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John Trapp Complete Commentary

Psalms 137:4

How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land?

Ver. 4. Shall we sing the Lord's song? &c.] No; for that were to profane holy things; and as Nazianzen speaketh, κωμωδιαν τα μυστηρια. And besides, they had as much mind to be merry then, and thus, as Samson had to play before the Philistines. Music in mourning is not more unseasonable than unsavoury. When our Edward III had the king of Scots and the French king both prisoners together here in England, he held royal jousts, and feasted them sumptuously. After supper, perceiving the French king to be sad and pensive, he desired him to be merry as others were. To whom the French king answered, as here, How shall we 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 carnal mirth, and groan earnestly to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven, 2 Corinthians 5:2 .

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See also Psalms 137:4 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Psalms 137:4. _HOW SHALL WE SING THE LORD'S SONG_] איך נשיר _eich!_ _nashir; O, we sing_! Who does not hear the _deep sigh_ in the strongly guttural sound of the original איך _eich_! wrung, as...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    HOW SHALL WE SING THE LORD’S SONG - The song designed to celebrate his praise; that is, appropriate to the worship of Yahweh. IN A STRANGE LAND - Far from our home; far from the temple; exiles; captiv...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    Psalms 137 Remembering the Exile This Psalm is in remembrance of the Babylonian captivity written by an unknown person. Some have named Jeremiah, but he was not in Babylon. The Psalm expresseth the...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    CXXXVII. THE BITTER MEMORY OF BABYLON. The vivid picture of the exiles in their home-sickness, the mockery of their foreign masters, their love for Zion, the mention of Edom, and the savage thirst for...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    THE LORD'S. Hebrew. _Jehovah._ s. App-4. STRANGE. foreigner's....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The exiles indignantly repudiate the idea of doing what would be treason to the memories of Zion. The protest is dramatically expressed in the words which they would have used at the time....

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    PSALMS 137 DESCRIPTIVE TITLE A Returned Levite's Memories of Babylon, Apostrophe to Jerusalem, and Imprecations on Edom and on Babylon. ANALYSIS Stanza I., Psalms 137:1-3, A Returned Captive's Reco...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    How shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land? HOW SHALL WE SING THE LORD'S SONG IN A STRANGE LAND? To do so would be virtually to renounce Zion, our native city and spiritual home. How can...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    A lifelike memorial of the bitter experiences of exile concluding with (_a_) a strong expression of patriotism, and (_b_) an outburst of hatred against the enemies of Jerusalem. Probably written soon...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Psalms 107:150 _GORDON CHURCHYARD_ BY THE RIVERS IN BABYLON PSALMS 137 Jesus said, "You have heard that people used to say, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, Do not fig...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    STRANGE LAND. — The feeling expressed in this question is too natural to need any such explanation as that it was contrary to the Law to sing a sacred song in a strange land. Nehemiah’s answer (Nehemi...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    אֵ֗יךְ נָשִׁ֥יר אֶת ־שִׁיר ־יְהוָ֑ה עַ֝֗ל אַד

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    Psalms 137:1 THE captivity is past, as the tenses in Psalms 137:1 show, and as is manifest from the very fact that its miseries have become themes for a psalm. Grief must be somewhat removed before it...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

      LOYALTY IN ADVERSITY Psalms 137:1-9 It seems as if the exiles had withdrawn from the city, with its distractions, to some natural retreat beside the Euphrates. They had brought their harps with t...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    This is a song of memory. From the midst of the circumstances of restoration the singer looks back to days of captivity and sorrow. The picture is graphic. Babylon was far from their own land, and far...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Mouth. All kingdoms shall sooner or later, become acquainted with the gospel. (Worthington) --- The predictions of Jeremias, &c., had been communicated to the neighbouring princes, (Calmet) and all m...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    God's people are still subject to insult; but it is impossible to feel warmth at all times in the Lord's service where scoffers are. Sometimes, indeed, a holy indignation, and a zeal for Jesus, give f...

