TRV
Translation
King James Version
For 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.
Complete Jewish Bible
when those who had taken us captive asked us to sing them a song; our tormentors demanded joy from us -"Sing us one of the songs from Tziyon!"
Berean Standard Bible
for there our captors requested a song; our tormentors demanded songs of joy: “Sing us a song of Zion.”
American Standard Version
For there they that led us captive required of us songs, And they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
World English Bible Messianic
For 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!”
Geneva Bible (1599)
Then they that ledde vs captiues, required of vs songs and mirth, when wee had hanged vp our harpes, saying, Sing vs one of the songs of Zion.
Young's Literal Translation
For there our captors asked us the words of a song, And our spoilers--joy: `Sing ye to us of a song of Zion.'
See also
In the KJVVerse 16,226 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on Psalms 137 verses 1–6
1 ¶ By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
3 For 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.
4 How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land?
5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.
6 If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.
I. II. Main points1. 2. Sub-points
We have here the daughter of Zion covered with a cloud, and dwelling with the daughter of Babylon; the people of God in tears, but sowing in tears. Observe,
I. The mournful posture they were in as to their affairs and as to their spirits. 1. They were posted by the rivers of Babylon, in a strange land, a great way from their own country, whence they were brought as prisoners of war. The land of Babylon was now a house of bondage to that people, as Egypt had been in their beginning. Their conquerors quartered them by the rivers, with design to employ them there, and keep them to work in their galleys; or perhaps they chose it as the most melancholy place, and therefore most suitable to their sorrowful spirits. If they must build houses there (Jer 29:5), it shall not be in the cities, the places of concourse, but by the rivers, the places of solitude, where they might mingle their tears with the streams. We find some of them by the river Chebar (Eze 1:3), others by the river Ulai, Dan 8:2. 2. There they sat down to indulge their grief by poring on their miseries. Jeremiah had taught them under this yoke to sit alone, and keep silence, and put their mouths in the dust, Lam 3:28, Lam 3:29. "We sat down, as those that expected to stay, and were content, since it was the will of God that it must be so." 3. Thoughts of Zion drew tears from their eyes; and it was not a sudden passion of weeping, such as we are sometimes put into by a trouble that surprises us, but they were deliberate tears (we sat down and wept), tears with consideration - we wept when we remembered Zion, the holy hill on which the temple was built. Their affection to God's house swallowed up their concern for their own houses. They remembered Zion's former glory and the satisfaction they had had in Zion's courts, Lam 1:7. Jerusalem remembered, in the days of her misery, all her pleasant things which she had in the days of old, Psa 42:4. They remembered Zion's present desolations, and favoured the dust thereof, which was a good sign that the time for God to favour it was not far off, Psa 102:13, Psa 102:14. 4. They laid by their instruments of music (Psa 137:2): We hung our harps upon the willows. (1.) The harps they used for their own diversion and entertainment. These they laid aside, both because it was their judgment that they ought not to use them now that God called to weeping and mourning (Isa 22:12), and their spirits were so sad that they had no hearts to use them; they brought their harps with them, designing perhaps to use them for the alleviating of their grief, but it proved so great that it would not admit the experiment. Music makes some people melancholy. As vinegar upon nitre, so is he that sings songs to a heavy heart. (2.) The harps they used in God's worship, the Levites' harps. These they did not throw away, hoping they might yet again have occasion to use them, but they laid them aside because they had no present use for them; God had cut them out other work by turning their feasting into mourning and their songs into lamentations, Amo 8:10. Every thing is beautiful in its season. They did not hide their harps in the bushes, or the hollows of the rocks; but hung them up in view, that the sight of them might affect them with this deplorable change. Yet perhaps they were faulty in doing this; for praising God is never out of season; it is his will that we should in every thing give thanks, Isa 24:15, Isa 24:16.
II. The abuses which their enemies put upon them when they were in this melancholy condition, Psa 137:3. They had carried them away captive from their own land and then wasted them in the land of their captivity, took what little they had from them. But this was not enough; to complete their woes they insulted over them: They required of us mirth and a song. Now, 1. This was very barbarous and inhuman; even an enemy, in misery, is to be pitied and not trampled upon. It argues a base and sordid spirit to upbraid those that are in distress either with their former joys or with their present griefs, or to challenge those to be merry who, we know, are out of tune for it. This is adding affliction to the afflicted. 2. It was very profane and impious. No songs would serve them but the songs of Zion, with which God had been honoured; so that in this demand they reflected upon God himself as Belshazzar, when he drank wine in temple-bowls. Their enemies mocked at their sabbaths, Lam 1:7.
