Psalms 134–137
Psalm 134:1-137:9
Psa.134.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- שיר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- המעלות: NOUN,f,pl,def
- הנה: PART
- ברכו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- כל: DET
- עבדי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- העמדים: VERB,qal,ptc,0,m,pl
- בבית: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- בלילות: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 134:2 (structural): Immediate continuation of the same Song of Ascents: summons to lift hands to the holy place and bless the LORD—direct structural and liturgical follow‑on to verse 1.
- Psalm 135:1-2 (verbal): Uses nearly identical address—'servants of the LORD' who 'stand in the house of the LORD'—and issues a call to praise, a close verbal parallel.
- Psalm 119:62 (thematic): 'At midnight I rise to give thanks to you' echoes the theme of night worship and praise found in Ps 134:1's image of servants standing in the house of the LORD by night.
- 1 Chronicles 9:33 (verbal): Describes Levites/gatekeepers who 'waited on the house of the LORD,' echoing the language and function of those who 'stand in the house of the LORD' in Ps 134:1.
Alternative generated candidates
- A song of ascents. Behold—bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, who stand in the house of the LORD by night.
- A song of ascents. Behold—bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who stand in the house of the LORD by night.
Psa.134.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- שאו: VERB,qal,imp,2,pl
- ידכם: NOUN,f,sg,abs,2mp
- קדש: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- וברכו: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 63:4 (verbal): Uses the same phrase 'I will lift up my hands' in a vow of blessing and praise — a near verbal parallel in cultic posture and blessing.
- Psalm 28:2 (verbal): Speaks of lifting up hands toward your holy sanctuary, echoing the gesture and its orientation toward the sanctuary found in Ps 134:2.
- Lamentations 3:41 (verbal): Calls to 'lift up your hearts and hands to God,' closely mirroring the combined gesture of raised hands and devotion in Ps 134:2.
- 1 Timothy 2:8 (allusion): Paulic instruction to 'lift up holy hands' in prayer echoes the postural-language of Ps 134:2, showing continuity of the raised-hands motif in worship.
Alternative generated candidates
- Lift up your hands in the holy place, and bless the LORD.
- Lift up your hands to the sanctuary and bless the LORD.
Psa.134.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- יברכך: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg,obj:2,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- מציון: PREP+NOUN,prop,sg,abs
- עשה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- שמים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- וארץ: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 128:5 (quotation): Uses the same blessing formula — "May the LORD bless you from Zion" — invoking divine blessing from Zion on the people.
- Psalm 121:2 (verbal): Explicitly calls God the one "who made heaven and earth" (Hebrew: עֹשֶׂה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ), matching the creator language of Ps 134:3.
- Psalm 146:6 (verbal): Describes Yahweh as the Maker of heaven and earth (and the sea), echoing the creator-title used in Ps 134:3 and stressing God's sovereign power.
- Genesis 14:19 (thematic): Melchizedek blesses Abram in the name of 'God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth' — a thematically related recognition of God as lord/creator of heaven and earth.
- Acts 4:24 (allusion): The early Christian prayer addresses God as the one 'who made the heaven and the earth,' echoing the OT characterization of God as creator found in Ps 134:3.
Alternative generated candidates
- May the LORD bless you from Zion—he who made heaven and earth.
- May the LORD bless you from Zion, he who made heaven and earth.
Psa.135.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- הללו: VERB,piel,impv,2,m,pl
- יה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הללו: VERB,piel,impv,2,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- שם: ADV
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- הללו: VERB,piel,impv,2,m,pl
- עבדי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Ps.113.1 (verbal): Almost identical wording: a direct call for the servants of the LORD to praise the name of the LORD (shared liturgical formula).
- Ps.134.1 (verbal): Address to ‘servants of the LORD’ to praise — same vocative summons used in a short night-duty temple context.
- Ps.148.1 (thematic): General summons to praise the LORD echoed here, extending the call beyond worshippers to the heavens and creation (common praise motif).
- Ps.150.1 (structural): Book‑end imperative ‘Praise the LORD!’ framing the Psalter with liturgical exhortation to praise in the sanctuary and beyond.