  • James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

    _NO HEART TO SING_ ‘How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?’ Psalms 137:4 I. THE CONDITION OF THE EXILES IN THEIR NEW ABODE WAS ATTENDED WITH MUCH LESS OF HARDSHIP THAN THE MENTION OF...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    4._How shall we sing, etc_. The Psalmist puts a lofty and magnanimous answer into the mouth of the Lord’s people to their insolent reproach, which is this, that they abstained from their songs, as fro...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Psalms 137 refers, and alone does to give the full history of Israel's sorrows to Babylon, which has only a mystic fulfillment in the latter days, but has its importance, because at that time was the...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    HOW SHALL WE SING THE LORD'S SONG IN A STRANGE LAND?] This is the answer returned by the Jews to the above request or demand; it may be, particularly, by the Levites, whose business it was to sing the...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _How shall we sing the Lord's song_ Those sacred songs which are appropriated to the worship of the true God in his temple, and are appointed by him to be sung only to his honour and in his service; _...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land? Their sacred songs were, in their minds, inseparably connected with the worship of the Temple, the Sanctuary in Jerusalem, and it seemed to them a...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    SONG OF GRIEF OF THE CAPTIVE JEWS. The unknown poet here records the deep grief and mourning of the Jews during the Babylonian captivity and includes a prayer for the destruction of their enemies, si...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    STRANGE LAND?: _ Heb._ land of a stranger...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-4 Their enemies had carried the Jews captive from their own land. To complete their woes, they insulted over them; they required of them mirth and a song. This was very barbarous; also profane, for...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    THE LORD'S SONG; those songs which were appointed by God, and to be sung only to his honour and in his service. _In a strange land_; when we are banished from our own temple and land, and amongst thos...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Psalms 137:4 sing H7891 (H8799) LORDS H3068 song H7892 foreign H5236 land H127 How shall -...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Psalms 137:4 Let us ask this question and ponder the answer to it in reference to our own poor efforts to awaken heart and voice to the utterance of the Lord's song, whether of sadness or joy, in the...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Psalms 137:1. _By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof._ Babylon was full of canals and rivers; t...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Lamentation over the sad condition of God's people in captivity. CHARACTERS: God. CONCLUSION: Those who are glad at the calamities that sometimes in God's providence come to His people, sh...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    This psalm has no title, but it was evidently composed in Babylon; and it would seem from the latter part, only a little while before Cyrus took the city. It was probably composed by the prophet Hagga...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea,_ we wept. THE TEARS OF MEMORY AND THE CRY FOR VENGEANCE I. The tears of memory (Psalms 137:1). 1. Their sorrow had reference to the loss of the hi...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?_ THE LORD’S SONG IN A STRANGE LAND The temple music had a reputation even among the heathen peoples of Central Asia; and it seemed natural that t...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PSALM PSALM—NOTE ON PSALMS 137:1. This community lament remembers the Babylonian captivity. It provides words by which the returned exiles can express their loyalty to Jerusalem and pray that God woul...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    PSALM—NOTE ON PSALMS 137:4 To a faithful Judean, the request of v. Psalms 137:3 would be like asking him to FORGET... JERUSALEM, which would be an act of treachery

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    INTRODUCTION “There can be no doubt whatever,” says Perowne, “as to the time when this Psalm was written. It expresses the feeling of an exile who has but just returned from the land of his captivity....

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION "THE most direct and striking reminiscence of the Babylonish exile in the whole Psalter" (Professor Alexander). The psalm divides into two parts. First, we are given a picture of the unhapp...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Psa 137:1-9 is a psalm of captivity written many years after David's time, written by one of those who were captive in Babylon. By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yes, we wept, when we remem...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    Amos 8:3; Ecclesiastes 3:4; Hosea 9:4; Isaiah 22:12; Isaiah 49:21;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    The Lord's — Those songs which were appointed by God to be sung only in his service....

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