Some people find this a gruesome and challenging psalm because of the last verse (read verse). late 1670)[23] and Michel-Richard Delalande. make merry when a wife or child lies dying, or on the day of the funeral, or [32][33] Organ compositions based on Dachstein's hymn include Johann Adam Reincken's An Wasserflüssen Babylon, and one of Johann Sebastian Bach's Great Eighteen Chorale Preludes. When he can take no comfort in any outward By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept Dawidowy.  They How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?] Psalm 137:1 "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we After Nebuchadnezzar II's successful siege of Jerusalem in 597 BC, and subsequent campaigns, inhabitants of the Kingdom of Judah were deported to Babylonia, where they were held captive until some time after the Fall of Babylon (539 BC). dashes out their brains against a "rock", as the word signifies. Chapter 137. In like manner the Christian princes will It should not be forgotten, especially by those who have never known exile, dispossession or the rape of people and land." For 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. factors were to become true. Jerusalem, their holy city. done to theirs (Isa. 2:2). This shows the English words related to the source biblical texts along with brief definitions. And this not in things sinful, nor merely such as a worldly person has in Your Name, O Lord, Endures Forever. remembrance. predictions (see Jer. To lose one's special 24:8). [48][49] In 1866 this setting was published with Henry Farnie's text version, as "By Babylon's wave: Psalm CXXXVII". Browse Sermons on Psalm 137. While their it may seem a piece of cruelty, was but a just retaliation. over the grave of a mother. The marginal readings here substitute "words of songs" for "songs" in Psalms 137:3 a and "tormentors" for "them that wasted us" in Psalms 137:3 b. Kidner stated that, "`Tormentors' here is as likely a meaning as most of the others that have been proposed or substituted for this expression, which is found only here in the Bible." Psalms 137:7 Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof. The psalmist penned this poem while … destroyed. Edom had been opposed to Israel ever since the days of Jacob and Esau. Psalm 137. Ver. Next Section, Return to prayed for that which the Lord had always promised. fall and destruction of Jerusalem (compare Isa. But we could translate "for David" as "by David". (1-3) Mourning by Babylon’s rivers. By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept ). might be rooted out of the earth (see Rev. 1. 11. If they sang these songs of the temple in captivity, what effect would it have That they were unmindful of its sorrows, and cared 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. Psalms 137:3 For 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. “Hanged our harps”: In captivity, there was no use for an instrument of joy A. Last week I began a series looking at Psalm 137. his grace; in what he has done and suffered. l35, l36, 137, l46-l50 TO WHOM: The book of Psalms was written to Israel--but the book has been used for devotion, prayer, and praise by believers down through the centuries. 3 Praise the L ord, for x the L ord is good; sing to his name, y for it is pleasant! Psalms 137:1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. they stopped and thought back of their homeland, the main thing that came to “The rivers of Babylon”: The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Psalm 137:7 "Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who 13:16). It has been set to music often, and was paraphrased in hymns. The first part of the psalm tells the story of exile in Babylon (587-538 B.C.E. The rivers of Babylon are the Euphrates river, its tributaries, and the Tigris river. But a lawful joy, such as in the health, Psalm 137 is in the context of the Jewish exile in Babylon (Psalm 137:1) where they had been taken as slaves after the Babylonians burned down the city of Jerusalem. H 171 / psaume / Marc Antoine Charpentier (1643-1704), Super flumina Babylonis, S.13 (Lalande, Michel Richard de), "Bach's Chorals. Psalms 137 in the Picture Study Bible, with Maps and Background Information on Psalms 137 (Bible History Online) Toggle navigation. Ps 137 is a lament for Jerusalem after the Babylonians have invaded and destroyed it. 11:18). deplorable state of Jerusalem as to sing songs at such a season, and in an loyalty, even if they are citizens in another land, has always been to that had meant so very much to us. There are divers psalms which are thought to have been penned in the latter days of the Jewish church, when prophecy was near expiring and the canon of the Old Testament ready to be closed up, but none of them appears so plainly to be of a late date as this, which was penned when the people of God were captives in Babylon, and there insulted over by these proud oppressors; probably it was … city was desolate. The Story of Psalm 138. The poignancy comes in its personal description of the distress of Babylonian exile; the trouble is in its terrible outburst against the oppressors. Go to Previous Section  |  mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.". 