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To Imprecate Or Not: Psalm 137 And Its Appropriation In Music, Elizabeth Boase
To Imprecate Or Not: Psalm 137 And Its Appropriation In Music, Elizabeth Boase
Theology Papers and Journal Articles
Psalm 137 opens with lament and closes with one of the most strident imprecations in the Psalter. Read against the backdrop of the Babylonian exile, the imprecation incorporates both Edom and Babylon, concluding with the words “Happy shall they be who take your little ones and dash them against the rock.”
The closing verses have proven to be problematic for commentators. The tension is well expressed by R. Clifford, who states “Psalm 137 has the distinction of having one of the most beloved opening lines and the most horrifying closing line of any psalm. If the psalm ended at verse …