# Psalms 137.8

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-05-06 | updated: 2026-05-06 -->

**Book:** [Psalms](/codex/psalms/) · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 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 137:6-9, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 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 137:6-9, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 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. <sup>my chief: Heb. the head of my joy</sup> 7. Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof. <sup>Rase it: Heb. Make bare</sup>
>
> **8. O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. <sup>destroyed: Heb. wasted</sup> <sup>rewardeth: Heb. recompenseth unto thee thy deed which thou didst to us</sup>**
>
> 9. Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones. <sup>the stones: Heb. the rock</sup> (Psalms 137:6-9, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 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 137:6-9, 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

_No Strong's-tagged lexicon matches found in this passage. (Lexicon coverage is curated, ~159 of the most apologetically-loaded Greek/Hebrew terms.)_

## 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](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/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](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.

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## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Evil God Objection Defeater](/codex/evil-god-objection-defeater/), via [Psalms 137](/codex/psalms-137/)
- [Imprecatory Psalms Objection Defeater](/codex/imprecatory-psalms-objection-defeater/), via [Psalms 137](/codex/psalms-137/), [Psalms 137.1-9](/codex/psalms-137-1-9/), [Psalms 137.8-9](/codex/psalms-137-8-9/)
- [Isaiah 14 Reverse Slavery Prophecy Objection Defeater](/codex/isaiah-14-reverse-slavery-prophecy-objection-defeater/), via [Psalms 137](/codex/psalms-137/)

**Concepts:**

- [Evilbible.com](/codex/evilbible-com/), via [Psalms 137](/codex/psalms-137/)
- [God and the Killing of Children](/codex/god-and-the-killing-of-children/), via [Psalms 137](/codex/psalms-137/)
- [Imprecatory Psalms Objection](/codex/imprecatory-psalms-objection/), via [Psalms 137](/codex/psalms-137/)
- [Lesson 4.3, Old Testament Difficulties](/codex/lesson-4-3-old-testament-difficulties/), via [Psalms 137](/codex/psalms-137/)

**People:**

- [Frederick Douglass](/codex/frederick-douglass/), via [Psalms 137](/codex/psalms-137/)

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