_A.M. 3434. B.C. 570._ It is uncertain who was the author of this Psalm, but probably it was written by one of the captives, either just upon their coming to Babylon, or, at least, during the time of their continuance there. Herein the captives complain of the scoffs of their enemies, yet remember... [ Continue Reading ]
_By the rivers of Babylon_ Of the city, or rather of the territory of Babylon, in which there were many rivers, as Euphrates, which also was divided into several streams or rivulets, and Tigris, and others; _there sat we down_ The usual posture of mourners, Ezra 9:4; Job 2:12; Isaiah 47:1; Isaiah 47... [ Continue Reading ]
_We hanged our harps upon the willows, in the midst thereof._ These are, not without great probability, supposed to be the words of some holy Levites, who had been accustomed to music, both vocal and instrumental, in the service of the temple. _Harps_ are here put, by a synecdoche, for all instrumen... [ Continue Reading ]
_There they that carried us away_ Our new masters, who had made us their slaves, and carried us captives out of our own land; _required of us a song_ דברי שׁיר, _the words of a song:_ in the LXX., λογους ωδων, _words of songs._ They required us to entertain them with our music and singing. _And they... [ Continue Reading ]
_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; _in a strange land_ When we are banished from our own temple and country, and among those who are str... [ Continue Reading ]
Psalms 137:5. _If I forget thee, O Jerusalem_ If I do not retain a deep and sorrowful sense of thy desolations, though never so far removed from thee; or if I indulge myself in mirth and jollity, as if I had forgotten thee; _let my right hand_ The hand chiefly used in playing on musical instruments,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom_ Their constant and inveterate enemies, who had no regard either to consanguinity or humanity, but, instead of pitying Jerusalem, as became kind neighbours and relations, were glad to see the day of its desolations; and encouraged their destroyers with their a... [ Continue Reading ]
_O daughter of Babylon_ By which he understands the city and empire of Babylon, and the people thereof, _who art to be destroyed_ Who by God's righteous and irrevocable sentence, art devoted to certain destruction, and whose destruction is particularly and circumstantially foretold by God's holy pro... [ Continue Reading ]