They hung up their hearts’ melodies in a foreign land, waiting for the day when they could sing again.
The psalmist vividly describes the exiles’ sorrow by stating that “Upon the willows in the midst of it We hung our harps.” (v.2) This line pictures the despondent people of Israel in a foreign land—Babylon—where they felt unable to praise the LORD as they once did. Babylon was located in the region of Mesopotamia, near the great Euphrates River, corresponding to modern-day Iraq. Around 586 BC, the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem and took the Israelites into captivity, leaving them far from their homeland. The willow trees by the rivers in Babylon offered the exiles a place to hang their instruments, symbolizing both the literal and figurative silencing of their joyful expressions of worship.
The act of putting away the harps, as the psalmist says “we hung our harps.” (v.2), suggests the depth of the captives’ despair. Under the weight of grief and longing, the instruments that once accompanied songs of praise in the temple were left unused, suspended on branches. In ancient Israel, instruments such as harps signified music and gladness in public worship. Here, the harps are left behind as silent witnesses to the emotional burdens that made singing nearly impossible. This emotional turmoil connects with themes of lament found throughout Scripture, pointing to a longing for restoration and a hope that God’s faithful promises would someday be fulfilled (Revelation 21:4).
By describing how “we hung our harps” (v.2) on Babylon’s willows, the psalmist indicates a temporary end to joyful expressions of worship. Yet these words also invite reflection on the enduring hope of return, foreshadowing the time when the exiles would come back to Jerusalem under Persian rule around 538 BC. In the New Testament, deeper hope is realized in Jesus, who offers spiritual deliverance for all and promises ultimate freedom from sorrow (John 16:20).
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Psalms 137:2 meaning
The psalmist vividly describes the exiles’ sorrow by stating that “Upon the willows in the midst of it We hung our harps.” (v.2) This line pictures the despondent people of Israel in a foreign land—Babylon—where they felt unable to praise the LORD as they once did. Babylon was located in the region of Mesopotamia, near the great Euphrates River, corresponding to modern-day Iraq. Around 586 BC, the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem and took the Israelites into captivity, leaving them far from their homeland. The willow trees by the rivers in Babylon offered the exiles a place to hang their instruments, symbolizing both the literal and figurative silencing of their joyful expressions of worship.
The act of putting away the harps, as the psalmist says “we hung our harps.” (v.2), suggests the depth of the captives’ despair. Under the weight of grief and longing, the instruments that once accompanied songs of praise in the temple were left unused, suspended on branches. In ancient Israel, instruments such as harps signified music and gladness in public worship. Here, the harps are left behind as silent witnesses to the emotional burdens that made singing nearly impossible. This emotional turmoil connects with themes of lament found throughout Scripture, pointing to a longing for restoration and a hope that God’s faithful promises would someday be fulfilled (Revelation 21:4).
By describing how “we hung our harps” (v.2) on Babylon’s willows, the psalmist indicates a temporary end to joyful expressions of worship. Yet these words also invite reflection on the enduring hope of return, foreshadowing the time when the exiles would come back to Jerusalem under Persian rule around 538 BC. In the New Testament, deeper hope is realized in Jesus, who offers spiritual deliverance for all and promises ultimate freedom from sorrow (John 16:20).