Psalm 137:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!

NIV: Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.

NASB: Blessed will be one who seizes and dashes your children Against the rock.

CSB: Happy is he who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rocks.

NLT: Happy is the one who takes your babies and smashes them against the rocks!

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

NKJV: Happy the one who takes and dashes Your little ones against the rock!

This is among the most infamous verses in Scripture, and often badly misunderstood. God does not speak these words. The statement comes from a bitter and vengeful Israelite captive of Babylon (Psalm 137:1–3; 2 Chronicles 36:17–21). In his anger, the psalmist hopes Babylon will experience exactly what they did to the people of Israel (Psalm 137:8). Those atrocities (2 Kings 25:5–7) included the brutal slaughter of children, which was not unusual in ancient conquests (2 Kings 8:12; Isaiah 13:16; Hosea 10:14). This is a grieving cry that hopes a hated enemy will suffer the same evils they committed on others. Should that happen, the psalmist would justify and approve of the person who did it.

A graphic description of infant murder is perhaps the most gruesome imagery in the "imprecatory" psalms (Psalms 5; 10; 17; 35; 58—59; 69—70; 79; 83, 109; 129; 137; 140). These are prayers for the Lord to intervene in a specific, negative way against an enemy. Even here, however, the psalmist does not vow that he will "get even" with the Babylonians. Nor does he instruct anyone to carry out these acts. Instead, he openly bares his heart and places the results in God's hands. Scripture warns against taking revenge (Proverbs 19:11; Romans 12:19), but it does encourage prayers for the Lord's justice to be done (Psalm 7:6; Revelation 6:10). It also predicts that Babylon will experience what they have done to others (Jeremiah 25:14). Even in the imprecatory psalms, the emphasis is on the Lord's judgment and His action.

Psalm 137:7–9 contains a bitter, intense prayer for vengeance. When Israel was captured by Babylon (2 Chronicles 36:17–21) they were subject to horrific slaughter. This included violence against even children (2 Kings 8:12; Isaiah 13:16; Hosea 10:14). Rather than giving shelter, the Edomites apparently helped Babylon capture fleeing Jews (Obadiah 1:10–11, 14). The psalmist's wish is for Babylon to experience the same horrors, including the gruesome murder of their infants.

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.

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).

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.