Song of Exile: The Enduring Mystery of Psalm 137 (original) (raw)

Psalm 137: Exile - not the time for singing the Lord's song

The experience of exile is not confined to the pages of the Bible dealing with the Babylonian exile. Exile is not only a geographical place, but it is a religious state of mind. Although the Jews were geographically displaced, their biggest experience of exile was their loss of the structured, reliable world which provided them with meaning. Exile is thus primarily not a geographical issue, but it is a social, moral, cultural, liturgical and spiritual issue; an understanding that one is in a hostile, alien situation. The purpose of this paper is to analyse Psalm 137 to ascertain what Israel's response was in a time of exile. How did they address the faith crisis of exile? How did they react to the loss of their world, their temple, their homeland, their security? Did they continue to worship in a strange land, and if so, how? A second purpose of the paper will then be to establish what the proper response of contemporary worshippers during times of exile should be.

PSALM 137: Israel's Remembrance of Zion in Exile

International Journal of Innovative Studies in Sociology and Humanities (IJISSH) , 2017

This article is an exegesis of Psalm 137 and a presentation of implications that can be made for the contemporary Ghanaian Christian. Through analysis of the text, it is revealed that the Psalm gives a picture of the emotional situation of the Israelites during the Babylonian exile. Within the Psalm, their sorrow is expressed, followed by a description of their affection for Jerusalem. Finally, the Psalm concludes with a prayer and curses against their enemies as well as a blessing for the one who will be used to repay Babylon as they (Israelites) were treated. The paper also points out that there are lessons that today's Ghanaian Christian can glean from the Psalm and its applications. The paper highlights that Christians must learn to practice their religion anywhere they find themselves. It also postulates that the psalm promotes Patriotism and the love of country for all as well as the attitude that the Christian should portray towards the anticipation of the New Jerusalem. Finally, the paper highlights the attitude of leaving one's enemies and vengeance in the hands of God.

Psalms and the Literature of Exile: Psalms 137,44, 69, and 78

The Book of Psalms, 2004

The destruction of Jerusalem and the exile to Babylonia left its mark on much of biblical literature, including the book of Psalms. Indeed, the extent to which these events figure in the psalms is rarely appreciated. It is not only a question of dating psalms to the post-destruction period, the period increasingly favored by scholars for the dating of much of biblical literature, but of the importance of the theme of destruction and exile in many of the psalms. In this essay I will consider four psalms whose main theme relates to the fall of Jerusalem or to the exilic condition. Each presents a different "take" on the theme; each approaches the theme from a different perspective, with a different goal in mind. They all address the problem of exile in stereotypical language and style, and they share certain theological assumptions; yet each has its own thesis, its own particular concern about an aspect of the exilic experience. The first psalm to be discussed, Psalm 137, has long been recognized as a lament for Jerusalem. I will focus on what it says about the phenomenon of lamenting Jerusalem, which is part of the larger question of worshipping God in exile. "Exile" does not necessarily mean living outside of the former Kingdom of Judah. People living in the Land of Israel after 538 BCE also felt that they were in exile as long as the Temple was not rebuilt and even afterwards, as long as they were under the rule of a foreign power. Exile is not only a geographic place, it is a religious state of mind.

Song(s) of Struggle: A Decolonial Reading of Psalm 137 in Light of South Africa's Struggle Songs

Old Testament Essays

This article engages in a decolonial reading of Ps 137 in light of South African songs of struggle. In this reading, Ps 137 is regarded as an epic song which combines struggle songs which originated within the golah community in response to the colonial relations between the oppressor and the oppressed. The songs of struggle then gained new life during the post-exilic period as a result of the new colonial relation between the Yehud community and the Persian Empire. Therefore, Ps 137 should be viewed as not a mere song, but an anthology of songs of struggle: a protest song (vv. 1-4), a sorrow song (vv. 5-6), and a war song (vv. 7-9).

A Comprehensive Reading of Psalm 137

Old Testament Essays

The purpose of this article is to carry out a thorough exegetical study of Ps 137 in order to grasp its content, context and theological implications. The basic hypothesis of this study is that Ps 137 can be best understood when the text is thoroughly analysed. Therefore, in this article, Ps 137 will be read in its total context (i.e. historical setting, life-setting and canonical setting) and its literary genre. The article concludes by discussing the imprecatory implications and message of Ps 137 to the followers of YHWH. A INTRODUCTION Psalm 137 is one of the best known imprecatory psalms that focus on the traumatic experience of exile in Babylon. The psalm reveals the sufferings and sentiments of the people who probably experienced at first hand the grievous days of the conquest and destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BCE and who shared the burden of the Babylonian captivity after their return to their homeland. At the sight of the ruined city and the temple, the psalmist vents with passionate intensity his deep love for Zion as he recalls the distress of alienation from their sanctuary. Therefore, this psalm touches the raw nerve of Israel's faith. The poem commences with the melancholy recollection of the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem which caused the Israelite captives to mourn and stop playing their musical instruments. The Babylonian masters asked the captives to join them in the mockery of YHWH. The Israelite captives refused to participate in the mockery of YHWH and the psalmist pledges his complete devotion to Jerusalem and therefore, towards YHWH. Finally, the psalmist prays for the wrath of God to be unleashed against the enemies of Judah, the Edomites and Babylonians, who were responsible for the destruction of Jerusalem and their misery in Babylon.