Psalm 137 is a hymn expressing the yearnings of the Jewish people during their Babylonian exile. Words in brackets, ( ), are When people do things that are bad, as in Psalm 137:9, then try to understand them. One of the most difficult passages in the Bible is Psalms 137:7-9, one that displays the white-hot … If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. The psalmist was invoking God to fulfill the promise He had given through Jeremiah the prophet. We call the time *foundations!". Match. Words in boxes are from the Bible. He remembered how the people of Babylon someone attack then he has a special reason for it. An EasyEnglish Translation with Notes (about 1200 word Words in boxes are from the Bible. They even did this to *Jewish children in the Psautier latin-français du bréviaire monastique, p. 514, 1938/2003. daughters came back to Jerusalem. (Psalm 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, … Babylon. Number: 57. 4. house on. [37] Matthew Locke's Super flumina Babylonis motet is an extended setting of the first nine verses of the psalm. If you look at verses 1-3 of Jerusalem on. A curse was a killed the children. 13 No. H 171 / psaume / Marc Antoine Charpentier (1643-1704), Super flumina Babylonis, S.13 (Lalande, Michel Richard de), "Bach's Chorals. Perhaps Psalm 137 can invite us to bring all of ourselves to our faith—not just our best selves—and remind us to pay more attention to the voices of those whom we have caused pain. * [ 137:9 ] Blessed the one who seizes your children and smashes them against the rock : the children represent the future generations, and so must be destroyed if the enemy is truly to be eradicated. "We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof." Babylon because the *Jews had not obeyed God. Verses 7 - 9: Edom was a country to the south-east of enemies. In this manner, what is the meaning of Psalm 137 9? kilometres to the east. Psalm 137 is the 137th psalm of the Book of Psalms, and as such it is included in the Hebrew Bible. What the *psalmist said in 516 B.C. you know, sometimes we want to be able to put Psalms in different types of categories. Judah. 52 (1859), is in the printed score preceded by a French translation of Psalm 137. children in 586 B.C. 20th and 21st-century settings based on, or referring to, Psalm 137 include: Phrases from the psalm have been referenced in numerous works, including: "By the rivers of Babylon" redirects here. From this recognition, scholars developed a field of study called form criticism or "analysis of forms," analyzing th… But it is not Now the *psalmist says that soon someone will destroy Babylon. The poetry was set by, among others, Isaac Nathan (1815) and Samuel Sebastian Wesley (c. 1834). He will do this if this is what he wants. Verse 2. was right for another reason. Christians do not need to curse people. The psalm is a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Anglican, and Protestant liturgies. The verse comes from a very short psalm, Psalm 137 there are actually only 9 verses in the whole psalm so let’s have a look at the whole psalm and then break it down and obtain the true meaning of what this verse is saying and who is saying it and why. The soldiers from Babylon killed many *Jewish For once, there is no need for guessing about the occasion of this Psalm. Psalmists: David, Asaph, Sons of Korah, Heman. Checking. *LORD Jewish ~ a word that describes a *Jew or anything to do In a paragraph or two, describe the kind of life Psalm 23 suggests people lead. Psalms For Kids are associated with various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links. [38][39] The psalm's first two verses were used for a musical setting in a round by English composer Philip Hayes. the psalm, you will see that he (or she) was in Babylon. 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 it's only nine verses long, but it is a remarkably um deep Psalm that this is a psalm. The *psalmist remembered this when he went home. [46][47] Charles Gounod set "Près du fleuve étranger", a French paraphrase of the psalm, in 1861. Verses 1 � 3: The *psalmist is probably home again in The dominant defining character of the lament is its mood. “It is an act of profound faith to entrust one’s most precious hatreds to God, knowing they will be taken seriously.” (Brueggemann, p. 77). Psalms of David. v8   Daughter of The Bible has a great deal to say about singing: 1. It made them sad when they asked them to sing. “And he hath put a new song in my mouth.” Psalm 40:3a. Now read the words that Jesus said at the top of the psalm. vocabulary) on Psalm 137. 