Psalm 137 (136):7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Another exclaims, "To be a soldier is truly noble; farmers often fear soldiers." Yet the citizens of the holy Jerusalem, aware of their exile, perceive how the natural desires and various temptations of mankind swiftly pull individuals in every direction and cast them into the depths; they witness this and do not throw themselves into the waters of Babylon but instead sit down and weep—either for those who are swept away or for themselves who find their own deeds have led them into Babylon. They sit, that is, they humble themselves. O holy Zion, where all is steadfast, and nothing ebbs away! Who has brought us into this condition? Why have we abandoned your foundation and community? Look, as we find ourselves where all things flow and fade, few can grasp even a branch to pull themselves from the current and escape. Humbled in our captivity, let us sit beside the waters of Babylon. Let us not plunge into those streams nor take pride in the evils and sorrows of our captivity; instead, let us sit and mourn. Let us sit by the waters and not in them; such is our humility, lest it crush us. Sit by the waters, not in or under them; rather, sit humbly and remain silent, as in Jerusalem.

For many weep with the tears of Babylon because they also delight in Babylon's pleasures. When individuals rejoice in their gains while lamenting their losses, both reactions are rooted in Babylon. It is right to weep at the memory of Zion. If your tears are stirred by the recollection of Zion, you should mourn even in your joy in Babylon.

On the willows there, we hung our harps (Psalm 135:2). The residents of Jerusalem possess their instruments, the scriptures of God, His commandments, His promises, and reflections on eternal life; yet while they dwell in Babylon, they suspend their instruments. Willows signify barrenness, and situated here, no good may sprout from them; perhaps elsewhere, understanding may arise. Here, they see the fruitless trees flourishing by the waters of Babylon. These trees, nourished by Babylon's waters, yield no fruit; likewise, those who are greedy, selfish, and barren of good deeds, are citizens of Babylon who derive sustenance from transient joys, as if the waters of Babylon nurtured them. You seek fruit from them and find none. Therefore, we defer making use of scriptures in their presence, hanging our instruments upon the willows. We deem them unworthy to bear our instruments; thus, we neither place our instruments among them nor attach them but rather suspend them. The willows represent the barren trees of Babylon, nurtured by fleeting pleasures, just as they are nourished by the waters of Babylon.

For those who imprisoned us demanded songs from us, and those who led us away insisted on a hymn (Psalm 135:3). They sought from us the words of songs and hymns... We are drawn into the pleasures of earthly things, struggling daily against illicit desires; we find it nearly impossible to breathe freely even in prayer: we are aware of our captivity. But who has bound us? By whose hand? What kind of people? What kings? If we are redeemed, it is clear we were once captives. Who redeemed us? Christ. From whom did He redeem us? From the Evil One. Indeed, it was the devil and his angels that held us captive, and they would not have succeeded had we not consented.

So those who captured us, the devil and his angels, when they asked, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion," what can our response be? Babylon carries you; Babylon sustains you; Babylon fills your heart; you overlook the brilliant truths of the present and fail to meditate on eternal realities; you are bereft of what you seek. How can we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land? (Psalm 135:4). Indeed, my brethren, this is the truth. When you genuinely desire to proclaim the truth as you understand it, you will see how you must endure such mockers, those who persecute the truth, rife with falsehoods. Respond to them when they challenge you with what they cannot accept and speak confidently in your sacred song: How can we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?

Consider how you dwell among them, O people of God, O body of Christ, O noble assembly of wanderers (for your true home is elsewhere), lest, loving the world, you seek its approval, become enamored with Babylon, and forget Jerusalem. Therefore, let us heed the psalmist's warning: "If I forget you, O Jerusalem," (Psalm 136:5) amidst the enticements of those who ensnare us, amidst the deceptions of treacherous men, whose inquiries are malicious and never seek the truth... What then? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill.

"Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I fail to remember you" (Psalm 135:6). Meaning, let me be mute if I do not keep you in memory. What words does one speak who does not sing the songs of Zion? Our language is the melody of Jerusalem. The song that praises this world is foreign to us, a barbaric tongue learned in our captivity. Whoever forgets Jerusalem will be silent before God. Merely remembering is insufficient; her adversaries remember her too, aiming to bring her down. What sort of city is this? They ask, who are Christians? What manner of folk are these? If they were not Christians. Now the captives have overpowered their captors; they still grumble, harbor resentment, and seek to demolish the holy city that resides among them as a stranger. Thus, mere remembrance falls short; pay attention to how you remember. Some things are remembered with loathing, others with affection. That is why when the psalmist states: "If I forget you, O Jerusalem," he promptly adds: "If I do not hold Jerusalem higher than my greatest joy." For there is indeed a summit of joy where we encounter God, safeguarded from temptations and united in the bond of citizenship. In that place, no tempter will assail us; we shall only delight in what is good; all necessity shall cease, and perfect bliss will shine upon us.

Then he directs a prayer unto God against the foes of that city. "Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom" (Psalm 136:7). Edom is synonymous with Esau, as the apostle has proclaimed, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated" (Romans 9:13)... Esau signifies all that is carnal, while Jacob represents the spiritual. All carnal men stand against the spiritual, for those who pursue the present persecute those who aspire for the eternal. Concerning them, the psalmist, reflecting on Jerusalem and imploring God for its liberation from bondage, proclaims—what? "Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom." Deliver us from those who are worldly, from the followers of Esau, who are firstborn yet adversaries. They were the initial harvest, but as the first fruits are last, so too did the desires of the flesh lead to their downfall while disdain for such passions elevated the second. Others continue to live, enviously nursing grudges and enacting persecution. On the day of Jerusalem's trial, when she faced her conquerors, or the joyous day to come, when she experiences freedom, achieves her purpose, and participates in eternity? Remember, he implores, O Lord, do not forget those who declared: "Tear it down, destroy it to its very foundation." Recall the moment they sought to annihilate Jerusalem. What great afflictions the Church has endured! Just as the children of Edom, representing the worldly, servants of the devil and his angels, who worshiped iniquity and yielded to fleshly desires, called out: "Root out the Christians, destroy the Christians, let them not stand, annihilate them!" Were such words not uttered? When these declarations were made, the persecutors were thwarted, and the martyrs glorified.

Then he speaks to her, "O daughter of Babylon, you wretched one" (Psalm 135:8). Wretched in demeanor, in arrogance, in hostility; O unfortunate daughter of Babylon! The city is recognized as both Babylon and the daughter of Babylon, similar to how Jerusalem is identified alongside its daughter, as Zion is with its daughter, and the Church with hers. Because it derives from the former, it is addressed as daughter; because it is esteemed above the other, it is termed mother. Was there an earlier Babylon, with people dwelling therein? Now she stands as the heir of Babylon, hence called the daughter of Babylon. O daughter of Babylon, you miserable one!

Blessed is he who repays you as you have treated us. What sort of repayment is envisaged? Here the psalm concludes, "Blessed is he who seizes your children and dashes them against the rock" (Psalm 135:9). She is called unfortunate, but blessed is the one who recompenses her as she has treated us. Do we inquire what the recompense entails? It encompasses retribution. For what has Babylon inflicted upon us? As we have previously sung: "The words of the wicked have overwhelmed us." Upon our birth, the tumult of this world smothered us and filled us, as mere infants, with empty notions of divers delusions. The child, destined to be a citizen of Jerusalem by divine decree, finds himself at first a captive; when will he learn to love that which is right, apart from the fleeting whispers of parental guidance? They mold him in greed, theft, deceit, the worship of various idols and spirits, through illicit charms and talismans. What can a child, a fragile soul, observe from the actions of elders but mirror them? Then Babylon persecuted us in our youth, but in His mercy, God enlightened us, enabling us to discern our true identities and not emulate our forebears' errors.