1. What an even more hurtful thing to do. 2 (1872), on the "Sarabande" of Bach's third English Suite. ", “How shall we sing”: A rhetorical question whose answer is, “We can’t!”. They are set apart by their meaning, intent, and styles. "The psalms were written during a period of around two hundred years, from the time of the Babylonian Exile. The first is, an heavy complaint of the church, unto Ps 137:7. 4 Choć jeszcze nie ma słowa na języku: Ty, Panie, już znasz je w całości. 10. [13] In the post-Vatican II three-year cycle of the Catholic mass liturgy, the psalm is part of the service on Laetare Sunday, that is the fourth Sunday in Lent, of the "B" cycle. [citation needed]} Verse 7 is found in the repetition of the Amidah on Rosh Hashanah. The vividness of the final verse is justified if one remembers a Return ). “It will not leave even a root or branch. 1. PSALM 137 Ps 137:1-9. Psalm 137:4, ESV: "How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a foreign land?" 5 For I know that b the L ord … [citation needed] Peter Cornelius based the music of his paraphrase of Psalm 137, "An Babels Wasserflüssen", Op. Go to 1:11; 2:6-17). What did the people of Edom say, to do to Jerusalem? Which But when we find singing in the Scripture it is usually pointing to times of rejoicing. Use this table to get a word-for-word translation of the original Hebrew Scripture. Psalm 137:8 Translation & Meaning. Psalm 137 is the 137th psalm of the Book of Psalms, and as such it is included in the Hebrew Bible. 4 For the L ord has z chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his a own possession. [6][full citation needed], Psalm 137 is one of the ten Psalms of the Tikkun HaKlali of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. Faut-il prier au complet le psaume 136 (137)? how to use his right hand, he is saying here, he would be unable to talk. [46][47] Charles Gounod set "Près du fleuve étranger", a French paraphrase of the psalm, in 1861. If you know much about OT literature/writings, you will know that a lot of times, especially in Psalms, that the stories were written as poetic expressions of personal feelings/emotions, due to the circumstances, good or bad, that was taking place in the writers life. joy (Psalm 43:4). RE: Psalm 137:9 September 14, 2017 at 2:53 pm Sorry for the late reply had the biggest hurricane ever just roll over my house.. took some time to get the inter webs back In its whole form of nine verses, the psalm reflects the yearning for Jerusalem as well as hatred for the Holy City's enemies with sometimes violent imagery. 52 (1859), is in the printed score preceded by a French translation of Psalm 137. Words in boxes are from the Bible. In its whole form of nine verses, the psalm reflects the yearning for Jerusalem as well as hatred for the Holy City's enemies with sometimes violent imagery. Psalm 137:4 Translation & Meaning. 3 Praise the L ord, for x the L ord is good; sing to his name, y for it is pleasant! forget Jerusalem. Whoever edited and arranged these sacred poems, he had an eye to apposition and contrast; for if in Psalm 137 we see the need of silence before revilers, here we … [25] It was soon adopted as a Lutheran hymn, and appeared in publications such as the Becker Psalter. and never sing a song or speak a word more, should I be so forgetful of the 4:21; Ezek. Psalm 137 is at once one of the most poignant and most troubling of the psalms. The Israelites even “hanged” their harps, their instruments of They stedfastly resolved to keep up this affection. 2:3). 2:4, 6-9; Micah 3:12). their place of worship. The notes explain some of the words with a *star by them. [7][8], In the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches that use the Byzantine Rite, Psalm 137 (known by its Septuagint numbering as Psalm 136) is a part of the Nineteenth Kathisma (division of the Psalter) and is read at Matins on Friday mornings throughout the year, except during Bright Week (the week following Easter Sunday) when no psalms at all are read. having done the same to the Jewish children, and is foretold elsewhere should be his covenant God and Father. Whole Psalm. Longing for Zion in a Foreign Land. Where had they hung their harps? “The LORD’s song”: A unique way to refer to divine inspiration of the psalms. Upon the willows in the midst of it. 1 Kierownikowi chóru. The Jews in exile were then told to “sing us one of the songs of Zion!” (Psalm 137:1), adding further humiliation and frustration to a defeated people. being built (compare Ezra 3:12), so deep was their sorrow. Nor is this desired from a spirit of revenge, but We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. 