The Meaning of Psalms 137:8 Explained

Psalms 137:8

KJV: O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.

YLT: O daughter of Babylon, O destroyed one, O the happiness of him who repayeth to thee thy deed, That thou hast done to us.

Darby: Daughter of Babylon, who art to be laid waste, happy he that rendereth unto thee that which thou hast meted out to us.

ASV: O daughter of Babylon, that art to be destroyed, Happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee As thou hast served us.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

O daughter  of Babylon,  who art to be destroyed;  happy  [shall he be], that rewardeth  thee as thou hast served  us. 

What does Psalms 137:8 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalm 137:1-9 - Loyalty In Adversity
It seems as if the exiles had withdrawn from the city, with its distractions, to some natural retreat beside the Euphrates.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 them, but had not the heart to touch their chords. Songs were choked by sobs. Suddenly a band of insolent revelers broke in on the scene, demanding one of those Temple songs for which Hebrew minstrelsy was famed.
But the Lord's song was possible only in the Lord's house. To be separated from the Temple seemed to the Jews like separation from God. When we have been led captive by our sins and have lost the sense of God's presence, we, too, lose the spring of holy joy. Let us make not Jerusalem, but the glory and interests of Christ's kingdom, our chief joy. The closing imprecation on Edom reminds one of Jeremiah 49:7-22; Lamentations 4:2; Lamentations 4:22; Ezekiel 25:12-14. We can understand it, but we must remember that we belong to another covenant. See Luke 9:54, r.v., margin; Romans 12:20. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalm 137

1  The constancy of the Jews in captivity
7  The prophet curses Edom and Babel

What do the individual words in Psalms 137:8 mean?

Daughter of Babylon who are to be destroyed Blessed the one who repays you - as as you have served us
בַּת־ בָּבֶ֗ל הַשְּׁד֫וּדָ֥ה אַשְׁרֵ֥י שֶׁיְשַׁלֶּם־ לָ֑ךְ אֶת־ גְּ֝מוּלֵ֗ךְ שֶׁגָּמַ֥לְתְּ לָֽנוּ

בַּת־  Daughter 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בַּת  
Sense: daughter.
בָּבֶ֗ל  of  Babylon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בָּבֶל  
Sense: Babel or Babylon, the ancient site and/or capital of Babylonia (modern Hillah) situated on the Euphrates.
הַשְּׁד֫וּדָ֥ה  who  are  to  be  destroyed 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine singular
Root: שָׁדַד  
Sense: to deal violently with, despoil, devastate, ruin, destroy, spoil.
אַשְׁרֵ֥י  Blessed 
Parse: Interjection
Root: אֶשֶׁר 
Sense: happiness, blessedness.
שֶׁיְשַׁלֶּם־  the  one  who  repays 
Parse: Pronoun, relative, Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלֵם  
Sense: .
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
שֶׁגָּמַ֥לְתְּ  as  you  have  served 
Parse: Pronoun, relative, Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person feminine singular
Root: גָּמַל  
Sense: to deal fully with, recompense.
לָֽנוּ  us 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural