Psalm 137 Exegesis March 26, 2018 Psalm 137 is one of my favorite Psalms despite how dark it is. “The English words are sad, even mournful, but the words have an even sadder sound in the Hebrew language. If I do not remember you, Psalm 137. The other is an heavy imprecation and a prophetical denunciation against the enemies of the church, unto the end of the Psalm. “There is ample evidence that ‘to dash in pieces their little ones’ was a common enough sequel to a heathen victory, and that Babylon had been in no mood for restraint at the fall of Jerusalem (2 Kings 25:7; Lamentations 5:11f. 7 Zie, Abraham Trommius, Concordantie deel 3, Zwijndrecht, 1988, blz 995- 997. Let all the kings of the earth confess to You, O Lord Psalm 137:4. Psalm 137. Psalm 137 zou dan wijzen op zo’n sabbatsdag. b. PSALM 137. “Many singers were carried captives: Ezra 2:41. Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones. Digital Commons @ Andrews University. If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. THE ARGUMENT. The day of Jerusalem, This plaintive ode is one of the most charming compositions in the whole Book of Psalms for its poetic power. Ps 137:1-4 137 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. PSALM 137. Happy the one who takes and dashes Psalm 137. Referring to Psalm 137, Walter Bruegge- 9 137:9 Hos. i. Psalms 119:137-144. Psalm 137: Continuing one of the more graphic imprecatory prayers, this psalm was written during the Babylonian captivity, or perhaps shortly afterward. O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed, 1. Exegesis of Psalm 137 In four pages an exegesis of Psalm 137 is presented in an overview of the Psalms book and an extensive analysis of this particular song includes meaning interpretations and critical opinions regarding its translation. 2 Wij hebben onze harpen gehangen aan de wilgen, die daarin zijn. 3 Praise the L ord, for x the L ord is good; sing to his name, y for it is pleasant! “So, like tipsy revellers, they called out ‘Sing!’ The request drove the iron deeper into sad hearts, for it came from those who had made the misery. Andrews University. Is not disobedience at the root of your songlessness? For there our captors asked us for songs, and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!" We may request cookies to be set on your device. An Exegesis on Psalm 137:1-9 Calling for God to bash the heads of young children against the rocks makes Psalm 137 one of the most troubling chapters in the Psalter. Brevard S. Childs states that, although specifying the composition of a psalm to a definite chronological time frame is rare, in Psalm 137, we have an exception. It is the prayer and praise book of the Bible. Words in brackets, ( ), are not in the *Hebrew Bible. “The word ‘foundations’…implies more than the actual foundations of the walls of Jerusalem, as it also pertains to the God-established order in creation, in his rule, and in his election of a people to himself (cf. An EasyEnglish Translation with Notes (about 1200 word vocabulary) on Psalm 137. www.easyenglish.bible. Preaching. PSALM 137 OVERVIEW.. . i. If he did forget, then his right hand could lose its skill to play the harp. c. We hung our harps upon the willows: The singer used poetic liberty to present a striking scene. b. Raze it, raze it, to its very foundation: The Edomites were a sister-nation to Israel, having descended from Esau, the brother of Jacob (Israel). For example: 1. O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed, O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed, Happy the one who repays you as you have served us, Happy the one who takes and dashes your little ones against the rock, © Copyright - Enduring Word       |      . This short psalm is a communal lament, pleading as a nation for God's mercy, though in what particular circumstances we cannot tell. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. If he had said: This is just my life now, I might as well get on with it. NRSV By the rivers of Babylon— there we sat down and there we wept when we remembered Zion. So let’s actually break this psalm down and workout WHAT is being said and very importantly WHO is saying it and also WHY they said what they said. Browse Sermons on Psalm 137. So shall it be, and so it is, and that daily; and it is shown that it was not said in vain, save that it was future. The sad complaint of the Jews in captivity, Psalms 137:1-3. The Old Testament Readings: Psalm 137, Pentecost 19C. Those that rejoice in God, for his sake make Jerusalem their joy. Happy the one who repays you as you have served us: This is a blessing on the one who brings judgment against the Babylonians, and a judgment corresponding to what the Babylonians served unto Jerusalem and Judea. Psalm 137. 