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Although this text is a lament that embodies the pain and nostalgia of an exiled people, Psalm 137 is not only one of the most heartrending in Scripture, but also one of the most filled with hope. This hope emerges precisely from the depths of pain, for in the midst of despair and loss, the psalmist does not succumb to resignation but longs for return, the restoration of justice, and reconciliation with the promised land. This hope is not just a dream of physical return to Zion, but also a spiritual yearning for inner reconstruction and the restoration of lost communion with GOD. Does this not resonate with our modern times? Do you not see how relevant this ancient writing is? Indeed, it is, because Scripture is eternal and recognized internationally precisely for its incredible relevance—a guide from the past for the present and towards a better future. It is a song of longing for the lost homeland, a cry of the soul that seeks justice and reconciliation in a world torn apart by injustice. Yet, within its words, behind the echo of tears shed by the rivers of Babylon, there is a reflection of hope for redemption that shines like the moon in the darkness, illuminating the path for those who are willing not to yield to hatred, but to find in faith the strength to hope for a better tomorrow. This cry, though steeped in pain, is not a song of surrender but a deep and powerful prayer, invoking not only physical liberation but also a purification of the soul, so that when the time of redemption comes, the heart will be ready to receive the divine light with purity and renewed devotion.
PSALM 137 Full TExt
1 By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
2 There on the poplars
we hung our harps,
3 for there our captors asked us for songs,
our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
4 How can we sing the songs of the LORD
while in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, Jerusalem,
may my right hand forget its skill.
6 May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
if I do not remember you,
if I do not consider Jerusalem
my highest joy.
7 Remember, LORD, what the Edomites did
on the day Jerusalem fell.
“Tear it down,” they cried,
“tear it down to its foundations!”
8 Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction,
happy is the one who repays you
according to what you have done to us.
9 Happy is the one who seizes your infants
and dashes them against the rocks.
Textual Analysis and commentary
62, 1-2
Psalm 137:1
By the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.
Psalm 137:2
There on the poplars, we hung our harps.
| Verse Identifier | Verse in Italian | Original Language | Transliteration | Literal Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psalm 137:1 | By the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. | על נהרות בבל שם ישבנו גם בכינו בזכרנו את ציון | Al neharot Bavel, sham yashavnu gam bachinu bezochrenu et Tzion | By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept as we remembered Zion. |
| Psalm 137:2 | There on the poplars, we hung our harps. | על ערבים בתוכה תלינו כנרותינו | Al aravim betochah talinu kinnorotenu | There on the poplars, we hung our harps. |
COMMENTARY
137:1-2
Psalm 137:1-2 presents us with a powerful image of an exiled people, sitting by the rivers of Babylon—a city known for its decadence, disbelief, and moral decay, yet the place where GOD has exiled His people. Each of the righteous recognizes the collective guilt of the nation (not necessarily their own individual guilt), weeping at the memory of Zion, the City of Peace, where GOD dwelled and His Divine Presence was felt. Why have we lost all that grace? This might be the question asked by the people, and yet nothing is lost, for our GOD is Merciful and Compassionate. This deep lament is not just an expression of sorrow for a lost homeland, but a symbol of the spiritual distance from what is sacred. The harps hung on the poplars are a visible sign of suspended worship, of praise that, for the moment, remains silent.
In this silence, however, there is no surrender. Instead, there is a waiting filled with hope. The harps have not been destroyed or forgotten; they are there, ready to sound again when the time of liberation arrives. The Messianic Era, foretold by sacred texts, will be the moment when the now silent voices will join in a new song of joy and redemption. This return will not be merely physical but also spiritual—a return to the heart of what is sacred, a revival of souls that have traversed the desert of exile.
The weeping by the rivers of Babylon also echoes the weeping in our cities today, or at least in the vast majority of them. But these tears will never be in vain; they become the prelude to a transformation. The pain of separation from GOD, as represented in these verses, is the seed of future reconciliation and regeneration.
137, 2-3
Psalm 137:3
“For there our captors asked us for songs, and our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’”
Psalm 137:4
“How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land?”
| Verse Identifier | Verse in Italian | Original Language | Transliteration | Literal Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psalm 137:3 | “For there our captors asked us for songs, and our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’” | כי שם שאלונו שובינו דברי שיר ותוללינו שמחה שירו לנו משיר ציון | Ki sham she’alunu shovenu divrei shir ve-tolalenu simchah shiru lanu mishir Tzion | For there our captors asked us for songs, and our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’ |
| Psalm 137:4 | “How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land?” | איך נשיר את שיר יהוה על אדמת נכר | Eich nashir et shir YHWH al admat nechar | How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land? |
COMMENTARY
137:3-4
In these verses, Psalm 137 leads us to reflect on a profound aspect: the understanding that, although the songs of the LORD will never be forgotten by the faithful, there are moments when they cannot be sung with joy. The captors’ demand to sing the songs of Zion is a further humiliation, an attempt to turn worship into a spectacle for unbelievers. However, the psalmist’s refusal to sing in a foreign land is not just an act of resistance but a deep acknowledgment of the sorrow inherent in accepting the fall.
