The weeping wasn't just sadness over their present hardship, but a profound grief triggered by remembering Zion's past glory and their lost place within it. Their tears flowed not simply because they were away from home, but because the memory of what they once had highlighted the depth of their current desolation.
By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our lyres. For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a foreign land?
English Standard Version (ESV)
Exiled by their enemies, the people of God sit by the canals and great rivers of Babylon, overwhelmed with grief. Their sorrow is so profound that they can only weep as they recall the beauty and sanctity of their beloved Jerusalem, Zion, now in ruins. This lament sets the stage for a psalm that contrasts their present misery with the memory of past joys and the hope for future justice.
Imagine being ripped from everything you know and love. Where do you go to grieve? The psalmist paints a vivid picture of profound sadness.
The verse opens with a powerful image: "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept." This wasn't just a casual stop; 'sitting down' was the posture of mourners.
A Posture of Grief
In ancient Near Eastern culture, sitting down often signified deep sorrow, grief, or mourning. It was a way to outwardly express the inward pain of loss. Think of Job 2:13, where his friends sat with him for seven days in silence, sharing in his grief.
The Waters of Babylon
The 'rivers of Babylon' could refer to the mighty Euphrates River that flowed through the city, or its many canals and streams. These waters, a source of life and prosperity for Babylon, became the backdrop for the exiled Israelites' profound sorrow. They sat by these foreign waters, a constant reminder of their displacement.
What triggers your deepest sadness? For the captives in Babylon, it wasn't their current hardship, but a memory that broke them.
The weeping wasn't just for their present condition; it was ignited by a powerful memory: 'when we remembered Zion.'
The Pain of What Was Lost
Remembering Zion—the beloved city of God, Jerusalem—brought an overwhelming wave of grief. They recalled its beauty, its sacred temple, the joyous worship, and the presence of God they had once known. This remembrance intensified their current suffering by highlighting what they had been stripped of.
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Active Grief, Active Memory
Their weeping was an active response to memory. It wasn't passive sadness; it was a conscious recall of past glories and present desolation that forced tears. This highlights how deeply their identity and hope were tied to Zion. Losing it meant losing a piece of themselves and their connection to God's promises.
Understand the original words
Babel · Hebrew Proper Noun
In the Old Testament, this refers to the city of Babylon, but also symbolically represents the place of exile, alienation from God’s presence, and oppression by pagan nations. It is often contrasted with Zion/Jerusalem as a place of spiritual darkness.
Tsiyyon · Hebrew Proper Noun
In the Bible, this is the mountain or city where God chose to dwell among His people. It represents the presence of God, the place of worship, the covenant kingdom, and the ultimate hope for God’s people in their restoration.
shabah · Hebrew Noun
Used here to refer to those who have taken the Israelites into captivity; generally, it signifies those who exert power over God’s people in an unrighteous or oppressive manner.
shiyrah Tsiyyon · Hebrew Noun Phrase
Songs intended for the worship of Yahweh, specifically associated with the liturgical life of the Temple and the expression of devotion to the covenant God of Israel.
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal, covenantal name of God in the Old Testament, revealed to Moses, signifying His self-existence, eternity, and faithfulness to His people. It is the name most associated with His character and his redemptive relationship with Israel.
nekar erets · Hebrew Noun Phrase
Refers to territory outside of the Promised Land of Israel. It represents spiritual displacement, where the covenant people are separated from the Land given by God and the center of their worship.
This Psalm is set against the devastating backdrop of the Babylonian exile, a direct consequence of Judah's rebellion. The imagery of weeping by the rivers powerfully contrasts the former glory of Jerusalem with the captives' present despair and longing for home.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many of its citizens. This event serves as a grim precedent for later exiles.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Under King Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian Empire begins its conquest of Judah. The first wave of exiles, including Daniel and his companions, are taken to Babylon.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a revolt, Nebuchadnezzar deports more Judeans, including King Jehoiachin and the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon. Jerusalem's temple is plundered.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Babylon completely destroys Jerusalem and its magnificent Temple. The remaining population of Judah is largely exiled to Babylon, marking the beginning of the Babylonian captivity.
c. 539 BC
Fall of Babylon to Persia
Cyrus the Great conquers the Babylonian Empire, ushering in the Persian era. This political shift will eventually lead to the decree allowing the Jews to return.
538 BC
Decree of Cyrus
Cyrus issues a decree permitting the exiled Jews to return to Judah and rebuild their Temple in Jerusalem. This marks the end of the official Babylonian captivity.
This passage directly describes the desolation of Zion and Jerusalem from the perspective of the city itself, echoing the deep sorrow and remembrance of home felt by the exiles in Psalm 137.
Ezekiel 1:1Ezekiel, also an exile by the rivers of Babylon, receives his prophetic visions there, showing that even in captivity, God's presence and message could be found.
Jeremiah 29:5-7This is God's direct message to the exiles in Babylon, instructing them to seek the welfare of the city they are in, offering a contrasting perspective to the deep longing for Zion expressed in Psalm 137.
Nehemiah 1:4Nehemiah's prayer in this passage reveals a similar deep grief and remembrance of Jerusalem's condition, mirroring the sentiments of the psalmist by the rivers of Babylon.
gillPsalms 137:1: "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion."
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down,.... If by Babylon is meant the country, then the rivers of it are Chebar, Ulai, Tigris, Euphrates, and others; see Ezekiel 1:1 ; but if the city itself, then only Euphrates, which ran through it; and is expressed by rivers, because of the largeness of it, and because of the several canals cut out of it, for the service of the city; hence Babylon is sai…
ellicottPsalms 137:1: "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion."
(1) By the rivers . . .—Mentioned as the characteristic feature of the country, as we say “among the mountains of Wales.” The canals which irrigated Babylonia made it what an ancient writer called it, the greatest of “cities of river places.”
The weeping wasn't just sadness over their present hardship, but a profound grief triggered by remembering Zion's past glory and their lost place within it. Their tears flowed not simply because they were away from home, but because the memory of what they once had highlighted the depth of their current desolation.
Exiled by their enemies, the people of God sit by the canals and great rivers of Babylon, overwhelmed with grief. Their sorrow is so profound that they can only weep as they recall the beauty and sanctity of their beloved Jerusalem, Zion, now in ruins. This lament sets the stage for a psalm that contrasts their present misery with the memory of past joys and the hope for future justice.
Exiled by their enemies, the people of God sit by the canals and great rivers of Babylon, overwhelmed with grief. Their sorrow is so profound that they can only weep as they recall the beauty and sanctity of their beloved Jerusalem, Zion, now in ruins. This lament sets the stage for a psalm that contrasts their present misery with the memory of past joys and the hope for future justice.
"By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our lyres. For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying,…" — The weeping wasn't just sadness over their present hardship, but a profound grief triggered by remembering Zion's past glory and their lost place within it. Their tears flowed not simply because they…
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Last reviewed October 2026
