Psalm 136 verses 3-4

Eduard Bendemann: Die trauernden Juden im Exil.

Verses 3&4 of Psalm 136 have the Babylonians demanding a song: is this genuine interest, or just mockery?

3	V/NV	Quia illic interrogavérunt nos, qui captívos duxérunt nos, * verba cantiónum.
	JH	Quoniam ibi interrogauerunt nos qui captiuos duxerunt nos uerba carminis,
		ὅτι ἐκεῖ ἐπηρώτησαν ἡμᾶς οἱ αἰχμαλωτεύσαντες ἡμᾶς λόγους

quia (for) illic (there) interrogaverunt (they asked/demanded) nos (us), qui (who) captivos (captured) duxerunt (they had led) nos (us), verba (the words) cantionum (of songs)

interrogo, avi, atum, are, (1) to ask, to question. (2) to request, demand (3) to examine, try, test

captivus a um captured, taken

cantio ionis f a song

DR	For there they that led us into captivity required of us the words of songs.
Cover	For they that led us away captive required of us then a song, and melody, in our heaviness:
Brenton	For there they that had taken us captive asked of us the words of a song

4	V	Et qui abduxérunt nos: * hymnum cantáte nobis de cánticis sion.
	NV	et, qui affligebant nos, laetitiam: “ Cantate nobis de canticis Sion ”.
	JH	et qui adfligebant nos laeti, Canite nobis de canticis Sion.
		ᾠδῶν καὶ οἱ ἀπαγαγόντες ἡμᾶς ὕμνον ᾄσατε ἡμῖν ἐκ τῶν ᾠδῶν Σιων

et (and) qui (who) abduxerunt (they lead/took away) nos (us): Hymnum (a hymn) cantate (sing) nobis (to us) de (from) canticis (of the songs) Sion.

What is being demanded is not just a folk song, but a liturgical piece or psalm in praise of God.  

abduco duxi ductum ere 3 to lead or take away

hymnus, i, m.  a hymn, a song of praise to God.

canto, avi, atum, are to sing, to praise in song

canticum, i, n. a song, canticle.

DR	And they that carried us away, said: Sing to us a hymn of the songs of Sion.
Cover	Sing us one of the songs of Sion.
Brenton	and they that had carried us away asked a hymn, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Sion.

The most obvious interpretation of these verses is that their captors are taunting the exiles: sing to us the songs about how your city is so perfectly protected by your God, when we have in fact reduced it to rubble.

Yet there is a possible positive interpretation as well, namely that mixed amongst those who wish to mock the people of God are some who are genuinely curious, who are genuinely seeking the truth.  Pope Benedict XVI commented:

"Let us entrust ourselves to St Augustine for a further meditation on our Psalm. The great Father of the Church introduces a surprising and very timely note:  he knows that there are also people among the inhabitants of Babylon who are committed to peace and to the good of the community, although they do not share the biblical faith; the hope of the Eternal City to which we aspire is unknown to them. Within them they have a spark of desire for the unknown, for the greater, for the transcendent:  for true redemption. And Augustine says that even among the persecutors, among the non-believers, there are people who possess this spark, with a sort of faith or hope, as far as is possible for them in the circumstances in which they live. With this faith, even in an unknown reality, they are truly on their way towards the true Jerusalem, towards Christ. And with this openness of hope, Augustine also warns the "Babylonians" - as he calls them -, those who do not know Christ or even God and yet desire the unknown, the eternal, and he warns us too, not to focus merely on the material things of the present but to persevere on the journey to God."

