Psalm 137:9
New International Version
Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.

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

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

Berean Standard Bible
Blessed is he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.

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

New King James Version
Happy the one who takes and dashes Your little ones against the rock!

New American Standard Bible
Blessed will be one who seizes and dashes your children Against the rock.

NASB 1995
How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones Against the rock.

NASB 1977
How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones Against the rock.

Legacy Standard Bible
How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your infants Against the cliff.

Amplified Bible
How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones Against the rock.

Christian Standard Bible
Happy is he who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rocks.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Happy is he who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rocks.

American Standard Version
Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones Against the rock.

Contemporary English Version
May the Lord bless everyone who beats your children against the rocks!

English Revised Version
Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the rock.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Blessed is the one who grabs your little children and smashes them against a rock.

Good News Translation
who take your babies and smash them against a rock.

International Standard Version
How blessed will be the one who seizes your young children and pulverizes them against the cliff!

Majority Standard Bible
Blessed is he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.

NET Bible
How blessed will be the one who grabs your babies and smashes them on a rock!

New Heart English Bible
Blessed shall he be who takes and dashes your little ones against the rock.

Webster's Bible Translation
Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.

World English Bible
Happy shall he be, who takes and dashes your little ones against the rock.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
O the blessedness of him who seizes, and has dashed your sucklings on the rock!

Young's Literal Translation
O the happiness of him who doth seize, And hath dashed thy sucklings on the rock!

Smith's Literal Translation
Happy he taking hold and dashing in pieces thy children against the rock.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Blessed be he that shall take and dash thy little ones against the rock.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Blessed is he who will take hold of your little ones and dash them against the rock.

New American Bible
Blessed the one who seizes your children and smashes them against the rock.

New Revised Standard Version
Happy shall they be who take your little ones and dash them against the rock!
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Blessed shall he be who takes and dashes your little ones against the stones.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Blessed is he who will seize your infants and will dash the rocks!
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones Against the rock.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Blessed shall he be who shall seize and dash thine infants against the rock.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
By the Rivers of Babylon
8O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, blessed is he who repays you as you have done to us. 9Blessed is he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.

Cross References
Isaiah 13:16
Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes, their houses will be looted, and their wives will be ravished.

Hosea 13:16
Samaria will bear her guilt because she has rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women ripped open.

Nahum 3:10
Yet she became an exile; she went into captivity. Her infants were dashed to pieces at the head of every street. They cast lots for her dignitaries, and all her nobles were bound in chains.

Lamentations 2:20
Look, O LORD, and consider: Whom have You ever treated like this? Should women eat their offspring, the infants they have nurtured? Should priests and prophets be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord?

Lamentations 4:10
The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

2 Kings 8:12
“Why is my lord weeping?” asked Hazael. “Because I know the evil you will do to the Israelites,” Elisha replied. “You will set fire to their fortresses, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little ones to pieces, and rip open their pregnant women.”

2 Kings 15:16
At that time Menahem, starting from Tirzah, attacked Tiphsah and everyone in its vicinity, because they would not open their gates. So he attacked Tiphsah and ripped open all the pregnant women.

1 Samuel 15:33
But Samuel declared: “As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the LORD at Gilgal.

Jeremiah 51:20-23
“You are My war club, My weapon for battle. With you I shatter nations; with you I bring kingdoms to ruin. / With you I shatter the horse and rider; with you I shatter the chariot and driver. / With you I shatter man and woman; with you I shatter the old man and the youth; with you I shatter the young man and the maiden. ...

Ezekiel 9:5-6
And as I listened, He said to the others, “Follow him through the city and start killing; do not show pity or spare anyone! / Slaughter the old men, the young men and maidens, the women and children; but do not go near anyone who has the mark. Now begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple.

Matthew 2:16-18
When Herod saw that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was filled with rage. Sending orders, he put to death all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, according to the time he had learned from the Magi. / Then what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: / “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”

Revelation 18:6
Give back to her as she has done to others; pay her back double for what she has done; mix her a double portion in her own cup.

Revelation 18:20-21
Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced for you His judgment against her. / Then a mighty angel picked up a stone the size of a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be cast down, never to be seen again.

Luke 19:44
They will level you to the ground—you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”

Matthew 18:6
But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.


Treasury of Scripture

Happy shall he be, that takes and dashes your little ones against the stones.

and dasheth

Isaiah 13:16
Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.

Hosea 10:14
Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled Betharbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children.

Hosea 13:16
Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.

the stones.