Alternative generated candidates
- Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD; praise, O servants of the LORD,
- Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD! Praise, O servants of the LORD,
Psa.135.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- שעמדים: VERB,qal,part,3,m,pl
- בבית: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- בחצרות: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אלהינו: NOUN,m,pl,abs,poss:1,pl
Parallels
- Ps.134:1-2 (verbal): Nearly identical wording — addresses the servants who stand in the house of the LORD/in the courts of the house of our God (a direct verbal parallel within the Psalter).
- Ps.84:4 (or 3-5) (thematic): Speaks of those who dwell in God’s house and sing/praise in his courts — similar theme of presence in the temple/house and worship.
- Ps.122:1-2 (thematic): Expresses joy in going to and standing within the house/gates of the LORD — related theme of assembly and presence in God’s house.
- Ps.27:4 (thematic): The desire to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of life echoes the value placed on standing/being in God’s house and courts for worship.
Alternative generated candidates
- who stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God.
- you who stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God.
Psa.135.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- הללו: VERB,piel,impv,2,m,pl
- יה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- טוב: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- זמרו: VERB,qal,imp,2,mp
- לשמו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- נעים: ADJ,m,sg
Parallels
- Ps.136:1 (verbal): Shares the phrase of praise and the assertion 'for the Lord is good' as the opening motive for thanksgiving (close verbal and thematic parallel).
- Ps.118:1 (verbal): Begins with the same refrain 'Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good'—a common liturgical formula echoing the sentiment of Ps 135:3.
- Ps.92:1 (thematic): Declares that it is good to give thanks to the LORD and to sing to his name—parallels Ps 135:3's call to praise and sing because God is good.
- Ps.147:1 (verbal): Also calls for praise on the grounds that the LORD is good and that singing to God is fitting/pleasant, echoing both language and liturgical function of Ps 135:3.
Alternative generated candidates
- Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing to his name, for it is pleasant.
- Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing to his name, for it is pleasant.
Psa.135.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- יעקב: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- בחר: VERB,qal,perf,3,ms
- לו: PRON,3,m,sg
- יה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לסגלתו: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 7:6 (verbal): Uses the same theological formula — God has chosen Israel as a special/treasured people (Heb. סְגֻלָּה, 'segullah'), paralleling Ps 135:4's language of God's choosing of Jacob/Israel.
- Deuteronomy 14:2 (verbal): Declares Israel to be holy to the LORD and his 'treasured possession' (segullah), echoing the Psalm's emphasis on God's choice of Jacob/Israel as his own.
- Deuteronomy 26:18 (verbal): Affirms that the LORD has declared Israel to be his people and his treasured possession — a covenantal restatement closely mirroring the Psalm's claim of divine choosing.
- Isaiah 41:8 (thematic): Addresses Jacob/Israel as the one whom God has chosen; thematically reinforces the idea of Israel's election found in Ps 135:4.
- 1 Peter 2:9 (allusion): New Testament appropriation of Israel's election language ('a chosen people, a royal priesthood') — echoes the Psalmic theme of God's choosing of a distinct people for himself.
Alternative generated candidates
- For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession.
- For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel for his own possession.
Psa.135.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- ידעתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,?,sg
- כי: CONJ
- גדול: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ואדנינו: NOUN,m,sg,abs,pre:W,suf:1pl
- מכל: PREP
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 10:17 (verbal): Affirms Yahweh’s supremacy as ‘God of gods and Lord of lords,’ paralleling the declaration that the LORD is greater than all other gods.
- Isaiah 45:5 (thematic): Proclaims the uniqueness and sovereignty of the LORD (‘I am the LORD, and there is none else’), echoing the Psalm’s claim of Yahweh’s superiority over other deities.
- Psalm 95:3 (verbal): Uses nearly identical language—‘For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods’—directly reflecting the same theme of divine supremacy.
- Exodus 15:11 (verbal): The victory-song’s rhetorical question (‘Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods?’) celebrates Yahweh’s unmatched greatness, resonating with the Psalm’s affirmation of his supremacy.
Alternative generated candidates
- For I know that the LORD is great; our Lord is above all gods.
