The Meaning of Psalms 137:9 Explained

Psalms 137:9

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

YLT: O the happiness of him who doth seize, And hath dashed thy sucklings on the rock!

Darby: Happy he that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the rock.

ASV: Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones Against the rock.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Psalms 137:9 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It seems as if the exiles had withdrawn from the city, with its distractions, to some natural retreat beside the Euphrates.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 137:9 mean?

Blessed the one who takes and dashes - Your little ones against the rock
אַשְׁרֵ֤י ׀ שֶׁיֹּאחֵ֓ז וְנִפֵּ֬ץ אֶֽת־ עֹ֝לָלַ֗יִךְ אֶל־ הַסָּֽלַע

אַשְׁרֵ֤י ׀  Blessed 
Parse: Interjection
Root: אֶשֶׁר 
Sense: happiness, blessedness.
שֶׁיֹּאחֵ֓ז  the  one  who  takes 
Parse: Pronoun, relative, Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָחוּז 
Sense: grasp, take hold, seize, take possession.
וְנִפֵּ֬ץ  and  dashes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָפַץ 
Sense: to shatter, break, dash, beat in pieces.
אֶֽת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עֹ֝לָלַ֗יִךְ  Your  little  ones 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person feminine singular
Root: עֹולֵל 
Sense: child, boy.
אֶל־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הַסָּֽלַע  the  rock 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סֶלַע  
Sense: crag, cliff, rock.

What are the major concepts related to Psalms 137:9?

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