13 No. Praise the name of the L ord, give praise, O v servants of the L ord, 2 who n stand in the house of the L ord, in w the courts of the house of our God! Many times, 'Tear it down,' they cried, 'tear it down to its foundations!' And (1-3) Mourning by Babylon’s rivers. --Robert Rollock. 1 By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept. Upon the willows in the midst of it We hung our harps. 9. Psalm 137:8 speaks of Babylon being repaid by having precisely what she did to the Jews done back to her. How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land? for an eye. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required … 1. 3 For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, And those who () plundered us requested mirth, Saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” Psalm 137:1, KJV: "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion." The song they were trying to get them to sing was a song that had been part of "Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth": As is the case of a person in a By the determinate counsel and decree of God, and according to divine Babylon, the destroyer both of the bodies and souls of men (Rev. weep as these did who sat by the river in Babylon. “Carried us away captive”: The Babylonians taunted the Jews to sing of their In these psalms, the author (usually David, although not in Ps. Maré : Psalm 137 OTE 23/1 (2010), 116-128 119 The psalm not only relates the story of a specific period in Israel’s history, but it was probably utilised in the cult as an observance of lament by The *psalmist was the person that wrote the psalm. Many settings omit the last verse. Psalm 137:2 "We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.". Verses 5-6: Their refusal to sing was not caused by either of 2 unthinkable [40] William Billings adapted the text to describe the British occupation of Boston in his anthem "Lamentation over Boston". 36:19; Psalms 74:6-8; 79:1; Isa. to Top. 135 u Praise the L ord! on them? Verse 9 names the crime: killing babes. remembered Zion.". In these psalms, the author (usually David, although not in Ps. against the stones.". [12], After the Second Vatican Council, the last three verses of the psalm were removed from Catholic liturgical books because of their cruelty perceived to be incompatible with the gospel message. This very thing had taken place in the overthrow of Jerusalem. This shows the English words related to the source biblical texts along with brief definitions. 137. 50:15). The psalmist writes from exile in what today is southern Iraq. This shows the English words related to the source biblical texts along with brief definitions. BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD: The Holy Bible: King James Version. 51:25). Therefore, what follows is an explanation of the meaning of Psalm 137:9. [28] Four-part chorale settings of Dachstein's hymn were realised by, among others, Johann Hermann Schein[29][30] and Heinrich Schütz. babies will die is the prayer that no new Babylonian generation will arise In the blessings and promises of 3 For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song, And those who # Ps. When this is the "head" or The psalm has been set to music by many composers. “For indeed the day is coming, burning like a furnace, and all the arrogant evildoers will be chaff. Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof. a sense seems to have no place here. . Which, though So mystical Babylon, antichrist, and the man of destroyed. When we remembered Zion. It may also have been written many years into the exile. 18:6). But for you who respect my name, the sun of vindication will rise with healing wings, and you will skip about like calves released from the stall. Psalm 137:5 "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget [her 5–6 the speaker turns into self-exhortation to remember Jerusalem: The psalm ends with prophetic predictions of violent revenge. [14], The psalm has been set to music by many composers. Nor Christ, the object of joy unspeakable and full of glory; joy in the “It will not leave even a root or branch. be], that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.". the increase of their substance. captivity. [citation needed], Psalm 137 is traditionally recited before the Birkat Hamazon (Grace After Meals) on a weekday. Psalm 137:3 "For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; The hymnwriter John L. Bell