New American Standard Bible 1995

Psalms 137

An Experience of the Captivity.

1By the 1rivers of Babylon, There we sat down and 2wept, When we remembered Zion.2Upon the 3 4willows in the midst of it We 5hung our 6harps.3For there our captors 7 8demanded of us 9songs, And 10our tormentors mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”

4How can we sing 11the Lord’s song In a foreign land?5If I 12forget you, O Jerusalem, May my right hand 13forget her skill.6May my 14tongue cling to the roof of my mouth If I do not remember you, If I do not 15 16exalt Jerusalem Above my chief joy.

7Remember, O Lord, against the sons of 17Edom The day of Jerusalem, Who said, “Raze it, raze it 18To its very foundation.”8O daughter of Babylon, you 19 20devastated one, How blessed will be the one who 21repays you With 22the recompense with which you have repaid us.9How blessed will be the one who seizes and 23dashes your little ones Against the rock.

Notes

1. Psalms 137:1 Ezek 1:1, 3 ↩
2. Psalms 137:1 Neh 1:4 ↩
3. Psalms 137:2 Or poplars ↩
4. Psalms 137:2 Lev 23:40; Is 44:4 ↩
5. Psalms 137:2 Job 30:31; Is 24:8; Ezek 26:13 ↩
6. Psalms 137:2 Lit lyres ↩
7. Psalms 137:3 Lit asked ↩
8. Psalms 137:3 Ps 80:6 ↩
9. Psalms 137:3 Lit words of song ↩
10. Psalms 137:3 Is 49:17 ↩
11. Psalms 137:4 2 Chr 29:27; Neh 12:46 ↩
12. Psalms 137:5 Is 65:11 ↩
13. Psalms 137:5 I.e. become lame ↩
14. Psalms 137:6 Job 29:10; Ps 22:15; Ezek 3:26 ↩
15. Psalms 137:6 Lit cause to ascend ↩
16. Psalms 137:6 Neh 2:3 ↩
17. Psalms 137:7 Ps 83:4-8; Is 34:5, 6; Jer 49:7-22; Lam 4:21; Ezek 25:12-14; 35:2; Amos 1:11; Obad 10-14 ↩
18. Psalms 137:7 Ps 74:7; Hab 3:13 ↩
19. Psalms 137:8 Or devastator ↩
20. Psalms 137:8 Is 13:1-22; 47:1-15; Jer 25:12; 50:1-46; 51:1-64 ↩
21. Psalms 137:8 Jer 50:15; 51:24, 35, 36, 49; Rev 18:6 ↩
22. Psalms 137:8 Lit your recompense ↩
23. Psalms 137:9 2 Kin 8:12; Is 13:16; Hos 13:16; Nah 3:10 ↩

An Experience of the Captivity.

Notes

Commentaries on Psalms 137