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Blessed Crushing Dashed Dashes Dasheth David Happiness Happy Infants Little Ones Psalm Rock Rocks Seize Seizes Stones Sucklings
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Blessed Crushing Dashed Dashes Dasheth David Happiness Happy Infants Little Ones Psalm Rock Rocks Seize Seizes Stones Sucklings
Psalm 137
1. The constancy of the Jews in captivity
7. The prophet curses Edom and Babel














Blessed is he
This phrase introduces a beatitude, a form of expression that pronounces a blessing or happiness upon someone. In the context of the Psalms, blessings often reflect divine justice or retribution. The use of "blessed" here is ironic and reflects the deep emotional pain and desire for justice felt by the Israelites during their Babylonian exile. It echoes the covenantal promises where blessings and curses are pronounced based on obedience or disobedience (Deuteronomy 28).

who seizes your infants
The mention of "infants" highlights the severity and totality of the judgment being called for. In ancient warfare, the destruction of the next generation was a way to ensure the complete downfall of a nation. This reflects the historical context of the Babylonian conquest, where the Israelites experienced the brutal destruction of Jerusalem and the loss of their own children. The phrase is a cry for justice, mirroring the atrocities they suffered, and is reminiscent of the prophecy against Babylon in Isaiah 13:16, where similar language is used to describe the fate of Babylon's children.

and dashes them against the rocks.
This graphic imagery underscores the intensity of the psalmist's lament and desire for retribution. In the ancient Near East, such acts were not uncommon in warfare, symbolizing the utter defeat and humiliation of an enemy. The rocks may symbolize the harsh and unyielding nature of divine justice. This phrase can be seen as a call for God to enact justice against Babylon, fulfilling prophecies like those in Jeremiah 51:24, where God promises to repay Babylon for its deeds. While difficult to reconcile with modern sensibilities, this reflects the raw human emotion and the longing for divine justice in the face of profound suffering.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Babylon
The city and empire responsible for the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the Israelites. Babylon symbolizes oppression and the enemies of God's people.

2. Israelites
The people of God who were taken into captivity by the Babylonians. They are the ones expressing their lament and desire for justice in Psalm 137.

3. Exile
The period during which the Israelites were taken from their homeland and lived in Babylon. This was a time of great sorrow and longing for the Israelites.

4. Jerusalem
The holy city of the Israelites, which was destroyed by the Babylonians. It represents the spiritual and cultural heart of the Jewish people.

5. Edomites
A neighboring nation that rejoiced over the fall of Jerusalem and encouraged the Babylonians to destroy it completely. They are mentioned earlier in the psalm as complicit in Jerusalem's downfall.
Teaching Points
Understanding Righteous Anger
The psalm reflects the deep pain and anger of the Israelites. It is important to recognize that expressing emotions to God is a part of a genuine relationship with Him.

Justice and Vengeance
The desire for justice is a natural response to wrongdoing. However, Christians are called to leave vengeance to God, trusting in His perfect justice.

Historical Context
Understanding the historical and cultural context of the psalm helps us grasp the depth of the Israelites' suffering and their cry for justice.

Forgiveness and Mercy
While the psalm expresses a desire for retribution, the New Testament calls believers to forgive and show mercy, following the example of Christ.

Hope in God's Sovereignty
Despite the harsh imagery, the psalm ultimately points to a hope in God's sovereign justice and the eventual restoration of His people.(9) Little ones.--Literally, sucklings.

Stones.--Better, cliff or rock.

For this feature of barbarous cruelty with which ancient war was cursed see 2Kings 8:12; Isaiah 13:16; Hosea 10:14, &c; and comp. Homer, Iliad, xxii. 63: "My bleeding infants dashed against the floor."

Verse 9. - Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones; i.e. that brings on thee the worst calamities of war (see 2 Kings 8:12; Isaiah 12:16-18; Hosea 10:14; Hosea 13:16; Nahum 3:10).



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Blessed is
אַשְׁרֵ֤י ׀ (’aš·rê)
Interjection
Strong's 835: Happiness, interjection, how happy!

he who seizes
שֶׁיֹּאחֵ֓ז (še·yō·ḥêz)
Pronoun - relative | Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 270: To grasp, take hold, take possession

your infants
עֹ֝לָלַ֗יִךְ (‘ō·lā·la·yiḵ)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person feminine singular
Strong's 5768: A suckling

and dashes
וְנִפֵּ֬ץ (wə·nip·pêṣ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5310: To dash to pieces, scatter

them against
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the rocks.
הַסָּֽלַע׃ (has·sā·la‘)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5553: A craggy rock


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OT Poetry: Psalm 137:9 Happy shall he be who takes (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 137:8
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