comments alongside his own setting of this Psalm: "The final verse is omitted in this metricization, because its seemingly outrageous curse is better dealt with in preaching or group conversation. This is about the same thing as the verse above, except instead of forgetting In Revelation, Babylon the chapters 50 and 51; Hab. When the calamities of war are abroad. It was like these Jewish people spoken of enjoyment because of the sad case of Zion (Mal. 137:1. I look back over the things that have changed our churches, and I was written during the Babylonian captivity, or perhaps shortly afterward. [50][51], In 1863, Gabriel Fauré wrote a Super Flumina Babylonis for mixed chorus and orchestra. Psalm 137:4 "How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land? O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. The psalm is a regular part of Jewish, Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican and Protestant liturgies. The other is an heavy imprecation and a prophetical denunciation against the enemies of the church, unto the end of the Psalm. This Psalm is composed of two parts. 6. Psalm 137 is at once one of the most poignant and most troubling of the psalms. The songs would not be joyful in The people longed for their native What did the people of Edom say, to do to Jerusalem? This Psalm tells of the captivity of the children of Israel in Babylon. 7. as R. Obadiah. Psalm 138 is the 138th psalm of the Book of Psalms, generally known in English by its first verse, "I will praise thee with my whole heart" (King James Version).The Book of Psalms is found in the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a book of the Christian Old Testament.In the Greek Septuagint version of the bible, and in its Latin translation in the Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 137 in a slightly different … In the later verses (Ps 137:7-9), we have utterances of burning indignation against the chief adversaries of Israel, --an indignation as righteous as it was fervent. shepherd, raised up in righteousness to perform his pleasure (Isa. JPSOA has "keep Jerusalem in memory at my happiest hour." they had forgotten Jerusalem. music, all its skill. 5. But all worldly joy, or matter of let the hand which would be employed in sweeping over its strings become principal, and greatest part of joy, The beginning of joy, the top and For other uses, see, Translations, versifications and settings, The Complete Artscroll Machzor for Rosh Hashanah page 324. [citation needed], This psalm is also solemnly chanted at Matins (Orthros) after the Polyeleos on the three Sundays preceding the beginning of Great Lent. Psalm 137:8 "O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy [shall he 49:7-12; Lam. good and interest of religion. Psalm 137: Continuing one of the more graphic imprecatory prayers, this psalm Psalm 139 is the 139th psalm of the Book of Psalms, generally known in English by its first verse, in the King James Version, "O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Bible Maps. well be hanging in a tree for what good they could do for them. people are still having trouble today, over Israel. Psalms 137:2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. Because this psalm is a remembrance of Babylon, many commentators believe it was written after the return from exile. would be if they should make merry while their temple was in ruins. email us at: 2 We hung our harps. Webmaster@bible-studys.org That wasn’t the first time one of our readers brought it up. here wished success by the godly Jews. 7 Remember, LORD, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. Asked to "sing the Lord's song in a strange land", they refuse. These were harps that they had played joyfully in their temple. Psalm 137:1-2 (NASB) They are remembering Zion or … Part III: The Hymns and Hymn Melodies of the Organ Works", Der Psalter Dauids Gesangweis: Auff die in Lutherischen Kirchen gewöhnliche Melodeyen zugerichtet, SWV 242 / Becker Psalter - Psalm 137 - An Wasserflüssen Babylon, DU CAURROY, Eustache (1549-1609) : MÉLANGES, Cantiques, chants, psaumes et hymnes (Rossi, Salamone), "Babylon Revisited: Psalm 137 as American Protest Song", We sat down and wept by the waters / An den Wassern zu Babel, Zwei hebräische Melodien von Lord Byron für eine Singstimme mit Klavierbegleitung, 2 Lieder, Op.15, BV 202 (Busoni, Ferruccio), "Près du fleuve étranger" (Gounod, Charles), Psalmus 136 (137) / An Babels Wasserflüssen, "Lament for Jerusalem a mystical love song". One of the saddest things a person can feel, is their separation from What a wonderful mixture is the Psalm of soft melancholy and fiery patriotism! Psalm 137:9: "Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones. As This Psalm records the mourning of the captive Israelites, and a prayer and prediction respecting the destruction of their enemies. The Psalms: 137: The Mourning of the Exiles in Babylon: 1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. It is a powerful book for personal ... -The figure must be interpreted in light of its meaning in the setting in which it was used. Psalms 137:8 O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. This would be magnified here, because they were captives. 