The Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 137:8

The Pulpit Commentary · Joseph S. Exell and contributors · Public domain

O daughter of Babylon; i.e. O nation of the Babylonians (comp. Isaiah 47:1, Isaiah 47:5; Psalms 9:14, etc.). Who art to be destroyed; literally, thou desolated one. The desolation of Babylon began with its capture by Cyrus, but was not completed for many centuries.

In the Archaemenian period it was one of the chief cities of the empire. Even under the Parthians it was still a flourishing town. But from the time of Isaiah's prophecy (Isaiah 13:1-22) it was a doomed city, and in the eyes of a devout Jew already "desolate."

Happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us; i.e. happy shall he be that completes thy destruction, and the destruction of thy people. He will be the instrument for carrying out God's vengeance.

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commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 137:1-9EXPOSITION "THE most direct and striking reminiscence of the Babylonish exile in the whole Psalter" (Professor Alexander). The psalm divides into two parts. First, we are given a picture of the unhappy condition of the…Joseph S. Exell and contributors commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 137:1-9Incongruity in religion. The psalm brings before us in very vivid color— I. THE DARK SHADOW CAST BY A GREAT GOOD. Patriotism is an excellent thing, and we are all of us glad and thankful to belong to a land of light and…Joseph S. Exell and contributors commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 137:1-9Fruits of exile from God. It was Israel's, or rather Judah's, exile from Zion and Jerusalem that this psalm commemorated; but the fruits that exile bore, and which are here told of, set forth the fruits of the yet sadde…Joseph S. Exell and contributors commentaryMatthew Henry on Psalms 137:5-9What we love, we love to think of. Those that rejoice in God, for his sake make Jerusalem their joy. They stedfastly resolved to keep up this affection. When suffering, we should recollect with godly sorrow our forfeite…Matthew Henry commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 137:7-9The bad moods of good people. The psalm closes with what must be regarded as the unrestrained utterance of over-excitement. The psalmist was in a bad mood; perhaps it did him good, and relieved undue strain, for him thu…Joseph S. Exell and contributors