1 By the rivers H5104 of Babylon, H894 there we sat down, H3427 yea, we wept, H1058 when we remembered H2142 Zion. H6726
Now it came to pass in the thirtieth H7970 year, H8141 in the fourth H7243 month, in the fifth H2568 day of the month, H2320 as I was among H8432 the captives H1473 by the river H5104 of Chebar, H3529 that the heavens H8064 were opened, H6605 and I saw H7200 visions H4759 of God. H430
And G2532 when G5613 he was come near, G1448 he beheld G1492 the city, G4172 and wept G2799 over G1909 it, G846
In those days H3117 I Daniel H1840 was mourning H56 three H7969 full H3117 weeks. H7620 I ate H398 no pleasant H2532 bread, H3899 neither came H935 flesh H1320 nor wine H3196 in my mouth, H6310 neither did I anoint H5480 myself at all, H5480 till three H7969 whole H3117 weeks H7620 were fulfilled. H4390
Then I came H935 to them of the captivity H1473 at Telabib, H8512 that dwelt H3427 by the river H5104 of Chebar, H3529 and I sat H3427 where they sat, H3427 and remained H3427 there astonished H8074 among H8432 them seven H7651 days. H3117
Mine eye H5869 runneth down H3381 with rivers H6388 of water H4325 for the destruction H7667 of the daughter H1323 of my people. H5971
Their heart H3820 cried H6817 unto the Lord, H136 O wall H2346 of the daughter H1323 of Zion, H6726 let tears H1832 run down H3381 like a river H5158 day H3119 and night: H3915 give H5414 thyself no rest; H6314 let not the apple H1323 of thine eye H5869 cease. H1826
The elders H2205 of the daughter H1323 of Zion H6726 sit H3427 upon the ground, H776 and keep silence: H1826 they have cast up H5927 dust H6083 upon their heads; H7218 they have girded H2296 themselves with sackcloth: H8242 the virgins H1330 of Jerusalem H3389 hang down H3381 their heads H7218 to the ground. H776 Mine eyes H5869 do fail H3615 with tears, H1832 my bowels H4578 are troubled, H2560 my liver H3516 is poured H8210 upon the earth, H776 for the destruction H7667 of the daughter H1323 of my people; H5971 because the children H5768 and the sucklings H3243 swoon H5848 in the streets H7339 of the city. H7151
And a river H5104 went out H3318 of Eden H5731 to water H8248 the garden; H1588 and from thence it was parted, H6504 and became into four H702 heads. H7218 The name H8034 of the first H259 is Pison: H6376 that H1931 is it which compasseth H5437 the whole land H776 of Havilah, H2341 where H834 there is gold; H2091 And the gold H2091 of that H1931 land H776 is good: H2896 there is bdellium H916 and the onyx H7718 stone. H68 And the name H8034 of the second H8145 river H5104 is Gihon: H1521 the same is it that compasseth H5437 the whole land H776 of Ethiopia. H3568 And the name H8034 of the third H7992 river H5104 is Hiddekel: H2313 that is it which goeth toward H1980 the east H6926 of Assyria. H804 And the fourth H7243 river H5104 is Euphrates. H6578
Ye that have escaped H6405 the sword, H2719 go away, H1980 stand not still: H5975 remember H2142 the LORD H3068 afar off, H7350 and let Jerusalem H3389 come H5927 into your mind. H3824 We are confounded, H954 because we have heard H8085 reproach: H2781 shame H3639 hath covered H3680 our faces: H6440 for strangers H2114 are come H935 into the sanctuaries H4720 of the LORD'S H3068 house. H1004
But if ye will not hear H8085 it, my soul H5315 shall weep H1058 in secret places H4565 for H6440 your pride; H1466 and mine eye H5869 shall weep H1830 sore, H1830 and run down H3381 with tears, H1832 because the LORD'S H3068 flock H5739 is carried away captive. H7617 Say H559 unto the king H4428 and to the queen, H1377 Humble H8213 yourselves, sit down: H3427 for your principalities H4761 shall come down, H3381 even the crown H5850 of your glory. H8597
Rejoice H8055 ye with Jerusalem, H3389 and be glad H1523 with her, all ye that love H157 her: rejoice H7797 for joy H4885 with her, all ye that mourn H56 for her:
For I have eaten H398 ashes H665 like bread, H3899 and mingled H4537 my drink H8249 with weeping, H1065 Because H6440 of thine indignation H2195 and thy wrath: H7110 for thou hast lifted me up, H5375 and cast me down. H7993 My days H3117 are like a shadow H6738 that declineth; H5186 and I am withered H3001 like grass. H6212 But thou, O LORD, H3068 shalt endure H3427 for ever; H5769 and thy remembrance H2143 unto all H1755 generations. H1755 Thou shalt arise, H6965 and have mercy H7355 upon Zion: H6726 for the time H6256 to favour H2603 her, yea, the set time, H4150 is come. H935 For thy servants H5650 take pleasure H7521 in her stones, H68 and favour H2603 the dust H6083 thereof.
