Psalms 137:2. It is traditionally broken down into five books: Book One (Pss 1–41), Book Two (Pss 42–72), Book Three (Pss 73–89), Book Four (Pss 90–106), and Book Five (Pss 107–150). Remember, O LORD, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem's fall, how they said, “Tear it down! Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land? The New Testament contains 287 Old Testament quotes. If this is true, the captors knew that asking them to sing the songs would be somewhat inappropriate and they did such to intentionally insult and aggravate their captives. Who said, “Raze it, raze it, It is interesting that the psalmist did not make this a prayer to God as he did regarding Edom in the previous verse. I call Psalm 1 the Wicket Gate into the Psalter. Perhaps he regarded the judgment of Babylon to be so certain that it didn’t need his prayer, only his pronouncement, especially in light of other prophecies. 3 Denn dort hießen uns singen, die uns gefangen hielten, und in unserm Heulen fröhlich sein: »Singet uns ein Lied von Zion!« 4 Wie könnten wir des HERRN Lied singen in fremdem Lande? Psalm 137. In The Oxford Bible Commentary. Most times the 137th Psalm is read because the Children of Israel Narrative has been used for many years as a source of hope four countless African-American experiences. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. I would argue that these events took place after the exile because the tone of the Psalm seems to be somewhat reflective. In this way the term Zion lost its originally precise geographic designation and came to refer to the Temple area and even to the entire city of Jerusalem.[7]. If he did forget, then his right hand could lose its skill to play the harp. Psalm 137, Rev Bryan Jackson, Liberal Lectionary Resources, 2013. Nor should you have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; nor should you have spoken proudly in the day of distress (Obadiah 1:12). Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. An Introduction to the Psalms. Oxford Reference Online. “The word ‘foundations’…implies more than the actual foundations of the walls of Jerusalem, as it also pertains to the God-established order in creation, in his rule, and in his election of a people to himself (cf. 137. Psalms 119:137-144. Whenever I debate someone about Bible literal-ism they usually mention Psalm 137:9 KJV. So shall it be, and so it is, and that daily; and it is shown that it was not said in vain, save that it was future. Even in black churches today, the New Years Eve watch night serve is the time where African Americas sing songs, read poems, and dance to remember when their ancestors were enslaved. The second movement also employs an if/let or rather an if/then clause. i. [9] For them, instruments were tools used in corporate praise. by. [3] Commentary on Psalms." Introduction. An EasyEnglish Translation with Notes (about 1200 word vocabulary) on Psalm 137. www.easyenglish.bible. It uses a lot of plural pronouns like “we”, “our”, and “us”. 2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. This most poignant of psalms escapes as a cry from a people in exile. Exegesis [1-4] The first unit of Psalm 137, vv. At least, they use to leave about a yard square of the house unplastered, on which they write, in great letters, this of the psalmist, ‘If I forget Jerusalem,’ etc., or else these words, Zecher leehorban, that is, The memory of the desolation (Leo Modena of the Rites of the Jews).”, Remember, O LORD, against the sons of Edom Although this was humiliating for the enslaved it was entertaining for their masters. The small book of Obadiah is a prophetic pronouncement against the Edomites for their part in the conquest of Judea. Ver. [14] Thus, for the exiled, to forget was blasphemous. Psalm 137. Oxford Biblical Studies Online. [17] Bantu, Nkodi, Ndungu, and Nganga: Language, Politics, Music, and Religion in African American Poetry." Click to enable/disable Google reCaptcha. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. PSALM 137: AN EXEGETICAL STUDY ON THE PSALM AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO ANCIENT Babylonia Exile of the Jewish People. They unite to lament and grieve. (Spurgeon, C. H. Lectures to my Students: Commenting and Commentaries)Rosscup adds: This is one of the more thorough older exegetical works on the Hebrew … Exegesis of Psalm 137 In four pages an exegesis of Psalm 137 is presented in an overview of the Psalms book and an extensive analysis of this particular song includes meaning interpretations and critical opinions regarding its translation. Macon, Georgia: Mercer University Press, 1998. Psalm 137: Complex Communal Laments JOHN AHN jahn@austinseminary.edu Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Austin, TX 78705 Classifying Psalm 137 is complex. Studienleitfaden „Inspiriert“-Buch, S. 104. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. 1. It argues that such a claim about cultic rituals can be assumed but such “is not imperative”. They should have supported and sympathized with Jerusalem when the Babylonians came against it. [18] This also grew to an actual genre a theater post the civil war years and it was called wearing “black face” or minstrel shows. Secondly, the singer(s) refuses to sing because in their tradition God could only be praised at a Temple in Israel. Can you not tell the reason? Indexe. Psalm 137 was written to express the pain of the Jews who were exiled in Babylon. View Essay - Psalms 137.docx from NBST 610 at Liberty University. The Possible Usages of the Text in Various Cultural Settings, Often times I heard this text preached as a child during Watch Night Services in the African American Church. Psalm 137 begins with heart-breaking pathos and ends with shocking hostility. It views as the qal passive participle form of the verb “doomed to destruction.” 6.4 The Structure of Psalm 137 When looking at the structure of Psalm 137… 16 – Sermons 80+ – Illustrations / Stories 16 – Children's Sermons / Resources Often the enslaved Africans took breaks to eat and sleep and they would sit along the banks of the American rivers and weep, longing for their Zion, Africa, and desiring freedom. Watch Night is a service that takes place on New Years Eve in the African American community to commemorate the gathering on December 31, 1862, also known as "Freedom's Eve." The singer refuses to sing for two apparent reasons: (1) because the Babylonians where trying to ridiculed the Jewish people by asking them to sing songs about the Lord delivering them amidst their captivity. Although I have chosen to side with the scholars who vouch for this Psalm as being postexilic, we cannot be absolutely certain that it was either exilic or postexilic. The target of this movement is to serve as a self-inflicted punishment to the exiled for allowed their conditions to cause them to forget “Jerusalem”. Schuyler Rhodes. Psalm 137. c. We hung our harps upon the willows: The singer used poetic liberty to present a striking scene. This particular poem in the Psalter appears to have three metrical movements. 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 exiles. This Psalm contains within it reflections, desires for retaliation, expressions of contrition and lamentation, and the aspirations for the people to be reconciled with God and their homeland. The second movement seems to be more of a personal and private inward reflection/reminder of the writer to his/herself to remember Jerusalem/Zion. [2] For this blog entry we will be using the grouping method of the New Revised Standard Version. To have done so would have been to play traitor to their own lost city, and to all that their citizenship stood for.” (Morgan), ii. He/she tries to capture the pain and hurt that the exiled Hebrews felt as a result of the brutality and humiliation that they were subjected too.
. Psalm 137; Die Bibel. Psalm 137 is a work of poetry. The Old Testament Readings: Psalm 137, Pentecost 19C. 2 There on the poplars. [19], Many of the ensaved African’s and freed slaves were often so enraged that they revolted and some even killed their oppressors. This made it easier to memorize, although it makes it more difficult to discern the structure of the ideas which are interwoven throughout. This Psalm is composed of two parts. 1. The first is, an heavy complaint of the church, unto Ps 137:7. But neither let them, when they confess to You, when they praise You, desire earthly things of You. In The Access Bible. In captivity they sat by the edge of the Euphrates and wept, overcome with despair. Psalm 137:5-6 is a self curse used for literary intensity! (Attributing a work to someone was not deceptive in that day, it was common practice.) [8] "Commentary on Psalms." 2 Unsere Harfen hängten wir an die Weiden im Lande. [6] Anderson, A.A. “Let those find fault with it who have never seen their temple burned, their city ruined, their wives ravished, and their children slain; they might not, perhaps, be quite so velvet-mouthed if they had suffered after this fashion.” (Spurgeon). However, the bloodthirsty hatred found within this petition, invoking the wrath of God, and hurling curses towards one’s enemies is what imprecatory psalms are commonly known for. Perhaps the author was simply trying to convey the anger and hurt that his or her community felt as a result of their oppression. Meyer took the idea of not being able to sing and used it as an admonishment for Christians: “You have ceased singing lately. Ed. . "my