Yet, there is a certainty that the fall is also a moment of strengthening for the body and the Spirit. Certainly, not all “Psalms” can be expressed with the same joy at all times, but even in a painful situation where faith is tested, and the joy of singing is suspended, there is no lack of faith, but rather a respect for the moment of sorrow and reflection. This sadness does not diminish the importance of the songs themselves but highlights that true praise to GOD cannot be detached from the context in which it is expressed. It is a recognition that faith is alive and dynamic, capable of enduring even in the darkest moments, but that it must sometimes confront the reality of pain and loss.
137, 5-6
Psalm 137:5
“If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill.”
Psalm 137:6
“May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.”
| Verse Identifier | Verse in Italian | Original Language | Transliteration | Literal Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psalm 137:5 | “If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill.” | אם אשכחך ירושלם תשכח ימיני | Im eshkachech Yerushalayim, tishkach yemini | If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. |
| Psalm 137:6 | “May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.” | תדבק לשוני לחכי אם לא אזכרכי אם לא אעלה את ירושלם על ראש שמחתי | Tidbak leshoni lechiki im lo ezkerechi im lo a’ale et Yerushalayim al rosh simchati | May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy. |
COMMENTARY
137:5-6
In these verses, Psalm 137 takes on a solemn tone, expressing an unwavering commitment to Jerusalem. The psalmist declares that if he were ever to forget Jerusalem, his right hand (seen in ancient tradition as a metaphor for the most important and divine part of our body) should be paralyzed. He acknowledges that his ability to act and to be is indissolubly linked to the fate of the Holy City. This statement reflects the depth of the believers’ connection to Jerusalem, where forgetting is not merely an oversight but a betrayal of one’s identity and purpose of existence.
Furthermore, the prayer that his tongue should cling to the roof of his mouth if he fails to remember Jerusalem underscores the idea that not only should the body “perish,” but also the ability to express oneself, which is the true great difference between humans and the rest of the animal-vegetable kingdom. The psalmist promises that Jerusalem will always be his highest joy, above all else. This is not at all a nostalgic longing but a profound declaration that the spiritual and cultural essence of Jerusalem is integral to every being who recognizes the Oneness of GOD and His infinite Goodness.
These verses remind us that our most important values and beliefs must be defended at all costs. One cannot let the pillars of a house collapse and expect it to remain standing. The prayer, therefore, is not just for mere remembrance, but for the strength to keep what is most sacred at the center of our existence. Even in exile, even in suffering, even in our sad days when love and religiosity seem to be eclipsed by greed, popularity, the relentless pursuit of beauty, and external things, the memory of Jerusalem must remain vivid and vital because it is through this unwavering devotion that the believer draws strength and finds the True Path.
137, 7-9
Psalm 137:7
“Remember, LORD, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. ‘Tear it down,’ they cried, ‘tear it down to its foundations!’”
Psalm 137:8
“Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is the one who repays you according to what you have done to us.”
Psalm 137:9
“Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.”
| Verse Identifier | Verse in Italian | Original Language | Transliteration | Literal Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psalm 137:7 | “Remember, LORD, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. ‘Tear it down,’ they cried, ‘tear it down to its foundations!’” | זכר יהוה לבני אדום את יום ירושלם האמרים ערו ערו עד היסוד בה | Zekhor YHWH livnei Edom et yom Yerushalayim ha’omrim ar’u ar’u ad hayesod bah | Remember, LORD, the sons of Edom, the day of Jerusalem, who said, ‘Tear it down, tear it down to its foundations!’ |
| Psalm 137:8 | “Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is the one who repays you according to what you have done to us.” | בת בבל השדודה אשרי שישלם לך את גמולך שגמלת לנו | Bat Bavel hasheduhah ashrei sheyshalem lach et gemulech shegamalet lanu | Daughter Babylon, devastated, blessed is he who repays you what you have dealt to us. |
| Psalm 137:9 | “Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.” | אשרי שיאחז ונפץ את עולליך אל הסלע | Ashrei sheya’hez venipetz et olalayich el hasela | Blessed is he who seizes and smashes your little ones against the rock. |
COMMENTARY
137:7-9
In these final verses, the tone of Psalm 137 shifts from lament and sorrow to a cry for justice. The psalmist invokes the LORD to remember the sons of Edom, that is, to punish, as has already happened, those who rejoiced and incited the destruction of Jerusalem. This is an exhortation for the total annihilation of the unbelievers, combined with a plea that is not merely a request for vengeance but a call to address the deep wounds inflicted by those who celebrated the fall of the Holy City. The memory of this betrayal is etched in the collective consciousness of the people, and the psalmist calls upon divine justice against those who took pleasure in their suffering.
The powerful verses that follow reflect the intensity of the pain and anger felt by the exiled believers, conveying a desire for justice that emerges from the atrocities endured during the exile. The psalmist, though a man of faith and peace, uses raw imagery, such as that of infants being dashed against the rocks, not as an invitation to violence, but as a potent representation of the suffering and injustice experienced.
It is important to remember that historically, during the conquest of Jerusalem, the Babylonians committed acts of great cruelty, including the killing of infants and children. These brutalities were not uncommon in the ancient world; in some pagan cultures, human sacrifices, including those where children were dashed against rocks, were frequent ritual practices. For instance, the Babylonians were known to sacrifice their children to the god Moloch, offering them in the fire.
In this context, the psalmist adopts such a shocking image to emphasize not only the desire for justice but also to highlight the depth of the suffering endured by his people. The plea to “seize the infants and dash them against the rock” is an extreme and desperate cry that serves as a fierce indictment against the injustice and evil perpetrated.
