The Emotions of Captivity in Psalm 137

The book of Psalms contains some of the most beloved pieces of scripture across centuries and cultures of this world. Psalms have been frequently cited is sermons, devotionals, movies, poetry, and songs. Most often, Psalms are attributed to King David of the 10th century BCE. But regardless of the authorship of the different psalms, each seem to carry a special place in describing human relationships to God, to country, to friends, to enemies and more. As time has progressed, certain psalms have become favorites because of their encouraging and uplifting messages, such as the timeless Psalm 23.

However, other psalms are neglected in Christian circles because of the difficulty they present in interpretation. Often, these psalms are overlooked because of their themes of apparent anger, resentment, or wrath. These psalms are not as frequently preached on or discussed, despite the fact that many believers would readily quote 2 Tim 3:16, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work,” (NIV). What then must the believer say about these difficult psalms?

Psalm 137 is one of a selection of psalms that is frequently difficult to discuss because of its content. The pericope begins with what may appear as a lament like any other in the book, but ends with horrifying imagery of a desired revenge. How does a believer give the proper respect due to the holy Scriptures among such vitriolic language? This paper will assert that proper interpretation of the following pericope involves careful attention to the historical and cultural background, structure, genre, and language of the written text.

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...mans, 2000.

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