8 Babel hoeft niet alleen te staan voor de stad Babel maar kan ook slaan op het landschap dat de stad Babel toebehoort (zie, kanttekening van de Statenvertaling). “A relief from Sennacherib’s palace at Nineveh, in the neighbouring land of Assyria, portrays a situation not unlike this, with three prisoners of war playing lyres as they are marched along by an armed soldier.” (Kidner), iii. Psalm 137." (The above are Psalm 23:1, Psalm 8:2 and Psalm 137:1 as translated in the King James Version.) Psalm 137 – The Mournful Song of the Exiles. THE ARGUMENT. The psalms of lament are nothing if not intense. Psalm 137 is a work of poetry. The Historical Superscriptions of Davidic Psalms: An Exegetical, Intertextual, and Methodological Whole Psalm. Though their conquerors wanted them to sing for their own amusement, the song simply wasn’t there. Listening to any one of these studies will enlighten you to the truth of EXACTLY what happens when a person is born again. i. It contains a cry in captivity (verses 1-4), a vow of remembrance (verses 5-6), and a prayer for judgment (verses 7-9). The first is, an heavy complaint of the church, unto Ps 137:7. 1 By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. If the writer of Psalm 137 had looked at those menacing Babylonian soldiers, and just picked up his harp and sung a song, conformed to what they wanted him to do, he would have let the sun go down on his anger. You don't have to be in the dark any longer. If it were not inspired it would nevertheless occupy a high place in poesy, especially the former portion of it, which is tender and patriotic to the highest degree. In English it is generally known as "By the rivers of Babylon", which is how its first words are translated in the King James Version.It is Psalm 136 in the slightly different numbering system of the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate versions of the Bible. They should have supported and sympathized with Jerusalem when the Babylonians came against it. The small book of Obadiah is a prophetic pronouncement against the Edomites for their part in the conquest of Judea. Academia.edu uses cookies to personalize content, tailor ads and improve the user experience. Resources » Commentaries » Psalm » Chapter 119 » exegesis. Remember, O LORD, against the sons of Edom. i. (1-3) Mourning by Babylon’s rivers. Psalm 137 is one of several psalms called imprecatory psalms. Wij zaten neer, wij weenden langs de zomen Van Babylons wijd uitgebreide stromen; Elk stortte daar zijn bitt're jammerklacht, Als hij met smart aan 't heilig Sion dacht; Elk, wars van vreugd en vrolijke gezangen, Liet daar zijn harp aan somb're wilgen hangen. PSALM 137 word first as mirth and then as joy. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. If I forget you, O Jerusalem, Singing to the self. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. You can check these in your browser security settings. It would take a long time to sing those songs in a foreign land. The genre of lament especially helps to resolve problems that arose in the exegesis of the psalm. Psalm 137. ii. F.B. This plaintive ode is one of the most charming compositions in the whole Book of Psalms for its poetic power. c. Happy the one who takes and dashes your little ones against the rock: This awful blessing is understood in light of the previous line. You can also change some of your preferences. Introduction When examining the scriptural text of Psalm 137 it is one that has a unique context and structure. If it were not inspired it would nevertheless occupy a high place in poesy, especially the former portion of it, which is tender and patriotic to the highest degree. How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a foreign land? “Perhaps, if some of their modern critics had been under the yoke from which this psalmist has been delivered, they would have understood a little better how a good man of that age could rejoice that Babylon was fallen and all its race extirpated.” (Maclaren), iii. You rightly instruct us in how to live ever faithful to you. we hung up our lyres. Psalm 137 is the 137th psalm of the Book of Psalms, and as such it is included in the Hebrew Bible. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. In a foreign land? Where needed, I include verses that the lectionary skipped. Commentary on Psalm 137:5-9 (Read Psalm 137:5-9) What we love, we love to think of. Large willow trees grew on the shores of the great river, and because there were no songs left in these captives, they hung their harps on those willow trees. 2. Commentary, Psalm 137, Brad R. Braxton, The African American Lectionary, 200 8. Psalm 137. He prayed that the Babylonians would get as they had given. required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, 135 u Praise the L ord! "May. It reflects the sorrows and thoughts of one of the captives, either during the captivity itself, or shortly afterward when the memories of the terrible experience were still fresh in the psalmist's mind. