What does Psalm 137:1 mean?
ESV: By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion.
NIV: By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.
NASB: By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down and wept, When we remembered Zion.
CSB: By the rivers of Babylon— there we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion.
NLT: Beside the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept as we thought of Jerusalem.
KJV: By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
NKJV: By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept When we remembered Zion.
Verse Commentary:
Babylon invaded Israel in 536 BC (Daniel 1:1–3), devastated Jerusalem, and carried the people into exile (2 Chronicles 36:17–21). Babylon was associated with the Euphrates river and its extensive transportation and irrigation systems. There, taken from the Promised Land (Psalm 137:4), the people are in mourning. They think of Zion, which is another name for Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:7; 1 Kings 8:1).
The early imagery of this psalm is that of defeat. The people "sit down" in grief. Upcoming verses will explain how the Babylonians mocked them (Psalm 136:3). The psalm will eventually turn to a resentful plea for revenge (Psalm 137:7–9). This song may have been written at any time during the exile, which would last for seventy years (Jeremiah 29:10–14; Ezra 2:1).
Verse Context:
Psalm 137:1–6 mourns for Israel's captivity in Babylon, identified with the Euphrates river system. Israel's new masters tease them, asking for songs about the Jewish homeland. But the people cannot sing while in such misery. Instead, they set their instruments aside and vow to remember what has happened to their people.
Chapter Summary:
After being captured by Babylon (2 Chronicles 36:17–21), the people of Israel are teased by their new masters. The Babylonians ask the Jews to perform songs from their homeland. But the Israelites cannot bring themselves to sing. They vow to remember what happened to their city and their people. The psalmist prays that God would bring harsh vengeance on Edom and Babylon. He hopes they suffer the same gruesome evils which they inflicted upon Israel.
Chapter Context:
After years of warning (Deuteronomy 28:1, 64), Israel was conquered and the people taken away into Babylon (2 Chronicles 36:17–21). After seventy years (Jeremiah 29:10–14) they were allowed to rebuild Jerusalem (Ezra 2:1). This psalm expresses a grieving desire for enemies such as Babylon (Daniel 1:1–3) and Edom (Obadiah 1:10–11, 14) to suffer the same evils they committed on Israel. This is perhaps the most notorious of the "imprecatory" psalms (Psalms 5; 10; 17; 35; 58—59; 69—70; 79; 83, 109; 129; 137; 140).
Book Summary:
The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.
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