַ֥ת’aḏ·maṯ — Land, soil, ground, earthH127 — Full Word Study →? 5Ifאִֽם־’im- — If, whether; conditional conjunction with wide applicabilityH518 — Full Word Study → I forget youאֶשְׁכָּחֵ֥ךְ’eš·kā·ḥêḵ — to forget, neglect, lose memory ofH7911 — Full Word Study →, O Jerusalemיְֽרוּשָׁלִָ֗םyə·rū·šā·lim — City of peaceH3389 — Full Word Study →, may my right handיְמִינִֽי׃yə·mî·nî — right hand, right side, southH3225 — Full Word Study → cease to functionתִּשְׁכַּ֥חtiš·kaḥ — to forget, neglect, lose memory ofH7911 — Full Word Study →. 6May my tongueלְשׁוֹנִ֨י׀lə·šō·w·nî — Tongue; language; speechH3956 — Full Word Study → clingתִּדְבַּ֥ק־tiḏ·baq- — to cling to, cleave fast, adhere closelyH1692 — Full Word Study → to the roof of my mouthלְחִכִּי֮lə·ḥik·kî — palate; taste; speechH2441 — Full Word Study → ifאִם־’im- — If, whether; conditional conjunction with wide applicabilityH518 — Full Word Study → I do notלֹ֪אlō — not; negation; absenceH3808 — Full Word Study → remember youאֶ֫זְכְּרֵ֥כִי’ez·kə·rê·ḵî — to remember, recall, or mentionH2142 — Full Word Study →, ifאִם־’im- — If, whether; conditional conjunction with wide applicabilityH518 — Full Word Study → I do notלֹ֣אlō — not; negation; absenceH3808 — Full Word Study → exaltאַ֭עֲלֶה’a·‘ă·leh — to ascend, rise up, go upH5927 — Full Word Study → Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֑םyə·rū·šā·lim — City of peaceH3389 — Full Word Study → asעַ֝֗ל‘al — upon, over, against; concerningH5921 — Full Word Study → my greatestרֹ֣אשׁrōš — Head; chief; beginning; topH7218 — Full Word Study → joyשִׂמְחָתִֽי׃śim·ḥā·ṯî — Joy, gladness, rejoicingH8057 — Full Word Study →! 7Rememberזְכֹ֤רzə·ḵōr — to remember, recall, or mentionH2142 — Full Word Study →, O LORDיְהוָ֨ה׀Yah·weh — The LORD; God's covenant nameH3068 — Full Word Study →, the sonsלִבְנֵ֬יliḇ·nê — Son; descendant; member of a groupH1121 — Full Word Study → of Edomאֱד֗וֹם’ĕ·ḏō·wm — Red, EdomH123 — Full Word Study → on the dayי֤וֹםyō·wm — day; time; period; ageH3117 — Full Word Study → Jerusalem fell: “Destroy itעָ֤רוּ׀‘ā·rū — to uncover, expose, or lay bareH6168 — Full Word Study →,” they saidהָ֭אֹ֣מְרִיםhā·’ō·mə·rîm — to say, speak, declareH559 — Full Word Study →, “tear it downעָ֑רוּ‘ā·rū — to uncover, expose, or lay bareH6168 — Full Word Study → toעַ֝֗ד‘aḏ — until, till, up to (temporal or spatial limit)H5704 — Full Word Study → its foundationsהַיְס֥וֹדhay·sō·wḏ — Foundation, base, ground levelH3247 — Full Word Study →!” 8O Daughterבַּת־baṯ- — daughter; female child or descendantH1323 — Full Word Study → of Babylonבָּבֶ֗לbā·ḇel — Gate of GodH894 — Full Word Study →, doomed to destructionהַשְּׁד֫וּדָ֥הhaš·šə·ḏū·ḏāh — to destroy, ruin, or devastate violentlyH7703 — Full Word Study →, blessedאַשְׁרֵ֥י’aš·rê — blessed, happy, fortunateH835 — Full Word Study → is he who repaysשֶׁיְשַׁלֶּם־šey·šal·lem- — to complete, make peace, repayH7999 — Full Word Study → you asגְּ֝מוּלֵ֗ךְgə·mū·lêḵ — Recompense, reward, or requitalH1576 — Full Word Study → you have doneשֶׁגָּמַ֥לְתְּšeg·gā·malt — To deal bountifully; to ripen or mature; to repay or rewardH1580 — Full Word Study → to us. 9Blessed isאַשְׁרֵ֤י׀’aš·rê — blessed, happy, fortunateH835 — Full Word Study → he who seizesשֶׁיֹּאחֵ֓זše·yō·ḥêz — to grasp, seize, or take hold ofH270 — Full Word Study → your infantsעֹ֝לָלַ֗יִךְ‘ō·lā·la·yiḵ — Infant, young child, babeH5768 — Full Word Study → and dashesוְנִפֵּ֬ץwə·nip·pêṣ — to scatter, break in pieces, or dash apartH5310 — Full Word Study → themאֶֽת־’eṯ- — direct object marker; signs accusative caseH853 — Full Word Study → againstאֶל־’el- — to, toward, against; directional and relational prepositionH413 — Full Word Study → the rocksהַסָּֽלַע׃has·sā·la‘ — Rock; cliff; stone fortressH5553 — Full Word Study →.
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Chapter Commentary — Psalms 137
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Chapter Overview

