Biblical Commentary:What does Psalm chapter 137 mean?
Chapter Context
After years of warning (Deuteronomy 28:1, 64), Israel was conquered and the people taken away into Babylon (2 Chronicles 36:17–21). After seventy years (Jeremiah 29:10–14) they were allowed to rebuild Jerusalem (Ezra 2:1). This psalm expresses a grieving desire for enemies such as Babylon (Daniel 1:1–3) and Edom (Obadiah 1:10–11, 14) to suffer the same evils they committed on Israel. This is perhaps the most notorious of the "imprecatory" psalms (Psalms 5; 10; 17; 35; 58—59; 69—70; 79; 83, 109; 129; 137; 140).
What does Psalm chapter 137 mean?
Psalm 137 contains one of the most infamous statements in Scripture (Psalm 137:9). This is often misunderstood as God's approval of infanticide. Instead, it is a painfully honest expression of bitterness. The writer hopes a hated invader will experience the same atrocities they inflicted on Israel (Psalm 137:8). This places it among the "imprecatory" psalms which call for tangible harm to an enemy. Examples include Psalms 5, 10, 17, 35, 58, 59, 69, 70, 79, 83, 109, 129, 137, and 140.
In 536 BC, Jerusalem was wrecked by a Babylonian invasion (2 Chronicles 36:17–21). Atrocities were committed (2 Kings 25:5–7) and many people were captured (Daniel 1:1–3). The survivors are depicted sitting in misery near Babylon's extensive canal system. They are so distraught that they hang their instruments in tree branches—there is no point in playing them. Worse, Israel's abductors mock them by sarcastically asking to hear songs about the homeland which has been lost (Psalm 137:1–4).
Despite this misery, the psalmist is committed to seeing Jerusalem restored. He would rather be crippled and mute—or incapable of playing music and singing—rather than to forget this goal. That same attitude of intentional memory plays into the psalm's turn towards imprecatory prayer (Psalm 137:5–6).
Edom was a nation descended from Esau (Genesis 25:30; 36:1, 8), twin brother of Jacob (Genesis 25:24–26), who was the patriarch of Israel (Genesis 32:28). When Babylon sacked Jerusalem, it seems the Edomites helped to capture fleeing Jews and to destroy the city (Obadiah 1:10–11, 14). The psalmist prays that God would bring vengeance on the Edomites for this (Psalm 137:7).
Prophecies predicted that Israel would suffer in exile because of their sin (Deuteronomy 28:1, 64; Jeremiah 29:10–14). Prophets also indicated that their tormentor would suffer even greater consequences (Jeremiah 25:12; Isaiah 47:1–3; 50—51). These would correspond to the evils which Babylon committed on others (Jeremiah 25:14). Slaughter of women and children was unfortunately common in ancient warfare (2 Kings 8:12; Isaiah 13:16; Hosea 10:14). In a spirit of resentment and grief, the psalmist hopes that Babylon will experience the same atrocities that they inflicted on Israel (Psalm 137:8–9).
