Psalms 136

Verse 1. For Jeremias. For the time of Jeremias, and the captivity of Babylon. Challoner.—Or “of” (Jeremiæ. Bible.) Jeremias; on which subject he composed his Lamentations, as the Septuagint thus insinuate. Worthington.—The title may be a later insertion, and is not the same in all the Greek or Latin copies. It is wholly omitted in Hebrew and so forth Theodoret blames those who have written the name of Jeremias, as he was never at Babylon. Calmet.—He might send the psalm to the captives, (Grot.) though it were written by David, (Gerer.) who was a prophet. See Psalms 78. Bert.—The captives express their sentiments at Babylon, (Bossuet) or at their return; ( Calmet.) and thus, under the figure of the earthly Jerusalem, (Bert.) aspire to heaven. Saint Augustine—Rivers. Euphrates, and so forth The Jews retired to such places to pray. Philo, con. Flac. Acts 16:13. Bible.—Sion, and all the ceremonies of religion. Worthington.

Verse 2. Willow. With which the Euphrates was lined. Isaiah 15:7. It passed through the city, which was adored with trees, and contained extensive tracts of land for cultivation. Calmet.—Babylon may also include all the territory. Bert.—Instruments. Hebrew Kinnor means properly the ancient lyre, but here it is put for all instruments of music. Calmet.—In grief, music was laid aside. Isaiah 24:8. Ezekiel 26:13. Revelation 18:21. Yet Christians may unite spiritual canticles with holy compunction. Colossians 3:16. We must not expose the word of truth to the ridicule of infidels. Bert.

Verse 3. Sion. The Levites were trained to singing from their infancy, at the expense of the nation. Under David, there were 288 masters, and 8,000 Levites who played on music. 1 Chronicles 15. The Babylonians wished to hear them, ( Calmet.) or ( Worthington.) spoke insultingly, (Theod.) as the pagans asked what good Christ had done? Saint Augustine

Verse 4. Land. they were oppressed with grief, (Sirach 22:6) and unwilling to expose sacred things to profanation, though there was no prohibition for them to sing out of Judea, for their mutual comfort. Calmet.—They excuse themselves on both accounts.

Verse 5. Forgotten. May all that is most dear to us perish, if we do not serve God, ( Worthington.) and seek to procure the welfare of Jerusalem. Bible.—Yet they knew that the joy of their earthly abode in that city could not satisfy their desires. They allude, therefore, ultimately to heaven. Bert.

Verse 7. Day. When Jerusalem was taken, or when it shall be re-established. Bible.—The Idumeans incited the Babylonians to destroy it entirely, and even cut in pieces such as had escaped. Abdias. 5:11. Jeremiah 12:6.—But Nabuchodonosor punished them five years afterwards, and Hircanus forced them to receive circumcision. Joseph. x. 11. and xiii. 18. Calmet.—Isaias (21:11) denounced their ruin, as the psalmist does here. Worthington.—S. Chrysostom thinks that the latter expresses the vindictive sentiments of the Jews: but he rather desires that God’s cause should be maintained in the manner in which He should judge best. The illusions of our own imagination and vanity are most dangerous and domestic enemies, as the Edomites sprung from the same stock as Israel. Bert.

Verse 8. Daughter. Citizens.—Miserable “plunderer,” (Sym.) or “ruined,” (Aquila) or “which shalt be given up to plunder.” Theod.—Cyrus reduced the city to a state of abjection, and it has since experienced other miseries, ( Calmet.) so that its situation is now unknown. Bible.—Isaias (13) foretold this destruction. Worthington.

Verse 9. Dash thy little ones, and so forth In the spiritual sense, we dash the littel ones of Babylon against the rock, when we mortify our passions, and stifle the first motions of them, by a speedy recourse to the rock, which is Christ. Challoner. Saint Augustine Saint Gregory Psalms 50. Worthington.—We do not read that Cyrus treated Babylon with this rigour; but such practices were then customary, (Ose. 14:1. Iliad xxii.) and Darius cruelly punished the revolted city. Herod. iii. 159. Calmet.—God will reward those who execute his decrees ( Bible.) against Babylon. Worthington.—The psalmist contrasts the felicity of the conqueror, with the misery of the citizens, without approving of his conduct. Bert.