What does Psalm 137:5 mean?
ESV: If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill!
NIV: If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill.
NASB: If I forget you, Jerusalem, May my right hand forget its skill.
CSB: If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill.
NLT: If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget how to play the harp.
KJV: If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.
NKJV: If I forget you, O Jerusalem, Let my right hand forget its skill!
Verse Commentary:
The psalmist is among those carried into exile by Babylon (Daniel 1:1–3). In sorrow, the musicians hang their instruments in the trees, too sad to sing (Psalm 137:1–2). Their abductors mock them by asking to hear songs about the Israelite homeland (Psalm 137:3). To sing would be hard enough, but those songs also remind Israel of why they have been exiled in the first place (Deuteronomy 28:1, 64).
This verse continues with the theme of a musician deep in grief. The right hand is a common ancient reference to a person's primary skill or strength (Exodus 15:6; Psalm 18:35). Here, the psalmist refuses to forget what has happened to his people and their capital city (2 Chronicles 36:17–21). He would rather lose his ability to play music and to sing (Psalm 137:6) than fail to recall these events. Another possible implication is being disabled: that the person's primary means of work would become useless. The most important goal of the psalmist is the restoration of Jerusalem.
Memory also plays into the psalmist's upcoming plea for vengeance. He remembers what enemies like Edom and Babylon have done and will pray that God subjects them to the exact same misery (Psalm 137:7–9).
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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