Psalms 136
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Psalms chapter 136 is given here in full, verse by verse, in Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), with the Greek text of the Septuagint set beneath each verse. The text follows the Septuagint tradition received throughout the Orthodox Church.
10 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from 2 Fathers — Saint Methodius of Olympus and Saint Augustine of Hippo. The translator's notes for this chapter (3) follow the text.
Psalms 136
1(137) * For David, a Psalm of Jeremias. By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat; and wept when we remembered Sion.Τῷ Δαυὶδ, Ἱερεμίου. Ἐπὶ τῶν ποταμῶν Βαβυλῶνος ἐκεῖ ἐκαθίσαμεν, καὶ ἐκλαύσαμεν ἐν τῷ μνησθῆναι ἡμᾶς τῆς Σιών.
2We hung our † harps on the willows in the midst of it.Ἐπὶ ταῖς ἰτέαις ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς ἐκρεμάσαμεν τὰ ὄργανα ἡμῶν.
3For there they that had taken us captive asked of us the words of a song; and they that had carried us away asked a hymn, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Sion.Ὅτι ἐκεῖ ἐπηρώτησαν ἡμᾶς οἱ αἰχμαλωτεύσαντες ἡμᾶς, λόγους ᾠδῶν, καὶ οἱ ἀπαγαγόντες ἡμᾶς, ὕμνον· ᾄσατε ἡμῖν ἐκ τῶν ᾠδῶν Σιών.
4How should we sing the Lord's song ‡ in a strange land?Πῶς ᾄσωμεν τὴν ᾠδὴν Κυρίου ἐπὶ γῆς ἀλλοτρίας;
5If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill.Ἐὰν ἐπιλάθωμαί σου Ἱερουσαλήμ, ἐπιλησθείη ἡ δεξιά μου.
6May my tongue cleave to my throat, if I do not remember you; if I do not prefer Jerusalem as the chief of my joy.Κολληθείη ἡ γλῶσσά μου τῷ λάρυγγί μου, ἐὰν μή σου μνησθῷ· ἐὰν μὴ προανατάξωμαι τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐν ἀρχῇ τῆς εὐφροσύνης μου.
7Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, § rase it, even to its foundations.Μνήσθητι, Κύριε, τῶν υἱῶν Ἐδὼμ τὴν ἡμέραν Ἱερουσαλήμ· τῶν λεγόντων, ἐκκενοῦτε ἐκκενοῦτε, ἕως τῶν θεμελίων αὐτῇς.
8Wretched daughter of Babylon! blessed shall he be who shall reward you as you have rewarded us.Θυγάτηρ Βαβυλῶνος ἡ ταλαίπωρος, μακάριος ὃς ἀνταποδώσει σοι τὸ ἀνταπόδομά σου, ὃ ἀνταπέδωκας ἡμῖν.
9Blessed shall he be who shall seize and dash your infants against the rock.Μακάριος ὃς κρατήσει καὶ ἐδαφιεῖ τὰ νήπιά σου πρὸς τὴν πέτραν.
Translator's Notes
These notes come from the printed edition of Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), and record where the Greek differs from the English rendering or admits more than one reading.
- v. 2†Gr. organs, or, instruments.
- v. 4‡Gr. on
- v. 7§Gr. empty, empty. * 138: Alex. + of Zacharias in the dispersion.
The Fathers on Psalms 136
Saint Methodius of Olympus and Saint Augustine of Hippo comment on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On Psalms 136Saint Methodius of OlympusThat Passage of David Explained; What the Harps Hung Upon the Willows Signify; The Willow a Symbol of Chastity; The Willows Watered by Streams. Chapter III.—That Passage of David Explained; What the Harps Hung Upon the Willows Signify; The Willow a Symbol of Chastity; The Willows Watered by Streams. But not to pass away from our subject, come, let us take…
Read The Banquet of the Ten Virgins →
On Psalms 136:1Saint Augustine of Hippo1. …But to-day we have sung, “By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, when we remembered Sion” (ver. 1).…
Read Expositions on the Psalms →
On Psalms 136:2Saint Augustine of Hippo5. “On the willows in the midst thereof we hung up our instruments of music” (ver. 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 can be understood of them: elsewhere…
Read Expositions on the Psalms →
On Psalms 136:3Saint Augustine of Hippo6. “For there they that led us captive demanded of us words of songs, and they that led us away, an hymn” (ver. 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 captives. But who led us captive? what men?…
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On Psalms 136:4Saint Augustine of Hippo7. “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? Babylon beareth thee, Babylon containeth thee, Babylon nourisheth thee, Babylon speaks by thy mouth, thou knowest not to take in save what glitters for the present, thou knowest not how to meditate on things of eternity, thou takest not in what thou askest. “How…
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On Psalms 136:5Saint Augustine of Hippo8. 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. “If I forget thee, O Jerusalem” (ver.…
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On Psalms 136:6Saint Augustine of Hippo9. “Let my tongue cleave to my jaws, if I remember not thee” (ver. 6). That is, let me be dumb, he saith, if I remember not thee. For what word, what sound doth he utter, who uttereth 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 learnt in our captivity. Dumb then will he be to God, who forgetteth Jerusalem.…
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On Psalms 136:7Saint Augustine of Hippo10. 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.…All carnal persons are enemies to spiritual persons, for all such, desiring present things,…
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On Psalms 136:8Saint Augustine of Hippo11. 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). The city is called both Babylon, and daughter of Babylon: just as they speak of “Jerusalem” and “the daughter of Jerusalem,” “Sion” and “the daughter of Sion,” “the Church” and “the daughter of the Church.” As it succeedeth the other, it is…
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On Psalms 136:9Open Psalms 136 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Saint Augustine of Hippo12. “Happy shall he be that repayeth thee, as thou hast served us.” What repayment meaneth he? Herewith the Psalm closeth, “Happy, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the rock” (ver. 9). Her he calleth unhappy, but him happy who payeth her as she hath served us. Do we ask, what reward? This is the repayment. For what hath that Babylon done to us? We have already sung in another Psalm, “The words of…
Read Expositions on the Psalms →