Passage

Psalms 137.7-11

Book: Psalms · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"5. If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, Let my right hand forget her skill. 6. Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, If I remember thee not; If I prefer not Jerusalem Above my chief joy."

"7. Remember, O Jehovah, against the children of Edom The day of Jerusalem; Who said, Rase it, rase it, Even to the foundation thereof. 8. O daughter of Babylon, that art to be destroyed, Happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee As thou hast served us. 9. Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones Against the rock." (Psalms 137:5-9, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"5. If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill. 6. Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I don’t remember you; if I don’t prefer Jerusalem above my chief joy."

"7. Remember, Yahweh, against the children of Edom, the day of Jerusalem; who said, “Raze it! Raze it even to its foundation!” 8. Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, he will be happy who rewards you, as you have served us. 9. Happy shall he be, who takes and dashes your little ones against the rock." (Psalms 137:5-9, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"5. If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. 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. ^{my chief: Heb. the head of my joy}"

"7. Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof. ^{Rase it: Heb. Make bare} 8. O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. ^{destroyed: Heb. wasted} ^{rewardeth: Heb. recompenseth unto thee thy deed which thou didst to us} 9. Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones. ^{the stones: Heb. the rock}" (Psalms 137:5-9, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"5. If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, my right hand forgetteth! 6. My tongue doth cleave to my palate, If I do not remember thee, If I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy."

"7. Remember, Jehovah, for the sons of Edom, The day of Jerusalem, Those saying, 'Rase, rase to its foundation!' 8. O daughter of Babylon, O destroyed one, O the happiness of him who repayeth to thee thy deed, That thou hast done to us. 9. O the happiness of him who doth seize, And hath dashed thy sucklings on the rock!" (Psalms 137:5-9, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: various (David majority; Asaph, Korah, Moses, Solomon, anonymous)
Audience: worshipping Israel (corporate + individual devotion)
Location: Israel, various periods
Time period: composition spans c. 1400 BC (Moses, Ps 90), c. 400 BC; principal Davidic composition c. 1000 BC

Theological reading

Key words

H1121 - ben, ben (Strong's H1121). Also appears in: Genesis 3, Genesis 4.26, Genesis 6.2.
H3068 - YHWH, YHWH (Strong's H3068). Also appears in: Genesis 2.4, Genesis 2.7, Genesis 2.16-17.

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.