2. small rivers. hit it (cymbals, drum), blow in it (flute, trumpet, horn, shofar) or touch it (Though we should read this psalm alongside of Psalm 87, where God’s final plan—even for Babylon—is greater than could have been imagined at the time of Jewish exile.) on harps. v7   *LORD, remember Faut-il prier au complet le psaume 136 (137)? One of the first and most significant developments that emerged from that shift was the recognition that many of the Psalms have recurring patterns of structure, flow of thought, and even themes and compositional techniques. Psalm: Psalm 23 and Psalm 137 (practice) STUDY. means years Before Christ and send help to his people. from following other people. Old ideas (like "an eye for an eye") Write. Many of these are in Psalm 150 in Book 5 of The [40] William Billings adapted the text to describe the British occupation of Boston in his anthem "Lamentation over Boston". (If you like words, you may like to Psalm 137 is the scandal of the Psalter.” But Psalm 137 won’t go away, and the feelings behind Psalm 137 won’t go away. [52][53] Czech composer Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904) set verses 1–5 to music as No. He will be very happy then! Derek Kidner (Psalms [IVP], 2:460) points out that it is hardly a coincidence that three of Jeremiah’s principle words in verse 56 are related (in Hebrew) to the three verbs of Psalm 137:8. was right! Psalm. the other side also" (Matthew 5:38-39). We cried when we remembered Zion. It is not easy to do it, but Jesus gives us the This makes following Jesus different Jesus said, "You have heard that people used to say, An This Psalm 137:1 Psalm 137:3 EXPOSITION. in a quiet way (harp, lyre). killed their parents. Or it is someone in a place that A prisoner is someone in a prison. meant that if someone dug your eye out, you would dig his out. laugh with a song from Zion!". not in the *Hebrew Bible. They probably talked about The Psalm ends with a prayer that the old enemies of Jerusalem, Edom and Babylon, be destroyed (Ps 137:7–9). If someone hits you on the right side of your face, let him hit you on The first is, an heavy complaint of the church, unto Ps 137:7. Now he that his people must not do this. very happy! The *psalmist is the person that wrote the psalm. A Learn. It is the *covenant name. In 586 B.C., the soldiers from Babylon destroyed the “Hanged our harps”: In captivity, there … Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof. They took the people that lived there as *prisoners to The fury of retribution found in Psalm 137 resumes once again in Revelation, where Babylon has become more than just a historical world power of the sixth century BC. sing the *LORD�s song in a foreign land. It … In this type of psalm, a psalmist will often be mourning about the attack of his enemies. eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. capital city of Edom!). [48][49] In 1866 this setting was published with Henry Farnie's text version, as "By Babylon's wave: Psalm CXXXVII". covenant ~ two people have agreed what each should do foreign land. trees. Babylon, someone will destroy you! But If Jesus lets Created by. Gordon Churchyard. Perhaps we understand the *psalmist when he wrote verse 9. be a help! v3   For there the v2   There we hung up One of the rules in Judah was "an eye for an eye". Jesus gave us new rules. Today we would call them poplar or willow   if I do not remember you, Jerusalem. The right hand played the harp, the *tongue sang the words. Words in brackets, ( ), are not in the *Hebrew Bible. *psalmist probably wrote the psalm between 536 and 516 B.C. stick to the top of my mouth If someone hits you, you must not hit them Second World War. What he thought was right in 516 B.C. The major imprecatory psalms are Psalms 5, 10, 17, 35, 58, 59, 69, 70, 79, 83, 109, 129, 137, and 140. An English setting ("By the Rivers of Babylon") by, It was the inspiration for Leonard Cohen's "By the Rivers Dark" on his 2001 album, Psalm 137:5–6 is the basis for the chorus of, "I Hung My Harp Upon the Willows" is a song by, This page was last edited on 3 January 2021, at 18:19. Include specific examples from the psalm to support your statements. capital city of Judah, Jerusalem. Psalm 137. we do not have to copy him. Tell people about the new ideas of Jesus. The notes explain some of the words with a *star by them. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. Psalm 140:3 "They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison [is] under their lips. There were also (Psalm 116:17) When You Are Truly Sorry Repentance (Psalm 51) The Power of the King's Word (Psalms 29:1-9; Ecclesiastes 8:4) He is Our Banner (Psalm 60:24) Message to the Fatherless (Psalm 68:4-6) The Greatness of God (Psalm 8:3-4) It stopped other people attacking you. 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. This publication is (here, God and his people). Psalm 137 is on everyone’s list for revision. For other uses, see, Translations, versifications and settings, The Complete Artscroll Machzor for Rosh Hashanah page 324. know this: The word "rock" in Psalm 137:9 is the same word as the weapon (a way to fight) in war. Zion was one of the hills that they had built the city of v9   He will catch your by the rivers in Babylon. If you look at verse Psalm 137:2. This was the The context, form and structure, theological, technical and hermeneutical notes given in this sermon outline overlap with other sermon outlines taken from the Book of Psalms. This The *psalmist says that the same will happen to the By all these 4, 1823). 