Commentary on Ezra Nehemiah Ester Job and Psalms, Commentary 5 · Psalm 137
PSAL. CXXXVII.
VErſ. 1 By the rivers of Babylon] Tigr…s & Euphrates; for the land of Shinar (where Babel was founded, and afterwards Babylon built) was, as moſt Geographers think, a part of the Garden of Eden, fruitfull beyond credulity; but to the poor captives all this was no comfort, when they remembred the deſolations of their Country, and the loſs of their former liberty. The bird of Paradiſe, they ſay, once taken and encaged, groaneth unceſſantly, till ſhee dye.
There wee ſat down, yea wee wep… ] Hee ſitteth alone, and keepeth ſilence, becauſe hee hath born it upon him, ſaith Jeremy of the Mourner, Lam. 3.28. who is much in meditation; ſo were theſe, bewailing bitterly their ſin and miſery, with their bowels ſounding as an harp, Iſa. 16.1. where if one ſtring bee touched, all the reſt ſound.
When wee remembred Zion] The former ſolemnities, the preſent deſolations.
Verſ. 2 Wee hanged out harps] Harps wee had, and knew how to handle them (the Jews were famous Artiſts, noted for their skill ſpecially in Poetry, Muſick, and Mathematicks) but wee had little mind to it as now the caſe ſtood with us;Ho… lib. 3. Od. 26. our Country lying deſolate, our ſelves could not bee but diſconſolate. Barbiton his paries habe…it.
Verſ. 3 For there—they required of us a ſong] ſcil. In diſdain and deriſion of our Religion, q.d. Will yee ſing no more holy ſongs in honour of your God? hath hee utterly caſt away all care of your wel-fare, and you the like of his ſervice? Have you never a black Sanctis to ſing us? or cannot you ſing care away, &c? where are your wonted ditties,…eza. the words of a ſong? Ehodum, bellos nobis illos veſtr… Sionis modules cantillate.
And they that waſted us] Cumulatores noſtri, vel Concumulatores noſtri, vel homines ejulatuum noſtrorum, they that made us howl ſinging, as Iſa. 52.5. Or In ſuſpenſionibus noſtris, …ſocr.after that wee had hanged up our harps, as verſ. 2. foreign.
Sing us one of the ſongs of Zion] Wherewith yee were wont to praiſe God. So Baltaſar abuſed the bowls of the Sanctuary. So the bloody-Perſecutors at Orleance, as they murthered the Proteſtants, required them to ſing, Judge and revenge my cauſe, O Lord; and have mercy on us Lord, &c.
Verſ. 4 Shall wee ſing the Lords ſong, &c?] No; for that were to prophane holy things; and as Nazianzen ſpeaketh, foreign. And beſides, they had as much mind to bee merry then, and thus, as Sampſon had to play before the Philiſtines. Muſick in mourning is not more unſeaſonable, than unſavoury. When our Edward the third had the King of Scots and the French King both priſoners together here in England, hee held royall juſts, and feaſted them ſumptuouſly. After ſupper, perceiving the French King to bee ſad and penſive, hee deſired him to bee merry as others were. To whom the French King anſwered, as here, How ſhall wee ſing in a ſtrange Land? Quid nobis cum fabulis, cum riſu, ſaith Bernard, in hoc exilio, in hoc ergaſtulo, in hac valle lachrymarum? Let us caſt away carnall mirth, and groan earneſtly to bee cloathed upon with our houſe which is from Heaven, 2 Cor. 5.2.
Verſ. 5 I… I forget thee, O Jeruſalem] As I might ſeem to do, ſhould I herein gratifie theſe Idolaters; or otherwiſe obey them, rather than God. The Jews at this day, when they build an houſe, they are, ſay the Rabbines, to leave one part of it unfiniſhed, and lying rude, in remembrance that Jeruſalem and the Temple are at preſent deſolate. At leaſt they uſe to leave about a yard ſquare of the houſe unplaiſtered, on which they write,Leo Modena of the ri…es of the Jews. in great letters, this of the Pſalmiſt, If I forget Jeruſalem, &c. or elſe theſe words Zecher lechorban, that is, The memory of the deſolation.
Let my right hand forget] Fiat abalienata atque emortua, Let it bee paralyticall and uſeleſs, unfit to touch the harp.
Verſ. 6 If I do not remember thee] Hi gemitus Sanctorum ſunt gemitus Spiritus ſancti, theſe are the very ſighs unutterable, that precede joys unſpeakable, and full of glory. Either our beds are ſoft, or our hearts hard, that can reſt when the Church is at unreſt, that feel not our Brethrens hard cords through our ſoft beds.
If I prefer not Jeruſalem above my chief joy] Heb. If I cauſe it not to aſcend above the head of my joy. Chriſt in his Ordinances muſt bee our chiefeſt comfort, overtopping all other; and devouring all diſcontents whatſoever.
Verſ. 7 Remember, O Lord the Children of Edom] Thoſe unbrotherly bitter enemies. The Jews call Romiſts, Edomites.
Raſe it, raſe it] Diſcooperite, diſcooperite. Diruite, ex imis ſubvertite fundamentis.Buchanan:
Darius hearing that Sardis was ſacked and burnt by the Athenians, commanded one of his ſervants to ſay to him thrice alwayes at ſupper, Sir remember the Athenians to puniſh them.foreign. Herod. T…rp.
Verſ. 8 That art to bee deſtroyed] Spoliatrix, ſaith the Syriack, Iſa. 33.1.
Happy ſhall hee bee] i. e. Well rewarded with wealth and good wiſhes.
Verſ. 9 That taketh and daſheth thy little ones] So at the deſtruction of Troy.
Sed palam raptis (heu nefas, heu)
Neſcios fari puer…s, Achivis
Ureret flammis, etiam latentes
M…tris in alve.Horat. l. 4. Od. 6.