right hand forget her skill" Notice that the words "her skill" are italicized in the NASB, which means that they are not in the MT. Oxford Biblical Studies Online. This movement also switches up its reference to Jerusalem to the third person, while allow the writer, the subject of the poem, to be referred to in the first person singular. Happy shall they be who take your little ones and dash them against the rock! a. O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed: The psalmist directed his words to future generations of the Babylonian empire, giving them notice that they themselves would be destroyed in God’s judgment. The Emancipation Proclamation. Click to enable/disable _gid - Google Analytics Cookie. b. Forget its skill: “In the Hebrew it is only forget, without expressing what, to intimate the extent and generality of this wish; Let it forget or be disenabled not only for playing, but for every action in which it was formerly used.” (Poole), iii. Oxford Biblical Studies Online. The mention of rivers gives the reader somewhat of a visual aid to couple with the communal reflection that is to come. The Personalized Psalms, which is a separate part of this study, will enable . The theology can be applied to the modern context in many ways that have only begun to be named in this analysis. These verses reveal the author’s undying loyalty and unconditional love for Jerusalem. Psalm 137 Einheitsübersetzung 2016 Rückblick der Verbannten auf ihr Heimweh nach Zion 1 An den Strömen von Babel, da saßen wir und wir weinten, wenn wir Zions gedachten. Find Psalms 137:1 4 Sermons and Illustrations. Psalm 137:6 "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." share | improve this question | follow | edited Jan 19 '15 at 0:39. curiousdannii ♦ 15.6k 9 9 gold badges 45 45 silver badges 97 97 bronze badges. i. Above my chief joy. On one level it represents the ordinary features of ancient warfare; on another, the Babylonians were accounted the enemies of YHWH and not just of Israel, for they had destroyed his city and his temple.[15]. 29-Apr-2011.. Robb Mc Coy and Eric Fistler, 2013. Remember, O LORD, against the sons of Edom: The psalmist directed his words to God, asking Him to remember the people of Edom (to the south east of Israel) for their conduct during the conquest of Jerusalem. We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. i. For instance: The tender pathos of the opening verses enlists our sympathy: the crash of bitter denunciation in the closing stanza shocks and repels’ leads one to think that he date of the psalm is variously taken to be during the Exile, when the mockery of vv. Zeal against sin should constrain us to do what we can against it, at least to do more in religion ourselves. Words in boxes are from the Bible. “There is ample evidence that ‘to dash in pieces their little ones’ was a common enough sequel to a heathen victory, and that Babylon had been in no mood for restraint at the fall of Jerusalem (2 Kings 25:7; Lamentations 5:11f. It would take a long time to sing those songs in a foreign land. Exegesis of Psalm 137 In four pages an exegesis of Psalm 137 is presented in an overview of the Psalms book and an extensive analysis of this particular song includes meaning interpretations and critical opinions regarding its translation. According to the Anchor Bible, "It was a widespread custom among Semitic peoples to mourn seated upon the ground." . In The New Oxford Annotated Bible. "How Do You Sing the Lord's Song?" They stedfastly resolved to keep up this affection. Psalm 24:2; 78:69; 89:11; 104:5). 2 An die Weiden in seiner Mitte hängten wir unsere Leiern. For example: many African American preachers compare the exile of the Hebrews to be comparable to the capturing of African and their enslavement in the Americas. If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither! Similarly, the blog entry will argue that the Psalm is a post-exilic text that could in many ways compare to many African American slave narratives. Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. [5] However, I personally lean more towards the New Century Bible Commentary’s reading of this text. Psalm 47-Perdue, Leo G. "'Yahweh Is King over All the Earth': An Exegesis of Psalm 47," Restoration Quarterly 17.2 (1974) 85-98 ... God's Transcendence and Immanence in Psalm 113," The Master's Seminary Journal 1.2 (1990) 129-137. a. Psalm 137 begins with heart-breaking pathos and ends with shocking hostility. Happy the one who takes and dashes 137 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. Oxford Biblical Studies Online. The ones who plundered the people of God now wanted them to entertain them. Within this work I choose to gather as many commentaries as possible and merge them to create a hermeneutic that I personally agreed with. I want to briefly make some comparisons to the verses. Research, Writing, and Ministry Preparation. A SONG FROM THE CAPTIVITY IN BABYLON. A Journey Through the Psalms: Reflections for Worried Hearts and Troubled Times. Click on the different category headings to find out more. Words in brackets, ( ), are not in the *Hebrew Bible. They asked for one of the famous songs of Zion. Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth— Instead, they enjoyed Jerusalem’s agony and wanted the city to be completely destroyed. How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a foreign land? i. . Verses 1-3, which lead up to and explain the pathetic question of verse 4, repeat nine times the pronoun ending nu (meaning ‘we’ or ‘our’), which sounds mournful. Preaching. Ver. A word list at the end explains the other words that have a *star by them. „By the rivers of Babylon …“ – sind Teil mehrerer erfolgreicher Musikstücke geworden. 1 By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept. The runaway slaves would flee at night by walking and swimming in rivers because the water would prevent the hound dogs from being able to trace their trails. If he failed to remember, then his tongue would lose its ability to sing. . Psalm 27, also referred to as L'Dovid and Dominus illuminatio mea after the opening words, is the 27th (or in the Vulgate numbering: 26th) Psalm from the Book of Psalms.. We may request cookies to be set on your device. O daughter of Babylon — By which he understands the city and empire of Babylon, and the people thereof, who art to be destroyed — Who by God’s righteous and irrevocable sentence, art devoted to certain destruction, and whose destruction is particularly and circumstantially foretold by God’s holy prophets. Yet there was no song left in them; their harps had been hung in the trees. 4 How shall we sing the Lord 's song in a strange land? Thus, for them, Zion was their Holy City, the place where God dwelled. I would first like to examine these rivers. 1:4)[4] While being seated they wept when they remembered Zion. Carlos R. Miller. Since, as we established earlier, the songs of Zion and praise were to only be sung in Jerusalem, for one to still desire to use these body parts in the future would suggest that there was hope that they would one day be delivered. Psalm 1, as its name implies its position within the book of Psalms, in many ways serves as an introduction to the entire book of Psalms. We are unsure as to who the author of this narrative could be. An example of this is found with in the narrative of Nat Turner who caused a massive slave uprising that killed over 50 white slave owners.[20]. "In the communal prayer life of the church - namely the liturgies of the Eucharist and the Divine Office, as Large willow trees grew on the shores of the great river, and because there were no songs left in these captives, they hung their harps on those willow trees. By employing the first person plural, this pericope recognizes not only the position of the psalmist but the entire exilic community as well. The children of Israel were taken by force from their homeland, a place given them by God. It maybe a bit of a stretch, but I would also venture to say that this Psalm was written by a person who had actually been in exile and not someone who was a descendant of the exiled. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. “Yet, there was a song in the silence, not heard of the cruel oppressors, but heard of Jehovah Himself. On the willows there we hung up our harps. The other is an heavy imprecation and a prophetical denunciation against the enemies of the church, unto the end of the Psalm. Prior to this date on September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln had issued a preliminary document declaring and promising that one hundred days later, on January 1, 1863, all slaves would be free. 2. Usually described as a communal lament or complaint, the emphasis on Zion is reminiscent of the Songs of Zion, and it may be that the psalmist is reusing features from those songs in a new way”. Psalms 137:1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. [2] "Commentary on Psalms." It is a clear and judicious explanation of the text, and cannot be dispensed with. According to the Oxford Commentary, “the structure is either as in NRSV (vv. Psalm 137 doesn’t do that. There is also a certain level of honestly in the Psalm because the author is very revealing about their feelings of indignation against the Babylonian and Edomite adversaries of Israel. Oxford Biblical Studies Online. JOSEPH A ALEXANDER Psalms Commentary (1864) Spurgeon had high praise for Alexander's work writing that it "Occupies a first