Chapter 137
Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.
Just read this chapter →Scripture
KJV1By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
2We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
3For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
4How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a strange land?
5If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.
6If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.
7Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.
8O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.
9Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.
“How shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land?”
Overview
Psalm 137 is a haunting lament of the exiles in Babylon. By the rivers of Babylon they sat down and wept when they remembered Zion. They hung their harps on the willows because their captors demanded songs of Zion — 'How shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land?' The psalmist vows never to forget Jerusalem, declaring 'If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.' The psalm closes with a fierce imprecation against Babylon and Edom, including the disturbing wish that Babylon's children be dashed against the stones.
Key Themes
Grief in Exile
The exiles' weeping by Babylon's rivers expresses the deep sorrow of being separated from God's presence, city, and temple.
Remembering Jerusalem
The vow never to forget Jerusalem reveals that God's city represents the deepest longing of the believer's heart — to be in God's presence.
The Agony of Imposed Silence
The captors' demand for sacred songs as entertainment is a cruel mockery — worship cannot be performed as entertainment for those who despise God.
Study Questions
Why could the exiles not sing the LORD's song in Babylon (v. 4)?
What does the vow to remember Jerusalem (vv. 5-6) teach about the priority of worship?
How should Christians interpret the imprecatory ending (vv. 7-9)?
What is the 'Babylon' that believers live in today, and how do we sing the Lord's song there?
How does this psalm express the tension between living in a hostile world and longing for God's city?
Connection to Christ
Jesus wept over Jerusalem as the exiles wept in Babylon. He is the one who brings the captives home from exile — not to an earthly city but to the heavenly Jerusalem. The judgment pronounced upon Babylon is fulfilled in Revelation, where Babylon the Great falls and God's people are delivered. Christ is the song His people carry in every exile.
Personal Reflection
Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through Psalms 137. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?