III. The patience wherewith they bore these abuses, Psa 137:4. They had laid by their harps, and would not resume them, no, not to ingratiate themselves with those at whose mercy they lay; they would not answer those fools according to their folly. Profane scoffers are not to be humoured, nor pearls cast before swine. David prudently kept silence even from good when the wicked were before him, who, he knew, would ridicule what he said and make a jest of it, Psa 39:1, Psa 39:2. The reason they gave is very mild and pious: How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land? They do not say, "How shall we sing when we are so much in sorrow?" If that had been all, they might perhaps have put a force upon themselves so far as to oblige their masters with a song; but "It is the Lord's song; it is a sacred thing; it is peculiar to the temple-service, and therefore we dare not sing it in the land of a stranger, among idolaters." We must not serve common mirth, much less profane mirth, with any thing that is appropriated to God, who is sometimes to be honoured by a religious silence as well as by religious speaking.
IV. The constant affection they retained for Jerusalem, the city of their solemnities, even now that they were in Babylon. Though their enemies banter them for talking so much of Jerusalem, and even doting upon it, their love to it is not in the least abated; it is what they may be jeered for, but will never be jeered out of, Psa 137:5, Psa 137:6. Observe,
1.How these pious captives stood affected to Jerusalem. (1.) Their heads were full of it. It was always in their minds; they remembered it; they did not forget it, though they had been long absent from it; many of them had never seen it, nor knew any thing of it but by report, and by what they had read in the scripture, yet it was graven upon the palms of their hands, and even its ruins were continually before them, which was ann evidence of their faith in the promise of its restoration in due time. In their daily prayers they opened their windows towards Jerusalem; and how then could they forget it? (2.) Their hearts were full of it. They preferred it above their chief joy, and therefore they remembered it and could not forget it. What we love we love to think of. Those that rejoice in God do, for his sake, make Jerusalem their joy, and prefer it before that, whatever it is, which is the head of their joy, which is dearest to them in this world. A godly man will prefer a public good before any private satisfaction or gratification whatsoever.
2.How stedfastly they resolved to keep up this affection, which they express by a solemn imprecation of mischief to themselves if they should let it fall: "Let me be for ever disabled either to sing or play on the harp if I so far forget the religion of my country as to make use of my songs and harps for the pleasing of Babylon's sons or the praising of Babylon's gods. Let my right hand forget her art" (which the hand of an expert musician never can, unless it be withered), "nay, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I have not a good word to say for Jerusalem wherever I am." Though they dare not sing Zion's songs among the Babylonians, yet they cannot forget them, but, as soon as ever the present restraint is taken off, they will sing them as readily as ever, notwithstanding the long disuse.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–6. Public domain.
Copy as
Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 137
"For there they that led us captive demanded of us words of songs, and they that led us away, an hymn" [Psalm 137:3]. They demanded of us words of songs and an hymn, who led us captive....We are tempted by the delights of earthly things, and we struggle daily with the suggestions of unlawful pleasures; scarce do we breathe freely even in prayer: we understand that we are captives. But who led us captive? What men? What race? What king? If we are redeemed, we once were captives. Who has redeemed us? Christ. From whom has He redeemed us? From the devil. The devil then and his angels led us captive: and they would not lead us, unless we consented....