place among expositions. Psalm 137. God never did, and never can do wrong to any. Psalm 137:8-9. According to the Oxford Annotated Bibliography, exile was “equivalent to descent into the world of the dead; like the dead, the exiles are unable to praise God”. It may also have been written many years into the exile. Already in early texts from the book of Psalms, however, Zion refers not to David's city but preeminently to Yahweh's dwelling place, Yahweh's “holy hill” (Ps. You can also change some of your preferences. Oxford University Press Inc. 1993. [16] Hope Franklin, John. The Edomites were hoping for the destruction of the ‘foundations’ of Yahweh’s rule on earth.” (VanGemeren), ii. Happy the one who repays you as you have served us! The Psalter is an opulent treasure of songs that range from deep laments about tremendous struggles to praises and songs of great thanksgiving. RTCH 500-B25. From the beginning of the psalm the reader is introduced to the important theme of remembrance. The Anchor Bible - Psalms. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. Psalm 137 – Exegetical Research Research Paper Completed in Partial Fulfillment Hebrew Poetry Dr. John J. Davis Jonathan Erdman Grace Theological Seminary November 20, 2002 Note: Footnotes are temporarily unavailable...Hope to resolve this soon! View Psalm . An den Flüssen Babylons. Often times the imagery of the bashing of heads in the last verse creates a bit of controversy as to how a member of God’s chosen people could utter such words. 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. Whole Psalm. It is comprised of 150 chapters in the Hebrew Bible. The basic hypothesis of this study is that Ps 137 can be best understood when the text is thoroughly analysed. 29-Apr-2011. However, one might wonder why the author would choose the right hand and the tongue as the portions of the body that devastating things should happen too. In The Catholic Study Bible. Psalm 137:1-9## — Lies die Bibel online oder lade sie kostenlos herunter. There is a very clear distinct tone within it that conveys a message of possible destruction and disaster. The account seems to be a first hand account and not that of one who had heard the story through oral tradition. Their question: “How could we sing the LORD's song in a foreign land, is a refusal to sing and not a request as to how they should be sung. Moses wrote Psalm 90 in 1400B.C. God never did, and never can do wrong to any. Since there are a number of imprecatory psalms, and since these passages have caused many doubts and questions in the hearts of sincere believers, I thought that we should grapple with the … 29-Apr-2011. I make this claim because of the utter emotion with which the Psalm is written. “Perhaps, if some of their modern critics had been under the yoke from which this psalmist has been delivered, they would have understood a little better how a good man of that age could rejoice that Babylon was fallen and all its race extirpated.” (Maclaren), iii. The Catholic Study Bible interprets this verse to indicate that perhaps the author(s) are some sort of a temple singer(s)/musician(s) who are reminiscing on their time in exile. The text says that they are sitting by these canals. when we remembered Zion. ... Psalm 137. O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed, O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed, Happy the one who repays you as you have served us, Happy the one who takes and dashes your little ones against the rock, © Copyright - Enduring Word | . 30-Apr-2011. Five sources are cited in the bibliography. ... 20 – Commentary / Exegesis 4 – Pastor's Devotions and more... Christ the King. 29-Apr-2011. New York: Oxford University Press USA, 2004. And you never will be able to resume that song until you have put away the evil of your doing, and have returned from the land of the enemy.”. Based on the Protestant doctrine, how can I handle this? Through an analysis of the structure, an exegesis, and a look at the psalm’s placement in the broader context of the psalter, a theology has come to the surface. Commentary on Psalm 137:5-9 (Read Psalm 137:5-9) What we love, we love to think of. The psalmist also may have known of Isaiah’s prophecy that announced that just this would happen: Their children also will be dashed to pieces before their eyes (Isaiah 13:16). [3] Man-made channels of flowing water were abundant in Babylon, it was known for its extensive irrigation systems, which produced many canals across the flat plains of the country. Reflections on Psalm 137 . However, there is another tradition that would suggest that the author is writing this poem while in captivity. Commentary, Psalm 137, Brad R. Braxton, The African American Lectionary, 200 8.