Psalms 137 · The Lantern

By the Rivers of Babylon

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yes, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

But not to pass away from our subject, come, let us take in our hands and examine this psalm, which the pure and stainless souls sing to God, saying: "By the rivers of Babylon there we sat down; yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Sion. If someone is not sick, he does not know how much health is worth. And again, a lame man does not know how much he is worth who is sound of foot. Likewise the blind man does not know the one who sees.

Observe "the waters of Babylon." "The waters of Babylon" are all things which here are loved, and pass away. ...But then other citizens of the holy Jerusalem, understanding their captivity, mark how the natural wishes and the various lusts of men hurry and drag them hither and thither, and drive them into the sea; they see this, and they throw not themselves into the waters of…

We hanged our harps upon its willows in the midst.

For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us merriment, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a strange land?

Certainly not, friends and brethren—I still call you "brethren," though your attitude is not brotherly—do not let us accept such a view. We must not be like fiery, unruly horses, throwing reason our rider and spitting out the bit of discretion that so usefully restrains us, and running wide of the turning post.

How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land? They answer, those who have sinned and been deceived, and they say: "How shall we sing you the Lord's song in a strange land, set as we are in our sins, we who have fallen from Jerusalem into Babylon?" Therefore no one can praise the Lord unless he is holy. For the sinner ought not to sing to the Lord, but to mourn his sins.

"Those" then "who have led us captive," the devil and his angels, when have they spoken unto us: "Sing us one of the songs of Sion"? What answer we?

If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her skill.

If I do not remember you, let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.

Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to its foundation.

O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewards you as you have served us.

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

Blessed is he who shall take hold of and dash your little ones against the rock. The "little ones" are said to be thoughts. For example: I have seen a woman, I have desired her: at once, if I do not cut off that desire, and, as it were, take it by the foot and dash it against the rock while the desire is small, it cannot afterwards be cut off when it has grown.

And see then also how the Spirit counselleth thee, saying, "Dash the children of Babylon upon the stones while they are young." And well hath the word of prophecy called these passions "children", that it might show thee their powerlessness, and might encourage thee to victory; and it did not say "thy children," that it might not cause thee disgrace, as if such children appeare…

Do not allow the serpent to enter into your heart through suggestion; for Gregory says that when the head of the serpent has entered into any opening, then the whole body easily enters. For this reason the Psalm says: "Blessed is he who shall seize and dash his little ones against the rock," that is, the first movements against Christ: and then he shall have peace.

Psalms137

By the Rivers of Babylon