Psalm 136 – Super flumina

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Psalmus David, Jeremiæ
1 Super flúmina Babylónis, illic sédimus et flévimus: * cum recordarémur Sion:	Upon the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept: when we remembered Sion:
2  In salícibus in médio ejus, * suspéndimus órgana nostra.	2 On the willows in the midst thereof we hung up our instruments.
3  Quia illic interrogavérunt nos, qui captívos duxérunt nos, * verba cantiónum.	3 For there they that led us into captivity required of us the words of songs.
4  Et qui abduxérunt nos: * Hymnum cantáte nobis de cánticis Sion.	And they that carried us away, said: Sing to us a hymn of the songs of Sion.
5  Quómodo cantábimus cánticum Dómini * in terra aliéna?	4 How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a strange land?
6  Si oblítus fúero tui, Jerúsalem, * oblivióni detur déxtera mea.	5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand be forgotten.
7  Adhæreat lingua mea fáucibus meis, * si non memínero tui.	6 Let my tongue cleave to my jaws, if I do not remember you:
8  Si non proposúero Jerúsalem, * in princípio lætítiæ meæ.	If I make not Jerusalem the beginning of my joy.
9  Memor esto, Dómine, filiórum Edom, * in die Jerúsalem.	7 Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom, in the day of Jerusalem:
10  Qui dicunt: Exinaníte, exinaníte * usque ad fundaméntum in ea.	Who say: Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.
11  Fília Babylónis mísera: * beátus, qui retríbuet tibi retributiónem tuam, quam retribuísti nobis.	8 O daughter of Babylon, miserable: blessed shall he be who shall repay you your payment which you have paid us.
12  Beátus qui tenébit, * et allídet párvulos tuos ad petram.	9 Blessed be he that shall take and dash your little ones against the rock.

And for the next set of notes on this psalm click here.

Fr Cassian Folsom on the interpretation of Psalm 136 and the psalms***Updated

Just a note for those who are regular readers of this blog - I'm listening at the moment to Fr Cassian Folsom's third talk in his excellent Praying without Ceasing series.

All of the talks in this series so far have been great, but the third seems particularly relevant to the interpretation of the psalms that I've been advocating for here, in that it goes to the spiritual, and particularly the Christological, interpretation of the psalms.

It opens with an exposition of Psalm 136, and particularly those difficult cursing verses at the end.  I think what I've said in my posts to date on Psalm 136 (and is coming on the remaining verses this coming week) is very much in line with his talk (which is cheering for me!), and adds some useful points, so do go and listen.

**I'm up to the halfway point on this talk now, and a great exposition on the difficulties of translating and interpreting the psalms using Psalm 109.

Psalm 136: verses 1-2

The opening verses of Psalm 136 set the scene.

1	V/NV	Super flúmina babylónis, illic sédimus et flévimus: * cum recordarémur sion:
	JH	Super flumina Babylonis ibi sedimus et fleuimus, cum recordaremur Sion.
		ἐπὶ τῶν ποταμῶν Βαβυλῶνος ἐκεῖ ἐκαθίσαμεν καὶ ἐκλαύσαμεν ἐν τῷ μνησθῆναι ἡμᾶς τῆς Σιων

Super (on/upon) flumina (the river) Babylonis (of Babylon) illic (there) sedimus (we sat) et (and) flevimus (we wept), cum (when) recordaremur (we remembered) Sion.

The rivers of Babylon probably refers, in the literal sense, to the Tigris, Euphrates and canals of the country, where the exiles gathered to pray.

flumen, inis, n. flowing of wate,  food;  river, stream; rain

illic, adv.  Of place: there, in that place; Of time: then

sedeo, sedi, sessum, ere 2, to sit; rest; dwell, live; to sit with,  hold converse with,  consult; to sit on a throne, to rule, reign

fleo, flevi, fletum, flere 2, to weep

cum, with, together with, in company with .before, in the presence of. to be with as a helper,when, as soon as, as often as.

recordor atus sum ari to remember, recollect, be mindful of

DR	Upon the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept: when we remembered Sion:
Cover	By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, when we remembered thee, O Sion.
Brenton	By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat; and wept when we remembered Sion.

In hearing this psalm we have to remember first of all that the exiles essentially bought their fate on themselves through their sins: they weep not just because of the cruelties done to them, but also because they now repent their past actions.  And the punishment of exile is meant to have this effect:  St John Chrysostom tells us that 'he reduces us to a state of deprivation so that we may come to our senses through the loss, and look for their enjoyment once more.'