3. the thrust of the Psalm as a whole. "[15], Latin settings ("Super flumina Babylonis") as four-part motets were composed by Costanzo Festa,[16] Nicolas Gombert,[17] Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina[18] and Orlando Lassus. The first part of the psalm tells the story of exile in Babylon (587-538 B.C.E. The *Jews lived in Judah. What horrible thing, in verse 9, had taken place in Jerusalem before? The *psalmist spoke the Hebrew language. One will not [citation needed], Following the rule of St. Benedict (530 AD), the Roman Breviary adopted the "Super flumina Babylonis" psalm for Vespers on Wednesdays. The church is really being pushed out of the main stream. who will come a second time. As having loved him with an everlasting love. I mean, when blessings … [21] French Baroque settings were written by Henry Dumont,[22] Marc-Antoine Charpentier, 2 settings, H.170 (1670) and H.171-H.171 a (? })(); They “The songs of Zion” (compare Psalms 46, 48, 76, 84, 87, 122). “The children of Edom”: Edomites had been allied with the Babylonians in the Psalm 137 1 By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. "If I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy": Meaning not God his exceeding situations: (2) The psalm is being written in Babylon by an Israelite (not God), lamenting while thinking about mount Zion while he is in captivity in Babylon. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy. 52:12-16; Lam. James Lowry describes the psalm as starting noble but becoming very mean towards the end. 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. By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. it was burned off, and dropped in the flames. Which is true 50:1). [25], The first composition in Eustache Du Caurroy's Meslanges de la musique, published in 1610, a year after the composer's death, is "Le long des eaux, ou se bagne", a six-part setting of Gilles Durant de la Bergerie's paraphrase of Psalm 137. appears when all a man has that his matter of joy is sacrificed for the public It may also have been written many years into the exile. They stedfastly resolved to keep up this affection. "May. Nor the joy of the Holy Ghost in a way of What horrible thing, in verse 9, had taken place in Jerusalem before. the Mede, as Kimchi; or rather, or however who must be added, Cyrus the Persian, By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down; yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion! Whole Psalm. Contributed by Mark A. Barber on … of literal Babylon, called the destroying mountain (Jer. PSALM 137: AN EXEGETICAL STUDY ON THE PSALM AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO ANCIENT Babylonia Exile of the Jewish People. Upon the willows, in the midst thereof, we hanged our harps. destroyed by the Babylonians (2 Chron. [37] Matthew Locke's Super flumina Babylonis motet is an extended setting of the first nine verses of the psalm. and they that wasted us [required of us] mirth, [saying], Sing us [one] of the What does this verse really mean? Words in brackets, ( ), are not in the *Hebrew Bible. 1. rivers of Babylon—the name of the city used for the whole country. In prayer, in discourse, in conversation. Psalms Menu  If I should now play on the harp, as indicative of joy, Psalm. And in so doing pronounced happy, being the Lord's 1. Psalm 137 gives permission, and actually authorizes the powerless who have been brutalized to vent their indignation and turn to God for justice. What does this verse really mean? 2 of his Hebräische Gesänge, Op. The words "for David" are part of the Hebrew psalm. The poetry was set by, among others, Isaac Nathan (1815) and Samuel Sebastian Wesley (c. 1834). When suffering, we should recollect with godly sorrow our forfeited mercies, and our sins by which we lost them. (function() { Find Top Church Sermons, Illustrations, and Preaching Slides on Psalm 137. As risen, ascended, exalted, and Psalms 137. 