1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yes, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
Methodius of Olympus · AD 311 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.
Jerome · AD 420 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.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 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…
2 We hung our harps upon the willows in the midst of it.
Jerome · AD 420 On the willows in the midst of it we hung up our instruments. The willow has such a nature: it is indeed a barren tree, and it is said that if anyone takes a drink from it or eats of it, he does not beget children. There, then, we hung up our instruments. Now the instrument is the body of man.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "On the willows in the midst thereof we hung up our instruments of music" [Psalm 137:2]. 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…
3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us [required of us] mirth, [saying], Sing us [one] of the songs of Zion.
Jerome · AD 420 For there they that led us away captive asked of us the words of songs. The demons, who deceived us and led us away captive, now, as though mocking us and boasting, say to us: "Give us back a word about your faith, and just as when you were in Jerusalem, sing a hymn to God."
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "For there they that led us captive demanded of us words of songs, and they that led us away, an hymn" [Psalm 137:3]. They demanded of us words of songs and an hymn, who led us captive....We are tempted by the delights of earthly things, and we struggle daily with the suggestions of unlawful pleasures; scarce do we breathe freely even in prayer: we understand that we are captiv…
4 How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a foreign land?
Gregory of Nazianzus · AD 390 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.
Jerome · AD 420 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.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "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?
5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget [her skill].
Jerome · AD 420 If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand be given over to forgetfulness. Therefore, because he has sinned and fallen, he calls to mind his former way of life and Jerusalem, and he sets before himself this resolve: that unless I shall always be mindful of you, and always hold you in mind, let my right hand be given over to forgetfulness — that is, my works.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 But take heed how thou dwellest among them, O people of God, O body of Christ, O high-born band of wanderers (for thy home is not here, but elsewhere), lest when thou lovest them, strivest for their friendship, and fearest to displease such men, Babylon begin to delight thee and thou forget Jerusalem. In fear then of this, see what the Psalmist subjoins, see what follows.
6 If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.
Jerome · AD 420 Let my tongue cleave to my jaws, if I do not remember you. That is, let me have neither works nor speech, if the memory of you is not continually turned over in my heart.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Let my tongue cleave to my jaws, if I remember not you" [Psalm 137:6]. That is, let me be dumb, he says, if I remember not you. For what word, what sound does he utter, who utters not songs of Sion? That is our tongue, the song of Jerusalem. The song of the love of this world is a strange tongue, a barbarous tongue, which we have learned in our captivity.
7 Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Raze [it], raze [it], [even] to its foundation.
Jerome · AD 420 Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom, in the day of Jerusalem. Edom is interpreted as "earthly" and "bloody." Who then is this, if not the devil? See, then, what he says. This is spoken in the person of Adam: "Lord, remember how the serpent, the devil — who is understood to be Nebuchadnezzar — deceived me and dragged me off, and cast me out of paradise.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Then he turneth to God in prayer against the enemies of that city. "Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom" (ver. 7). Edom is the same who is also called Esau: for ye heard just now the words of the Apostle read, "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." ...Esau then signifieth all the carnal, Jacob all the spiritual.
8 O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy [shall he be], that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.
Origen of Alexandria · AD 253 And in this way also the just give up to destruction all their enemies, which are their vices, so that they do not spare even the children, that is, the early beginnings and promptings of evil.
Jerome · AD 420 Wretched daughter of Babylon. The daughter of Babylon is the soul which is always in motion and in confusion, and has no stability, but is in vices and in sins — which is truly wretched. "Blessed is he who shall repay you your recompense which you have repaid to us." Blessed is he who shall repay her what she herself has done.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Then he turneth himself to her, "O daughter of Babylon, unhappy;" unhappy in thy very exulting, thy presumption, thine enmity; "unhappy daughter of Babylon!" (ver. 8).
9 Happy [shall he be], that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.
Jerome · AD 420 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.
Philoxenus of Mabbug · AD 523 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…
Bonaventure · AD 1257 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.