Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 137
The cxxxvii. PSALM.
The Psalmist in the name of the whole Church led captive into the empire of Babylon, and Iudah and Ierusalem miserably destroyed, shews their behaviour there, how uncomfortable their condition was, that could joy in nothing, derided in captivitie with the very worship of God, (their glorie) which notwithstanding they resolve to glorie in, and in nothing comparably; He praies and prophecies against Edom and Babylon that they may be rewarded, as they have done, and deserve.Psalm cxxxvii.
1 WHen the Lord brought that great judgement upon Judah,1BY the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembred Sion. the ruin of all at once by the Babylonian, who destroyed many and carried the rest captive, when in that condition we were far advanced into that Kingdom; and from our own countrey, the solitarie consideration of it seized sadly upon us, no earthly nor pleasurable improvements here could give allay to our sorrows, but with restless repose we sate down, as the rest did, by those pleasant rivers, where notwithstanding we were capable of no content or refreshing, except it were by venting of our grief in tears, which whilest they rejoyced, we shed abundantly at our rememberance of so unvaluable a loss as is Sion, to be driven from the enjoyment of God and his worship there, and to leave it in that desolate estate, which no earthly felicities could recompence.
2 Whereupon though the Priests and Levites in the midst of that general plunder and devastation,2We ha…ged our harps upon the willows, in the midst thereof. in their zeal to the memorie of Gods worship in the Temple preserved their instruments, and carried them as fellow-mourners into captivitie with themselves, thinking to mitigate and mixe their sorrows with some musical refreshings, yet when at leasurable times and delectable places by clear streams under cool shades they were invited to it, their hearts misgave, their fingers failed them, sorrow so overwhelmed their spirits, that it put all out of tune, them and their instruments, which in the condition and place they were in, they as useless hung by, untuned and unstrung, upon the willows, their grief encreasing by their sight, in stead of lessening by their use, when they apprehended them and themselves joyntly and totally captived in the midst of their mortal enemies far from Jerusalem, which too was left as desolate, as themselves were disconsolate.
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 Sion.3 And the rather, for that the Babylonians insultingly called to us to sing and be merrie, laughing at the miserie they had brought us into, being now their prisoners far from home in their own countrey, having laid ours quite wast, and with deriding insolence commanded us to prophane the worship of God, which we were wont solemnly to celebrate in his Temple upon Sion, by making them merrie with one of those sacred songs.
4How shall we sing the Lords song in a strange land?4 But we took courage, and disdained to do it at their command, though in that condition, resolving to expose our selves, rather than Gods sacred service to heathenish der…sion, and therefore made answer. Though we are your prisoners, yet we are servants to the Lord our God, and must obey him before you, who hath commanded those songs (you require) to be sung in a sacred manner to him onelyonly, and in the place appointed by him, his Temple in Jerusalem, and not to be prophaned to any other use in any other place; nor, were it lawful, are we in a condition to sing, that are as you see such sad spectacles of miserie and misfortune in a strange place, and captives to a strange people that understand not our language, much less our musical ditties.
5 If any worldly contentment whatsoever burie in me (who personate,5If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. in that I speak, Gods faithful servants, Priests and Levites, uttering their thoughts) the sad rememberance of the Churches desolations, that my grief for thee, O Jerusalem (that was wont to afford such sacred solace in Gods worship, now under scorn and derision) be not ever in my thoughts, above pleasing my self or others, let me forfeit the priviledge of that gift and honour God hath given me of celebrating his divine praise and worship; let mine hand fail to do its duty, when I fail of mine to thee, and all my skill forsake me, If I abuse, or use it to any other purpose than God hath appointed it for his worship in his Temple, do mine enemies what they can.
6 Nay,6If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth: if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy. if I let out my hopes or joys towards any thing comparable to thy restitution; if any thing (though in this estate) take up my mind and heart more than that, so that I make it not the continual subject of my desire and prayer, let me be dumb, and my tongue cease to speak, especially to sing and celebrate thy praise; if above all desires I desire not, and above all joys rejoice not in the happie recoverie, and flourishing estate of Jerusalem, and Gods worship there, as my sole and onelyonly solace, how ever both it and we are here in derision.
7 O Lord,7Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom, in the day of Jerusalem: who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof. as thy people forget not Jerusalem now in her, and their captivity, so, nor do thou forget her enemies hereafter, in the day of her prosperity; let the cruel despight the Edomites, (those sons of Esau, old enemies, though near of kin to Jacob and his posterity) together with the other bordering nations, be upon record against them, that with greater hatred than the very Babylonians themselves, (whom they stirred up against us) helped to demollish that sacred citie, encouraging them and one another to do it to the full, not to leave one stone upon another, desiring the utter abolition of it and its memory for ever, so insatiable was their malice. Lay therefore thy vengeance upon Edom, by the hand of thy people (when thou shalt restore them,) and let them do in Edom according to thine anger and furie, as by thy Prophet thou hast foretold they shall.
8O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed: happy shall he be that rewardeth thee, as thou hast served us.8 O thou great and mighty Empire, now in thy prime, that takest thy denomination from famous Babylon, the mother-citie, who for all thy pride and potencie wherewith thou now insultest over others, and us especially; as thou art the rod in Gods hand for our punishment at present, so the time shall come, and that assuredly, that thou shalt be cast into the fire, lamentable destruction is preparing for thee, and shall in the time appointed befall thee unavoidably by the Medes and Persians, the Princes and people whereof shall do by thee, as thou hast done by us, utterly ruin and captivate the whole Empire with reciprocal cruelty to that we have found at thine hands; for all thy might at present, this is true of thee, and so thou shalt find it; neither thy great citie Babylon, nor its Empire, shall scape one jot better than our poor Jerusalem and Judah, but confusion and desolation shall be thy portion, for they shall prevail against thee, and be victorious.
9Happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.9 Remember how thou tyrannizedst in thy victory over us, deflowring, ravishing, butchering, even poor innocent infants, taking pleasure in barbarism and cruelty, such measure shall be met to thee in those daies. Cyrus and Darius shall revenge our quarrel, and right our wrongs, and with like success, and no less delight in bloud shall they recompence thee with utter subversion, even to the slaughtering men, women, and children, without sparing sex or age; none pitying your condition, but rejoycing at your misery, no more than you pitied us, but rejoyced at ours, and thought it your felicitie, so shall yours be theirs.