137) invokes God to bring down judgment or punishment on his enemies. When joy for its good is means years Before Christ came to the earth. Some allegorically understand that when Jerusalem was overthrown, that the Edomites wanted it to be totally uppermost, and is first in his thoughts and words. the same horrors that they committed against Jerusalem to come to them. The coming day will burn them up,” says the Lord who rules over all. Those that rejoice in God, for his sake make Jerusalem their joy. Their captives required of them, what? here. “For indeed the day is coming, burning like a furnace, and all the arrogant evildoers will be chaff. songs of Zion.". this of crushing and mortifying the first motions of sin in the heart; but such The meaning here is, that to … great is spoken of in this manner. Psalms 137. http://prayerbook.ca/resources/bcponline/psalter/, Super flumina Babylonis (Festa, Costanzo), International Music Score Library Project, Super flumina Babylonis (Palestrina, Giovanni Pierluigi da), Super flumina Babylonis (Lassus, Orlande de), Super flumina Babylonis / Philippe de Monte (1521-1603), Super flumina Babylonis (Victoria, Tomás Luis de), Super flumina Babylonis . The poignancy comes in its personal description of the distress of Babylonian exile; the trouble is in its terrible outburst against the oppressors. ... in this place that’s ever felt like that, but let me tell you I can bear witness to what the writer’s saying. The psalmist, here is just saying that it is more [citation needed], Similarly, the Prayer Book of the Anglican Church of Canada has also removed these verses. It Now, however, the Hebrews found … Psalm 137:1, NASB: "By the rivers of Babylon, There we … 21:11-12; Jer. Verses 7-9 make it explicit: The coming day will burn them up,” says the Lord who rules over all. Does that mean that David wrote the psalm? 8 Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is the one who repays you according to what you have done to us. What does the author compare losing your special place of worship to? This is the answer returned by the Jews to the above request or demand; it may be, particularly, by the Levites, whose business it was to sing these songs: so the Targum, deserve what you get, because of what you have done to us. Psalm 137 is a hymn expressing the yearnings of the Jewish people during their Babylonian exile. Psalm 137:4, NASB: "How can we sing the LORD’S song In a foreign land?" _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); Introduction Psalm 137 is a psalm about the Babylonian exile. Psalms 137:4. 13. Psalm 130: The first four words of this psalm would form an appropriate title: “Out of the depths”, and that is the title by which it is known in Latin (De Profundis). Let the punishment come where it would seem to be 17:8). Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones. 137 By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down, yea, we wept When we remembered Zion. This was a prophetic Scripture about the destruction of Babylon. Psalm 137:9 Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament The second part of the Psalm supplicates vengeance upon Edom and Babylon. The early lines of the psalm describe the sadness of the Israelites in exile, weeping and hanging their harps on trees. Those that rejoice in God, for his sake make Jerusalem their joy. Psalm 137:5-6 is a self curse used for literary intensity! Its deserved, on the hand which could play at such a time. which had been employed in signing a recantation of his faith in the fire, until to Home Page  |  Return for the glory of divine justice, and that such a generation of cruel creatures The opening two verses of Psalm 137 reveal that this song is sung by Jewish captives in the city of Babylon. It is also connected with our worship toward God. Psalm 137 is a hymn expressing the yearnings of the Jewish people during their Babylonian exile. [19] Philippe de Monte[20] and Tomas Luis de Victoria set the text for eight parts. . place of worship is pretty close to the feelings you have in the death of a What does verse 5 say, that is to be forgotten, if he forgets Jerusalem? 64:10-11; Jer. 44:28). And yet the church of God and Jerusalem. "Let my right hand forget her cunning": Let my right hand forget its skill in likely that he would forget how to use his right hand than it is that he would [citation needed] During most of Great Lent it is read at Matins on Thursday and at the Third Hour on Friday, but during the fifth week of Great Lent it is read at Vespers on Tuesday evening and at the Third Hour on Friday. var _gaq = _gaq || []; Psalm 137:4, KJV: "How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land?" What does verse 5 say, that is to be forgotten, if he forgets Jerusalem? their remembrance was their place of worship. By the rivers of Babylon] Tigris and Euphrates; for the land of Shinar (where Babel was founded, and afterwards Babylon built) was, as most geographers think, a part of the garden of Eden, fruitful beyond credulity; but to the poor captives all this was no comfort, when they remembered the … NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 137:7-9