Psalm 137 captures the profound sorrow of the Jewish people during their Babylonian exile (586–538 BC), a period of national devastation and spiritual crisis. The psalm moves from lamentation over lost Jerusalem to passionate prayers for God's justice against their oppressors. This is a psalm of honest emotion—grief, loyalty to God's covenant promises, and righteous indignation—that teaches us how faith endures through cultural displacement and suffering. It reminds us that God's people can bring their deepest pain and strongest convictions to Him without restraint.

Verses 1–4: The Pain of Displacement

The opening scene is one of profound loss. The Israelites sat by the rivers of Babylon and wept as memories of Zion—their beloved Jerusalem and the Temple—flooded their hearts. In verse 2, they hung their harps on the willow trees, symbolizing the silencing of their joy and worship. Their captors then mocked them cruelly: "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!" (verse 3). But the exiles responded with the aching question in verse 4: "How shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land?"

This question reveals the heart of their crisis. For Israel, worship of the Lord was inseparable from the Temple in Jerusalem and their covenant relationship with God. To sing those sacred songs in captivity—in a pagan land, for pagan masters, stripped of their homeland—felt spiritually impossible. The pain here is not merely homesickness; it is the agony of a people whose entire spiritual identity has been displaced. Many believers today who have faced cultural uprooting, loss of church community, or exile from their spiritual home can deeply relate to this anguish.

Verses 5–6: Unbreakable Loyalty

Verses 5 and 6 contain powerful covenant language. The psalmist takes a binding oath: if he forgets Jerusalem, may his right hand forget its skill and his tongue cleave to the roof of his mouth. In other words, may he lose the ability to create and speak—to function as a full human being—if he abandons loyalty to Jerusalem and God's covenant promises.

This is not nostalgia; it is theological faithfulness. The psalmist is saying that Jerusalem represents God's redemptive plan, His promises, and the hope of restoration. To forget it would be to abandon faith itself. Verse 6 adds the crucial detail: "if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy"—meaning that love for God's covenant city and promises must exceed every earthly comfort. This teaches believers that sometimes following Christ requires placing His kingdom above our personal happiness and ease.

Verses 7–9: Prayers for Divine Justice

The final section shifts to imprecations—prayers for God's judgment against Edom and Babylon. Edom had supported Babylon's destruction of Jerusalem and mocked the survivors (verse 7). The psalmist calls on God to remember their treachery. Verses 8 and 9, though difficult, reflect the ancient Near Eastern understanding of righteous judgment and retaliation according to the law of proportional justice (an eye for an eye).

These verses challenge modern readers because they invoke blessing on those who would destroy Babylon's children. However, we must understand them as expressions of faith in divine justice rather than personal revenge. The psalmist leaves vengeance to God, not taking it into his own hands. In the New Testament, Jesus teaches us to forgive our enemies and love those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44), revealing the fuller, redemptive heart of God. Yet even here, we honor the psalmist's refusal to remain silent about injustice or to pretend that evil deserves no judgment.

Application for Today

Psalm 137 teaches us that honest lament, steadfast loyalty to God's kingdom, and trust in His justice are all valid expressions of faith. If you are grieving loss, displaced from community, or angry at injustice, bring these emotions to God in prayer. Like the psalmist, commit yourself to God's purposes above earthly comfort, and trust Him to bring true justice in His time.

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