Secondly, the verse confronts us with the choice we have to make between the two cities, as Cassiodorus points out:

"Love of one's own abode intensifies when viewed from the place of pilgrimage. Though the prophet appears to be expounding the captivity of the Israelite people, which befell them under the Assyrians, it is appropriate that we interpret it in the spiritual sense. We realise through sustained reading that in this world there are two cities. The first is the Lord's city, called Jerusalem, the vision of peace; it suffers oppression in this world, being wounded by the onset of many evils. It is humble and afflicted, resting its hope in the eternity which can never succumb to weariness. Against it stands the devil's city called Babylon, the meaning of which denotes confusion; on earth it is proud, flourishing, most joyful, watered by the vices of this world as by mighty rivers. These are the rivers, then, over which the faithful sit, enduring their captivity in this world, sighing with longing for their native land, and shedding bitter tears because they cannot attain that promised peace on earth." 

2	V	In salícibus in médio ejus, * suspéndimus órgana nostra.
	NV	In salicibus in medio eius suspendimus citharas nostras.
	JH	Super salices in medio eius suspendimus citharas nostras.
		ἐπὶ ταῖς ἰτέαις ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς ἐκρεμάσαμεν τὰ ὄργανα ἡμῶν

In salicibus (on the willows) in medio (in the middle) ejus (his/it) suspendimus (we hung) organa (organs) nostra (our) 

The organs mentioned could be portable, or, as the Douay-Rheims suggests, a generic reference to instruments but the Neo-Vulgate understandably changes it harps.

salix icis f a willow

medius, a, um in the middle, midst

suspendo pendi pensus sum ere 3 to hang up

organum, i, n. organ pipe

DR	On the willows in the midst thereof we hung up our instruments.
Cover	As for our harps, we hanged them up upon the trees that are therein.
Brenton	We hung our harps on the willows in the midst of it.

St Augustine interprets this verse as a commentary on  the things of this world:

"The citizens of Jerusalem have their instruments of music, God's Scriptures, God's commands, God's promises, meditation on the life to come; but while they are dwelling in Babylon, they hang up their instruments. Willows are unfruitful trees, and here so placed, that no good whatever can be understood of them: elsewhere perhaps there may. Here understand barren trees, growing by the waters of Babylon. These trees are watered by the waters of Babylon, and bring forth no fruit; just as there are men greedy, covetous, barren in good works, citizens of Babylon in such wise, that they are even trees of that region; they are fed there by these pleasures of transitory things, as though watered by the waters of Babylon. You seek fruit of them, and nowhere findest it....Therefore by deferring to apply the Scriptures to them, we hang up our instruments of music upon the willows. For we hold them not worthy to carry our instruments. "

Psalm 136 – Super flumina

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Psalmus David, Jeremiæ
1 Super flúmina Babylónis, illic sédimus et flévimus: * cum recordarémur Sion:	Upon the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept: when we remembered Sion:
2  In salícibus in médio ejus, * suspéndimus órgana nostra.	2 On the willows in the midst thereof we hung up our instruments.
3  Quia illic interrogavérunt nos, qui captívos duxérunt nos, * verba cantiónum.	3 For there they that led us into captivity required of us the words of songs.
4  Et qui abduxérunt nos: * Hymnum cantáte nobis de cánticis Sion.	And they that carried us away, said: Sing to us a hymn of the songs of Sion.
5  Quómodo cantábimus cánticum Dómini * in terra aliéna?	4 How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a strange land?
6  Si oblítus fúero tui, Jerúsalem, * oblivióni detur déxtera mea.	5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand be forgotten.
7  Adhæreat lingua mea fáucibus meis, * si non memínero tui.	6 Let my tongue cleave to my jaws, if I do not remember you:
8  Si non proposúero Jerúsalem, * in princípio lætítiæ meæ.	If I make not Jerusalem the beginning of my joy.
9  Memor esto, Dómine, filiórum Edom, * in die Jerúsalem.	7 Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom, in the day of Jerusalem:
10  Qui dicunt: Exinaníte, exinaníte * usque ad fundaméntum in ea.	Who say: Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.
11  Fília Babylónis mísera: * beátus, qui retríbuet tibi retributiónem tuam, quam retribuísti nobis.	8 O daughter of Babylon, miserable: blessed shall he be who shall repay you your payment which you have paid us.
12  Beátus qui tenébit, * et allídet párvulos tuos ad petram.	9 Blessed be he that shall take and dash your little ones against the rock.

For the next set of notes on this psalm, continue on here.

Introduction to Psalm 136

Chludov Psalter, mid c9th

We are onto the final stretch of the psalms of Wednesday Vespers now, with Psalm 136, the third of the hour (note that I've previously provided detailed notes on Psalm 137 so don't plan to revisit it).

Psalm 136, By the Rivers of Babylon, though, is the psalm that most, I think, encapsulates the challenges that Wednesday in the Benedictine Office poses to our minds formed in a modern culture, and in many ways provides a fitting lead in to Lent.

The challenge of the cursing psalms

On the one hand, it clearly represents great poetry, and has inspired many great composers down the ages (and I'll share a selection of their settings in this mini-series).  Indeed, it has even passed into popular culture as a song of protest against oppression (perceived or real!) in a reggae version as part of the soundtrack to a 1972 Jamaican crime movie and subsequent cover version by Bony M.  So it can't be ignored altogether.

On the other hand though, most modern Catholics find the last two versions difficult, since wishing for vengeance is thought to be inappropriate.  Accordingly, the Novus Ordo Liturgy of the Hours includes the psalm, but omits the final two verses.

Simply ignoring or excising bits of Scripture though, isn't though, a solution that fits particularly well with the adage that all Scripture is for our salvation.  The key I think is to consider the psalm on three levels.

Psalm 136 – Super flumina

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
Psalmus David, Jeremiæ
1 Super flúmina Babylónis, illic sédimus et flévimus: * cum recordarémur Sion:	Upon the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept: when we remembered Sion:
2  In salícibus in médio ejus, * suspéndimus órgana nostra.	2 On the willows in the midst thereof we hung up our instruments.
3  Quia illic interrogavérunt nos, qui captívos duxérunt nos, * verba cantiónum.	3 For there they that led us into captivity required of us the words of songs.
4  Et qui abduxérunt nos: * Hymnum cantáte nobis de cánticis Sion.	And they that carried us away, said: Sing to us a hymn of the songs of Sion.
5  Quómodo cantábimus cánticum Dómini * in terra aliéna?	4 How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a strange land?
6  Si oblítus fúero tui, Jerúsalem, * oblivióni detur déxtera mea.	5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand be forgotten.
7  Adhæreat lingua mea fáucibus meis, * si non memínero tui.	6 Let my tongue cleave to my jaws, if I do not remember you:
8  Si non proposúero Jerúsalem, * in princípio lætítiæ meæ.	If I make not Jerusalem the beginning of my joy.
9  Memor esto, Dómine, filiórum Edom, * in die Jerúsalem.	7 Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom, in the day of Jerusalem:
10  Qui dicunt: Exinaníte, exinaníte * usque ad fundaméntum in ea.	Who say: Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.
11  Fília Babylónis mísera: * beátus, qui retríbuet tibi retributiónem tuam, quam retribuísti nobis.	8 O daughter of Babylon, miserable: blessed shall he be who shall repay you your payment which you have paid us.
12  Beátus qui tenébit, * et allídet párvulos tuos ad petram.	9 Blessed be he that shall take and dash your little ones against the rock.

The cries of the slaves

First, the psalm was obviously composed in a particular historical context, namely the situation of the Jewish Exiles, as Cassiodorus narrates:

"The people of the Hebrews, who through the fault of their obduracy were many generations later to suffer in captivity under king Nebuchadnezzar, are ushered in to speak, so that they may lament their future ills as if they were witnessed as having already passed. In the first section they recount their disasters, adding that whatever the hardships in this world they can never be in any sense forgetful of Jerusalem, though it was certain that it would be destroyed."

The bitterness of slaves suffering cruel oppression is entirely understandable, and recording those feelings represents a painful honesty that is perhaps helpful for us all: few of us escape some traumatic experience in our lives, and there are stages we go through when we do, of which the first is anger.  The hope is that we can then move on, towards forgiveness.

The psalm has an ongoing relevance though, referring to our exile from the heavenly Jerusalem, as suggested by its use during the final weeks of Eastertide in two separate Matins responsories:

(Eastertide Sunday 4&5 no 1):

℟.  Si oblítus / fúero tui, allelúia, † obliviscátur mei déxtera mea: * Adhǽreat lingua mea fáucibus meis, si non memínero tui, † allelúia, allelúia. ℣. Super flúmina Babylónis illic sédimus et flévimus, † dum recordarémur tui, Sion.

