137:1–9
In response to the pain of exile (Psalm 137:1–4), the psalmist decides to remember Jerusalem, even though the memories cause him pain (137:4–6). He also speaks a strong prayer asking God to bring justice on his enemies (Psalm 137:7–9).
Study notes
Psalms 137
137:1–9 Section
In Psalm 137 people complain to God. They lament and tell him how sad and angry they are. They are sad and angry about unfair things that are happening. Babylonian armies had taken control of the southern kingdom. They had destroyed Jerusalem and the temple. They had taken many Jews as prisoners and forced them to live in Babylon.
The speakers of this psalm were some of those Jews forced to live in exile. They were very sad. The Babylonians made fun of them. Psalm 89 talked about this too. That psalm also complained to God about the mean things said by other nations. It accused God of breaking down Jerusalem’s walls. It accused God of breaking his covenant with David. This was because God didn’t protect the king from David’s family line or his city. That city was Jerusalem.
The speakers of Psalm 137 never wanted to forget Jerusalem. God had promised to put his name in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 6:6). This means that people knew that God was present with them there. If they forgot Jerusalem, it would be like forgetting all about God.
The speakers of Psalm 137 prayed to God about those who destroyed Jerusalem. They reminded God about how the Edomites had celebrated that terrible event. They wanted God to remember the sins of the Edomites and the Babylonians. The Jews believed that God would take action as Judge and bring judgement. They wanted him to bring judgement against those who had hurt them.
137:2–4
Because the music of Jerusalem was connected to the joy of life in the promised land, the exile took away any reason to sing joyful songs. The Babylonians asked the Judeans to sing and dance for them, but the people were so full of grief that they could not do it.
The songs about the Lord celebrate his power and goodness, but his people were now filled with doubt and questions. They hung their harps in the trees, which may show that their joy had come to an end under God’s judgment (Deuteronomy 21:23).
137:5–6
The psalmist pledges his loyalty to Jerusalem, the city at the center of God’s reign and the location of fellowship with him.
137:7–9
The poet saw how the Edomites betrayed the people of Judah, so he calls on God to judge Edom. The long conflict between Edom and Judah reached its worst point near the end of Judah’s history. At that time, the Edomites handed the Judeans over to the Babylonians (Obadiah 1:10–11) and celebrated Jerusalem's fall.
This prayer asking God to bring justice uses strong language and can be shocking.
Verse notes: Adapted by Mission Mutual (Aquifer Open Study Notes) from Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. CC BY-SA 4.0. Section notes: Biblica Study Notes © 2023 Biblica, Inc. CC BY-SA 4.0, via BibleAquifer. About the sources