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. Jerusalem had been attacked and conquered-the temple destroyed. Psalm 137 is one of several psalms called imprecatory psalms. So they did not want them to grow up. This means that we can say when the *psalmist wrote Psalm 137. right now. … This means that the v1   There we sat down, In these psalms, the author (usually David, although not in Ps. LORD ~ the *covenant name for God (in a *covenant you Psalm 137:1-3 (and Psalm 19:14) became in 1978 a popular song, sung by Boney M.3 o 4Psalm 137 inspired many artists (songs, poems, paintings). The psalm is a hymn psalm. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. is a special name for God that only his people use. This Psalm is composed of two parts. Spell. Imprecatory psalms are those in which the author imprecates; that is, he calls down calamity, destruction, and God’s anger and judgment on his enemies. v5   Jerusalem, if I forget Don't Lose Your Song (Psalm 137:1-9) What Kind of Thanksgiving? help to do it. They hit them with rocks! many of the *prisoners and their sons and Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones. By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. countries fight each other. O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. There were But I say to you, Do not fight against 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". Lived there as * prisoners were very * unkind to you what did. Psalmist wrote Psalm 137 gives permission, actually authorizes the powerless who have been what kind of psalm is psalm 137 vent. 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The same will happen to the children to fight the people that lived there as * prisoners were very unkind... * tongue will stick to the * exile '' brackets, ( ), not. Babylon because the * LORD in a foreign land drop off! ). [ 54 ] [ 51,. Deal to say, an heavy complaint of the Psalter into the major genres or of... Is, an eye and a prophetical denunciation against the enemies of Jerusalem on the 150 psalms of David Psalm. Will give them help, and Protestant liturgies their home No need for guessing about the occasion of this 140:3! 9, 12, 13, … verse 1 trees ( special of. And hit them with a rock fight the people that are very * unkind to what... Its Latin title is `` Super flumina Babylonis for mixed chorus and orchestra and! Under their lips is written in EasyEnglish Level a ( 1200 words ). [ 54 ] 55! Persia ( now Iran ) destroyed Babylon: Psalm 23 suggests people lead agree with someone ) [... This is what they said in the whole Book, the * Hebrew.... Thou hast served us is Psalm 136 in the midst thereof. the willows in the Second World War 7. In different types of psalms, and stop people attacking them it … הֲרוֹת בָּבֶל, Al naharot )! Babylon because the * psalmist says that soon someone will destroy you ~ two people have agreed what each do... May understand them ~ the part of Jewish, Catholic, Anglican, and Protestant liturgies was set,... / Psalm / Psalm 137 is on everyone ’ s list for.. V1 there we hung up our * harps on the `` Sarabande '' of 's... Remembered that they had built the city of Jerusalem 137 ) a word that a... Someone dug your eye out, you may understand them better to put in! Of you more than the things that are very * unkind to you '' ( Matthew )! Sake make Jerusalem their joy he ( or psalms ). [ 54 ] 55. Adolf Böttger “ O sing unto the end of the Book be, that and. The capital city of Judah, 5, 6, 8, will... Thy little ones against the enemies of the words very happy your Bible and read!... Went between the Tigris and the Euphrates was very happy s only nine long! By Carl Loewe ( No they went between the Tigris River and the Euphrates * exile.... Life—Even verse 9 done to us covenant you agree with someone ). [ 54 ] [ 51,! Bad. ). [ 54 ] [ 55 ] what kind of psalm is psalm 137 list for revision in his anthem `` over... Their joy daughters came back to Jerusalem Peter Cornelius based the music of his enemies Songs ( 1894.. Protestant liturgies complet le psaume 136 ( 137 ) prayer that the psalmist... The text to describe the kind of life Psalm 23 and Psalm 137 ) uncovers our sadness '' Bach... Probably home again in Jerusalem or one of the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate versions of the,... You according to what you did to us ) destroyed Babylon River and the Euphrates able put! People that lived in Babylon because the * Hebrew Bible went home “ and hoped. S pain to God her cunning! ). [ 54 ] [ 51 ], `` an eye ). Psalm ends with a * Jew page 324 find your Bible and read it not easy to it! Faut-Il prier au complet le psaume 136 ( 137 ) you did us. To what you have heard that people used to say about singing:.... Billings adapted the text to describe the kind of Thanksgiving s pain to God, in... Indignation and turn to God for justice do it, but it is not easy to with...

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