When I remember H2142 these things, I pour out H8210 my soul H5315 in me: for I had gone H5674 with the multitude, H5519 I went H1718 with them to the house H1004 of God, H430 with the voice H6963 of joy H7440 and praise, H8426 with a multitude H1995 that kept holyday. H2287
And when they lifted up H5375 their eyes H5869 afar off, H7350 and knew H5234 him not, they lifted up H5375 their voice, H6963 and wept; H1058 and they rent H7167 every one H376 his mantle, H4598 and sprinkled H2236 dust H6083 upon their heads H7218 toward heaven. H8064 So they sat down H3427 with him upon the ground H776 seven H7651 days H3117 and seven H7651 nights, H3915 and none spake H1696 a word H1697 unto him: for they saw H7200 that his grief H3511 was very H3966 great. H1431
And said H559 unto the king, H4428 Let the king H4428 live H2421 for ever: H5769 why should not my countenance H6440 be sad, H3415 when the city, H5892 the place H1004 of my fathers' H1 sepulchres, H6913 lieth waste, H2720 and the gates H8179 thereof are consumed H398 with fire? H784
And they said H559 unto me, The remnant H7604 that are left H7604 of the captivity H7628 there in the province H4082 are in great H1419 affliction H7451 and reproach: H2781 the wall H2346 of Jerusalem H3389 also is broken down, H6555 and the gates H8179 thereof are burned H3341 with fire. H784 And it came to pass, when I heard H8085 these words, H1697 that I sat down H3427 and wept, H1058 and mourned H56 certain days, H3117 and fasted, H6684 and prayed H6419 before H6440 the God H430 of heaven, H8064
Then we departed H5265 from the river H5104 of Ahava H163 on the twelfth H8147 H6240 day of the first H7223 month, H2320 to go H3212 unto Jerusalem: H3389 and the hand H3027 of our God H430 was upon us, and he delivered H5337 us from the hand H3709 of the enemy, H341 and of such as lay in wait H693 by the way. H1870
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 137
Commentary on Psalms 137 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 137
Ps 137:1-9. This Psalm records the mourning of the captive Israelites, and a prayer and prediction respecting the destruction of their enemies.
1. rivers of Babylon—the name of the city used for the whole country.
remembered Zion—or, Jerusalem, as in Ps 132:13.
2. upon the willows—which may have grown there then, if not now; as the palm, which was once common, is now rare in Palestine.
3, 4. Whether the request was in curiosity or derision, the answer intimates that a compliance was incongruous with their mournful feelings (Pr 25:20).
5, 6. For joyful songs would imply forgetfulness of their desolated homes and fallen Church. The solemn imprecations on the hand and tongue, if thus forgetful, relate to the cunning or skill in playing, and the power of singing.
7-9. Remember … the children of Edom—(Compare Ps 132:1), that is, to punish.
the day of Jerusalem—its downfall (La 4:21, 22; Ob 11-13).
8. daughter of Babylon—the people (Ps 9:13). Their destruction had been abundantly foretold (Isa 13:14; Jer 51:23). For the terribleness of that destruction, God's righteous judgment, and not the passions of the chafed Israelites, was responsible.