℟.  If I forget thee, Alleluia, let my right hand forget me. * If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth. Alleluia,   Alleluia. ℣. By the rivers of Babylon there we sat down and wept, when we remembered thee, O Zion.

LR 417/NR 456

and

(Eastertide Sundays 4&5 no 7)

℟. Hymnum / cantáte nobis, allelúia: * Quómodo cantábimus cánticum Dómini in terra aliena? † allelúia, allelúia. ℣. Illic interrogavérunt nos, qui captivos duxérunt nos, verba cantiónum.

℟. Sing us a song, alleluia.* How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land, alleluia, alleluia. ℣. There they that carried us away captive required of us a song.

And there is a practical reality that is alluded to here though: those who seek to tear down the Church can, like Judas, realise what they have done and yet not repent, and thus condemn themselves to utter destruction.

Revelation on the fall of Babylon

Moreover, the vengeful sentiments of this psalm are not really as out of line with the New Testament as some would claim, for Revelations 18 provides a take on the destruction of Babylon, here representing the city of man that stands in stark contrast to the city of God, which picks up many of the themes of the psalm:

"After this I saw another angel, entrusted with great power, come down from heaven; earth shone with the glory of his presence. 2 And he cried aloud, Babylon, great Babylon is fallen; she has become the abode of devils, the stronghold of all unclean spirits, the eyrie of all birds that are unclean and hateful to man. 3 The whole world has drunk the maddening wine of her fornication; the kings of the earth have lived in dalliance with her, and its merchants have grown rich through her reckless pleasures. 4 And now I heard another voice from heaven say, Come out of her, my people, that you may not be involved in her guilt, nor share the plagues that fall upon her. 5 Her guilt mounts up to heaven; the Lord has kept her sins in remembrance. 6 Deal with her as she has dealt with you; repay her twice over for all she has done amiss; brew double measure for her in the cup she has brewed for others; requite her with anguish and sorrow for all her pride and luxury... and all her plagues shall come upon her in one day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned to the ground; such power has the God who is her judge... 20 Triumph, heaven, over her fall, triumph, you saints in heaven, apostles and prophets; God has avenged you on her. 21 And now an angel, of sovereign strength, lifted up a stone like a great mill-stone and cast it into the sea, crying out, So, with one crash of ruin, will Babylon fall, the great city, and there will be no trace of her any more. 22 Never again will men listen there to the music of harper and of minstrel, of flute-player and trumpeter; never again will the craftsmen of all those crafts be found in thee, never again the grinding of a mill heard in thee; 23 never again the light of lamps shining, never again the voice of bridegroom and of bride. Once the great men of the earth were thy purveyors; once thy sorceries bewitched the world. 24 The blood of prophet and saint lay at her doors; the blood of all that were ever slain on the earth."

Babylon, in other words, stands for all that is evil, all that attempts to oppress the Church and those who stand within it, and there is nothing at all wrong with longing for the destruction of evil, and the triumph of true justice.  We must of course pray for the conversion of those involved in evil, must forgive them the harm they do us.  But there is an objective reality that most will not repent, and that even if they do, their sins still deserve punishment.

St Benedict's take

Finally though, we can also read it as speaking of our individual struggles against temptation.

We all, after all, have to make the choice between the city of men, Babylon, and the City of God, which is Jerusalem.

And St Benedict surely alludes to this when he instructs us to dash our temptations against the rock that is Christ (RB4; 1 Cor 10:4).



Liturgical and Scriptural uses of the psalm

NT references	Rev 18:6, 7 (11); Lk 19:44 (12)
RB cursus	Wednesday Vespers
Monastic feasts etc	AN 3152;
Roman pre 1911	Thursday Vespers
Responsories	Easter 4&5: v1, 3, 5, 6 (6872, 7653)
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Thursday Vespers. 1970: Week 4: Tuesday EP omitting v7-9
Mass propers (EF)	Passion Thurs OF (1); PP 20, OF (1);

Notes on the individual verses of the psalm start here.