Psalm 137 9

Psalm 137:9 kjv

Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.

Psalm 137:9 nkjv

Happy the one who takes and dashes Your little ones against the rock!

Psalm 137:9 niv

Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.

Psalm 137:9 esv

Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!

Psalm 137:9 nlt

Happy is the one who takes your babies
and smashes them against the rocks!

Psalm 137 verses

Psalm 137 9 Meaning

Psalm 137:9 declares a blessing upon the one who enacts severe retribution upon Babylon by seizing their infants and dashing them against rocks. This verse expresses a deeply raw and violent desire for divine justice against the oppressors, mirroring the horrific atrocities Babylon inflicted upon Judah during the Babylonian exile. It serves as a stark testament to the profound suffering and burning yearning for recompense felt by the exiles, prophesying God's eventual judgment upon those who brutally destroyed Jerusalem and oppressed His people.

Psalm 137 9 Context

Psalm 137 is an exilic lament, vividly portraying the deep anguish and longing of the Judeans taken captive to Babylon after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE. The initial verses recount their sorrowful inability to sing the songs of Zion in a foreign land. The psalm shifts in tone from remembrance and grief to an intense plea for divine retribution, first against Edom for their role in Jerusalem's fall, and then directly against Babylon, referring to it as the "Daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed" (v. 8). Verse 9 serves as the climax of this imprecation, expressing a visceral desire for their tormentors to experience the same level of devastating suffering, specifically targeting the vulnerable "little ones" of Babylon. This reflects the unspeakable horror of ancient Near Eastern warfare where conquering armies often committed such atrocities.

Psalm 137 9 Word analysis

• Blessed (אַשְׁרֵי - 'ashrey): This Hebrew term signifies happiness, fortune, or blessedness. It is often used in a beatitudinal sense, like "blessed are the poor in spirit." Here, it carries the strong connotation of a declarative statement: "Fortunate indeed will be the one" who carries out this act. It expresses a desire for an act to be seen as divinely approved or fortunate in the eyes of the Psalmist and God, aligning with divine justice.
• shall he be, who taketh (וְאֹחֵז - ve'ochez): "Taketh" comes from the verb אָחַז (achaz), meaning "to seize," "to lay hold of," "to grasp." It implies an intentional and forceful act of capture.
• and dashed (וְנִפֵּץ - ve'niffetz): This verb נָפַץ (nafats) means "to shatter," "to smash," "to break in pieces," or "to scatter." It conveys an act of extreme violence, causing complete destruction.
• thy little ones (עוֹלָלַיִךְ - 'olalayiḵ): This refers to infants or very young children. The specificity of "little ones" underscores the brutality and utter devastation the Psalmist wishes upon the enemy, mirroring the reported atrocities committed against the Judeans during the siege and exile. This term highlights the ultimate vulnerability and innocence, making the desired retribution particularly shocking.
• against the stones (אֶל-הַסֶּלַע - el ha'sela`): "Stones" or "rock." This indicates the hard, unyielding surface used to achieve the complete smashing described. It provides a chilling detail of the method of destruction.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Blessed shall he be, who taketh and dashed": This phrase pronounces a form of divine blessing or commendation upon the perpetrator of the subsequent horrific act. It's an expression of intense human desire for ultimate vindication and vengeance, viewed through the lens of God's justice. The Psalmist sees the one who fulfills this act as an instrument of divine retribution.
• "thy little ones against the stones": This shocking image vividly describes the nature of the desired judgment. It's not merely wishing death but a gruesome, humiliating, and utterly destructive end, explicitly targeting the next generation, thus erasing the enemy's future. This level of violence reflects the horrific reality of warfare in the ancient world, often including the destruction of a people's lineage as part of total defeat. It encapsulates the deep pain and extreme desperation of the exiles who had likely witnessed or suffered similar cruelties themselves.

Psalm 137 9 Bonus section

This verse functions not as an endorsement of child infanticide, but as a prophetic utterance describing the judgment that would justly befall Babylon. Historically, such brutal tactics were employed by conquering armies in the Ancient Near East as a display of absolute dominance and a means to prevent future rebellions, and the Babylonians themselves were known for extreme cruelty. The prophet Isaiah (Isa 13:16) also predicts similar destruction upon Babylon, indicating this was a known consequence or characteristic of divine judgment against such oppressive empires. The Psalms are diverse, encompassing the full range of human emotions, including rage and desire for vengeance, which are presented honestly before God, illustrating a form of prayer that, while morally challenging for us, reflects an ancient cry for justice in a time of severe trauma.

Psalm 137 9 Commentary

Psalm 137:9 is arguably one of the Bible's most challenging verses, often causing discomfort due to its violent content. It is crucial to understand it within its immediate context: a raw, unfiltered expression of agony, outrage, and desire for divine justice from a people who had suffered unspeakable horrors at the hands of Babylon. This verse reflects a deeply traumatized psyche. It's an imprecation, a prayer asking God to execute justice, not an ethical directive for individuals to perform such acts.

The psalmist is articulating a profound hope that God will deal with Babylon in the same brutal manner that Babylon dealt with Judah, effectively calling for an "eye for an eye" (lex talionis) on a national, even prophetic, scale. The "blessed" aspect signifies that whoever executes this divine judgment will be fortunate because they participate in God's just recompense against the wicked oppressor. The Old Testament consistently shows God's commitment to justice for His covenant people and His righteous judgment on wicked nations.

From a New Testament perspective, Jesus Christ transforms the understanding of vengeance. He teaches radical love for enemies (Matt 5:44) and insists that vengeance belongs to God alone (Rom 12:19). While God's justice against evil remains constant, the means and the human response are reoriented. Thus, this verse serves as a powerful testament to the intensity of human suffering and the cry for justice under the Old Covenant, yet it is fulfilled and surpassed by the New Covenant's emphasis on redemptive suffering and reliance on God's perfect timing and method of judgment.