The big picture
Psalms 137 opens in verse 1 with “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.”, reaches its middle movement near verse 5 with “If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.”, and closes in verse 9 with “Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.” Repeated or prominent terms include Jerusalem, Babylon, forget, happy, rase. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Psalms · King James Version · 9Psalms 137:1-5
1–5: By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we…
Psalms 137:1–5 opens with “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.” and reaches “If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 137 develops its own movement around Jerusalem, Babylon, forget, happy, rase, with particular weight carried by forget, required, sing.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
Psalms 137:1-5
King James Version1By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
2We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
3For 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.
4How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a strange land?
5If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.
Psalms 137:6-9
6–9: If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth…
Psalms 137:6–9 opens with “If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not…” and reaches “Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 137 develops its own movement around Jerusalem, Babylon, forget, happy, rase, with particular weight carried by happy, Jerusalem, rase.
Psalms 137:6-9
King James Version6If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.
7Remember, O LORD , the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.
8O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.
9Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Psalms 137:1 begins with “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.”
Where the chapter turns
Psalms 137:4 forms a natural hinge: “How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a strange land?”
The final note
Psalms 137:9 leaves the reader with “Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words Jerusalem, Babylon, forget, happy, rase, remember help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
KJV words made clear
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.