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Illustration for Psalm 137: By the Rivers of Babylon

Psalm 137

By the Rivers of Babylon

ComfortWhen AfraidJoy

This heartbreaking psalm was written by Jews who had been taken far from their home. They sat by the rivers of Babylon and wept when they remembered Jerusalem. They hung up their harps and couldn't sing — because how can you sing God's songs in a foreign land?

  1. 1By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.
  2. 2There on the poplars we hung our harps,
  3. 3for our captors demanded songs of joy from us. They said, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"
  4. 4How can we sing the songs of the LORD in a foreign land?
  5. 5If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill.
  6. 6May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem above my highest joy.
  7. 7Remember, O LORD, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. "Tear it down," they cried, "tear it to its foundation!"
  8. 8O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, blessed is he who repays you as you have done to us.
  9. 9Blessed is he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.

What it means

When God's people were carried far from home, they were so sad they couldn't even sing. This psalm shows it's okay to bring real grief — even angry feelings — to God. He understands homesickness and heartbreak, and He never forgets His people.

A little prayer

Lord, sometimes I feel sad, or far from the people and places I love. Thank You that I can bring even my biggest, hardest feelings to You. You never forget me. Amen.

Memory verse

“By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.”

Psalm 137:1 (BSB)

It is a memory held on purpose, by people afraid of forgetting home.

Talk about it

Questions with no single right answer — for a family table or a Sunday-school circle.

  1. The people sat down by a river and wept because they were far from home. What would you miss most?
  2. They hung up their harps and could not sing. Have you ever been too sad to do something you love?
  3. The psalm ends with a terrible, angry wish. Why is that in the Bible?
  4. What do you do with feelings you are not proud of?

Try this

Far from home

Find out about somewhere your family came from, however far back. Look at a picture of it. Talk about what would be hardest about not being able to go back.

You will need: A map or a phone.

Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible (BSB)