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Wisdom & Poetry · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Psalm 137

Psalm 137 is read especially through the theme of pilgrimage, within Book V (Psalms 107–150). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application.

PilgrimagePraiseKingship
Psalms overview
Old Testament

Psalm 137

1By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down. Yes, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

2On the willows in that land, we hung up our harps.

3For there, those who led us captive asked us for songs. Those who tormented us demanded songs of joy: “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

4How can we sing the LORD’s song in a foreign land?

5If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill.

6Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I don’t remember you, if I don’t prefer Jerusalem above my chief joy.

7Remember, LORD, against the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem, who said, “Raze it! Raze it even to its foundation!”

8Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, he will be happy who repays you, as you have done to us.

9Happy shall he be, who takes and dashes your little ones against the rock.

READ IN CONTEXT

Understanding Psalm 137

Psalm 137 is read especially through the theme of pilgrimage, within Book V (Psalms 107–150). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application. Read it within the complete five-book Psalms collection, then compare its prayer language with the types of prayer found across Scripture. Classification is a reading aid rather than a replacement for the Psalm's own movement and tension.

Collection

Book V (Psalms 107–150). The five-book shape of the Psalter helps readers hear individual prayers within a deliberately arranged collection.

Themes detected

Pilgrimage, Praise, Kingship. Read for these themes while remaining open to tension and secondary movements.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Psalm 137

Psalm 137 contains 9 verses and about 152 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down. Yes, we wept, when we remembered Zion.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 9 closes: “Happy shall he be, who takes and dashes your little ones against the rock.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include songs, jerusalem, babylon, zion, land, sing. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Psalm 137

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Psalms 137:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

What kind of Psalm is this?+

Our reading profile emphasizes pilgrimage, with related themes of Pilgrimage, Praise, Kingship. Many Psalms blend genres or move between moods, so this label is a guide rather than a rigid classification.

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