How, then, do they repay her? As she has treated us. Let her offspring be suffocated; let her progeny be dashed and perish. What then do the children of Babylon signify? They are the vile desires that spring forth at birth. There are those who must contend with hardened cravings. When a desire arises, before an evil habit takes root, before it gains strength against you, when that inclination is fresh, do not allow it to metamorphose into a vice; when it is small, shatter it. Yet, if you worry that, should you break it, it will succumb; then break it against the Rock; and this Rock is Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4).

Brethren, let your instruments not rest; sing to one another the songs of Zion. You have received this message; so hasten to act upon it, lest you become as the willows of Babylon, nourished by its waters and yielding no fruit. Instead, yearn for the eternal Jerusalem: where your hope dwells, your life shall follow; there we shall be with Christ. Christ is our Head now; He reigns over us from above. In that city, He will draw us to Himself; we shall share equality with the angels of God. We would not dare to envision this if Truth had not promised it. Thus, long for these things, brethren, day and night, reflect on them. Even as the world glimmers with joyous allure, do not ponder, do not barter with your desires. Is it a formidable adversary? Let it be vanquished upon the Rock. Is it a minor foe? Let it be crushed against the Rock. Defeat the mighty on the Rock and shatter the fragile upon the Rock. Let the Rock prevail. Build upon the Rock if you wish to remain unshaken by the currents, winds, or rains. As you seek strength against the temptations of this world, allow your desire for the eternal Jerusalem to flourish and fortify in your hearts. Your bondage shall pass, joy shall come, the last enemy will be destroyed, and we shall advance with our King, conquering death.

He proclaims, “the sons of Edom,” and includes a reference to the day of Jerusalem’s calamity, indicating, O Lord, remember the sons of Edom and the day of Jerusalem's distress, subtly varying the phrasing while maintaining the accusative case alongside the genitive. Alternatively, he emphasizes: Recall the sons of Edom, who supported the Babylonians during the time of Jerusalem's suffering.

While the Israelites had spared the Edomites during their attacks on neighboring territories, the Edomites displayed an inhuman cruelty by allowing the destruction of their own kin, and even aided the Babylonians in their violence. Therefore, it is evident that the Edomites inflicted far greater harm on the Jews than the Babylonians did. This is why he implores, "Remember, O Lord, the sons of Edom in the day of Jerusalem," signifying a call to recall the actions of the Edomites on that tragic day when Jerusalem, Your cherished city, was laid waste by the Babylonians. The Edomites proclaimed to the Babylonians, "Raze it, raze it," urging them to dismantle Jerusalem down to its very foundations. Then, turning his focus upon Babylon, he pronounced a curse, declaring, "O cursed Babylon, though you may appear prosperous now, the king of the Persians and the Medes shall demolish you to your core, exacting retribution for the evil you have inflicted upon us; your innocent infants shall be dashed against the stones." This prophecy, anticipated by David, is affirmed in Daniel 5, and Isaiah 13 foretold that the Persians and Medes would assault the Babylonians with such violence that no mercy would be shown, even to the young ones, who would be brutally slain against the walls. The Prophet delivers this message to uplift the weary spirits of those in Babylonian captivity; otherwise, the chosen status of Israel might appear futile if their offspring were ruthlessly destroyed by the descendants of Esau. When he describes as blessed those who executed such fierce vengeance against the Babylonians, it does not imply that the favor of the Persians and Medes was pleasing to God, given that their motivations were rooted in pride, greed, and jealousy. Rather, he asserts that this conflict will bear the intended results because it is ordained by God. Just as God intended to punish the Babylonians, so He granted favor to Cyrus and Darius. In contrast, the prophet Jeremiah curses those who undertake God’s work carelessly (Jeremiah 48:10), meaning those who thoughtlessly assist God in carrying out His judgment against wrongdoers. While the wish for even innocent infants to suffer harsh consequences may seem brutal, we need not be taken aback. For he does not speak from his own desires but conveys the words of God, which reflect the outcome of divine justice, as the Lord professes, "In this measure you measure, it will be measured to you" (Matthew 7:2).