Salmos 137 -

Their Babylonian captors mockingly ask them to sing "one of the songs of Zion" for entertainment.

Verse 4 contains the famous rhetorical question: "How can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?" . 2. A Vow of Remembrance Salmos 137

The psalm begins with a haunting image of the Jewish exiles sitting by the waters of Babylon (the Tigris and Euphrates), weeping as they remember their homeland, Zion. Their Babylonian captors mockingly ask them to sing

The middle section of the psalm is a solemn oath never to forget Jerusalem. The poet calls down curses upon themselves if they ever lose their devotion to their home: May their right hand forget its skill (at the harp). A Vow of Remembrance The psalm begins with

May their tongue cling to the roof of their mouth if they do not prize Jerusalem above their greatest joy. 3. The Controversial Ending: Retribution

They hang their harps on willow trees, refusing to play.