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
Copy as
Continue studying Psalms 137:3 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
SUMMARY
Psalms 137:3 vividly captures the profound anguish of the Jewish exiles in Babylon, depicting their captors' cruel and mocking demand for "songs of Zion." This verse encapsulates the deep spiritual and national humiliation experienced by a people forcibly removed from their homeland and sacred worship, highlighting the stark contrast between their profound sorrow and the oppressors' desire for entertainment derived from their sacred traditions.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalms 137:3 masterfully employs several literary devices to convey its powerful message of anguish and defiance. Irony is central, as the captors demand "mirth" and "songs of Zion" from a people who are described in the preceding verses as weeping and in deep sorrow. This demand for joy in the midst of profound anguish is inherently cruel and serves to underscore the vast disconnect between the oppressors' desires and the exiles' devastating reality. Juxtaposition is powerfully evident in the stark contrast between the exiles' profound grief (implied from the psalm's opening and the context of captivity) and the Babylonians' callous demand for entertainment. This contrast amplifies the brutality of the oppressors and the vulnerability of the captives, highlighting the moral bankruptcy of the conquerors. Furthermore, Symbolism is powerfully at play with "songs of Zion." These are not just any songs; they symbolize the exiles' spiritual heritage, their covenant relationship with God, their national identity, and their fervent longing for Jerusalem and the Temple. The demand to sing them in a foreign land, under duress, represents a profound desecration and an assault on their very identity, a spiritual violation layered upon their physical captivity.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse profoundly illustrates the theological tension between divine judgment and God's enduring covenant with His people. While the exile was a consequence of Israel's disobedience and a form of divine discipline, the psalm simultaneously portrays the immense suffering and humiliation endured by the righteous remnant. The demand for "songs of Zion" highlights the sacredness of worship and the unique relationship between God and Israel, emphasizing that true worship cannot be coerced or trivialized for entertainment. It underscores the concept that genuine joy and praise flow from a heart connected to God's presence and covenant, not from external compulsion. This refusal to sing the Lord's song in a "strange land" (as stated in the subsequent verse) becomes an act of faithfulness, preserving the sanctity of their worship and their identity in exile, even when stripped of everything else. It points to the truth that God's people remain distinct, even in the most hostile environments, holding fast to their sacred heritage.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 137:3 offers a powerful lens through which to view suffering, identity, and the nature of true worship. In an age where authenticity is often compromised for performance, this verse reminds us that there are moments of profound grief and brokenness where "mirth" cannot be manufactured, and sacred things should not be profaned. It challenges us to consider what we hold sacred and how we protect it from trivialization or exploitation by a world that may not understand or respect its value. For those experiencing deep personal or communal sorrow, it validates the legitimacy of grief and the inability to "sing" when the heart is heavy. Yet, it also subtly points to the resilience of faith, as the very refusal to sing becomes an act of defiance and preservation of identity, holding onto the hope of future restoration and genuine joy in God's presence. It encourages believers to discern when to sing and when to remain silent, recognizing that both can be profound acts of worship and faithfulness.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What are the "songs of Zion" and why were they significant?
Answer: The "songs of Zion" were sacred hymns and psalms sung in Jerusalem (Zion), often in the Temple, as part of Israel's worship of Yahweh. They celebrated God's kingship, His covenant faithfulness, the beauty and sanctity of Jerusalem as His dwelling place, and the joy of His presence. Examples include Psalms 48 and Psalms 84. Their significance lay in their intrinsic connection to Israel's national and religious identity, their covenant with God, and their expression of genuine worship. To sing them in a foreign, pagan land, under duress, would have been a profound act of desecration and a betrayal of their sacred meaning, akin to mocking their very faith.
Why was the demand for "mirth" particularly cruel?
Answer: The demand for "mirth" (joy or gladness) was exceptionally cruel precisely because it was made of a people in deep mourning and captivity. The exiles were sitting by the rivers of Babylon, weeping as they remembered Zion, as described in Psalms 137:1. True joy, for them, was inextricably tied to their freedom, their homeland, and their unhindered worship of God in Jerusalem. To demand forced entertainment, particularly sacred songs, from a people experiencing profound national humiliation and personal sorrow, was a calculated taunt designed to mock their faith and further underscore their subjugation. It demonstrated a complete lack of empathy and a desire to exploit their pain, turning their sacred expressions into a spectacle for their oppressors.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 137:3, with its poignant depiction of suffering and the desecration of sacred joy, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus. The exile of Israel foreshadows the deeper spiritual captivity of humanity to sin, from which only Christ can deliver. Just as the exiles longed for Zion, humanity longs for true home and peace, which is found in Christ, who is our ultimate rest. The "songs of Zion," representing true worship and joy in God's presence, were silenced in exile, but in Christ, a new song of redemption is given to all who believe. He is the one who took on the ultimate "strange land" of human sin and suffering, enduring the ultimate taunt and mockery on the cross, as depicted in Matthew 27:27-31. Yet, through His sacrifice, He transformed the deepest sorrow into ultimate joy, offering true "mirth" that the world cannot give or take away (John 16:22). The yearning for restoration expressed in the psalm is fully realized in Christ's kingdom, where believers, redeemed from every nation, sing a new song of praise to the Lamb (Revelation 5:9-10), no longer in a strange land, but dwelling in His eternal presence. He is the true Temple, the true Zion, where all genuine worship and everlasting joy reside, making possible a perpetual song of praise.