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. My rivals nearly did me in, they persistently ignored your commandments. They vowed never to forget God’s promises and to persevere, waiting for the moment of redemption.” (VanGemeren), ii. Psalm 137- 1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. Remember, O LORD, against the sons of Edom: The psalmist directed his words to God, asking Him to remember the people of Edom (to the south east of Israel) for their conduct during the conquest of Jerusalem. PSALM 137. Many psalms are employed in Jewish liturgy. The sad complaint of the Jews in captivity, Psalms 137:1-3. By using our site, you agree to our collection of information through the use of cookies. It was not mere secular “mirth” khat was requested in ver, 3; but, as the parallelism shows, the sacred gladness audible in the songs of Zion, which were at the same time the sowgs of Jehovah. How shall we sing the LORD’s song a. Words in boxes are from the Bible. 00 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z PSALM 137. PURPOSE: The book of Psalms was known as the hymn book of Israel. Psalm 137:8-9. What a wonderful mixture is the Psalm of soft melancholy and fiery patriotism! The Edomites were hoping for the destruction of the ‘foundations’ of Yahweh’s rule on earth.” (VanGemeren), ii. There on the poplarswe hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs,our tormentors demanded songs of joy;they The notes explain some of the words with a *star by them. . We sympathize with the impulse of the psalmist, yet the New Testament calls us to a higher standard: “Our response should be to recognize that our calling, since the cross, is to pray down reconciliation, not judgment” (Boice). The body of Christ today does not understand the salvation process. A SONG FROM THE CAPTIVITY IN BABYLON. Psalm 137. You can download the paper by clicking the button above. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. Five sources are cited in the bibliography. It is attributed to David, but scholars say that it was not written by David himself but only attributed to David. Instead, they enjoyed Jerusalem’s agony and wanted the city to be completely destroyed. Can you not tell the reason? .May" These are both Qal imperfects used in a jussive sense. Nor should you have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; nor should you have spoken proudly in the day of distress (Obadiah 1:12). you to use each psalm as a personal prayer, praise, or petition to God. (Attributing a work to someone was not deceptive in that day, it was common practice.) Psalm 119 - Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Bible . They stedfastly resolved to keep up this affection. “The godly could not forget Jerusalem and everything it stands for: covenant, temple, presence and kingship of God, atonement, forgiveness, and reconciliation. KEY VERSE: Psalm 95:l-2 O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. But neither let them, when they confess to You, when they praise You, desire earthly things of You. i. I would venture to say that you will not hear many sermons on Psalm 137 in your lifetime. 1. How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a foreign land? The penman of this Psalm is uncertain; the occasion of it was unquestionably the consideration of the Babylonish captivity; and it seems to have been composed either during the time of that captivity, or presently after their deliverance out of it. 137) invokes God to bring down judgment or punishment on his enemies. Psalm 137 is a work of poetry. 16 – Sermons 80+ – Illustrations / Stories 16 – Children's Sermons / Resources Meyer took the idea of not being able to sing and used it as an admonishment for Christians: “You have ceased singing lately. If I forget you, O Jerusalem: The singer vowed that he would never forget God’s holy city, and even gave a curse upon himself if he did. Psalm 77- … To have done so would have been to play traitor to their own lost city, and to all that their citizenship stood for.” (Morgan), ii. A. The psalmist also may have known of Isaiah’s prophecy that announced that just this would happen: Their children also will be dashed to pieces before their eyes (Isaiah 13:16). Resources » Commentaries » Psalm » Chapter 119 » exegesis. Your little ones against the rock! 3 For there our captors. It is a poem. Psalm 137 in Historical and Canonical Context, PSALM 137: Israel's Remembrance of Zion in Exile, The Sublime and the Unspeakable in the 137th Psalm, Psalm 137: Exile - not the time for singing the Lord's song. Who said, “Raze it, raze it, PSALMS RESOURCES Commentaries, Sermons, Illustrations, Devotionals. In terms of theme, Psalm 137 hinges on the idea of “remembrance”, and it is the psalmist’s pledge to remember Jerusalem, and by relation the God whom inhabited the city, that gives the psalmist leverage to petition that this very God remember the psalmist, the exilic community, and most explicitly those who have cast them into exile. Psalm 67 - Bosma, C. J. and Eep Talstra. .May" These are both Qal imperfects used in a jussive sense. 2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept 8 137:8 Jer. Hans- Joachim Kraus further asserts that Psalm 137 was the only psalm that could be reliably dated to the exile. 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