- For I know that the LORD is great; our Lord is above all gods.
Psa.135.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כל: DET
- אשר: PRON,rel
- חפץ: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- עשה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בשמים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ובארץ: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,f,sg,cs
- בימים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- וכל: CONJ+PRON,indef
- תהומות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 115:3 (verbal): Nearly identical wording and thought: ‘Our God is in the heavens; he does whatever he pleases’—same declaration of Yahweh’s sovereign will.
- Daniel 4:35 (verbal): Affirms God’s sovereign action ‘does according to his will’ in heaven and earth and that no one can hinder his purposes, echoing the Psalm’s theme.
- Ephesians 1:11 (allusion): New Testament summary of divine sovereignty: ‘works all things according to the counsel of his will,’ echoing the OT assertion that God accomplishes what he pleases.
- Isaiah 46:10 (thematic): Proclaims God’s control over history—declaring the end from the beginning and accomplishing his counsel—parallel theme of Yahweh effecting his will everywhere.
- Job 42:2 (thematic): Job’s confession that God can do all things and no purpose of his can be thwarted parallels the Psalm’s affirmation of God’s irresistible will.
Alternative generated candidates
- Whatever the LORD pleases he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.
- Whatever the LORD pleased he has done, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and in all the deeps.
Psa.135.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מעלה: VERB,qal,ptcp,m,sg
- נשאים: PARTCP,pual,pass,m,pl
- מקצה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
- ברקים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- למטר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עשה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- מוצא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- רוח: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מאוצרותיו: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs,prn3,m,sg
Parallels
- Jeremiah 10:13 (verbal): Very close verbal parallel — speaks of God making the clouds rise from the ends of the earth, making lightning for the rain, and bringing out the wind from his storehouses (almost identical imagery/phrasing).
- Psalm 104:3-4 (allusion): Similar imagery of God governing the heavens and winds (clouds/chariot, walking on winds, making winds his messengers) — an extended poetic depiction of divine control over weather like Ps 135:7.
- Psalm 147:8 (thematic): Speaks of God covering the heavens with clouds and preparing rain for the earth — same theme of God’s providential control of clouds, rain, and provision.
- Job 36:27-28 (thematic): Describes God drawing up drops of water and causing clouds to pour down rain to water the earth — comparable meteorological language emphasizing God's role in producing rain and wind.
- Isaiah 55:10 (thematic): Uses the rain (and snow) as God’s means to bless and effect his purposes on earth — thematically related to Ps 135:7’s link between divine agency and precipitation/wind as provision.
Alternative generated candidates
- He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth; he makes lightning for the rain; he brings forth the wind from his storehouses.
- He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends forth lightning for the rain; he brings out the wind from his storehouses.
Psa.135.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- שהכה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- בכורי: NOUN,m,sg,abs+1s
- מצרים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- מאדם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עד: PREP
- בהמה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Exodus 12:29 (quotation): Narrates the same event: on the night of the Passover the LORD struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, directly corresponding to the psalm's statement.
- Exodus 11:4-5 (quotation): Moses' announced judgment that God will strike the firstborn of Egypt; this proclamation is the source event the psalm alludes to.
- Psalm 78:51 (verbal): Retells Israel's history and uses very similar language about God striking the firstborn of Egypt, echoing the psalmic tradition.
- Psalm 105:36 (verbal): Another psalmic recounting that explicitly says God smote the firstborn in Egypt, closely mirroring the wording and theme of Ps 135:8.
Alternative generated candidates
- He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast.
- He struck the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and of beast.
Psa.135.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- שלח: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- אתות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- ומפתים: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- בתוככי: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מצרים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- בפרעה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ובכל: CONJ+PREP
- עבדיו: NOUN,m,pl,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Exodus 7:3-5 (verbal): God declares he will multiply his ‘signs and wonders’ in the land of Egypt and harden Pharaoh’s heart—this is the primary narrative source behind the psalm’s statement.
- Exodus 11:9 (verbal): Summary statement that Moses and Aaron performed wonders before Pharaoh and that the LORD hardened his heart—echoes the psalm’s focus on signs directed at Pharaoh and his officials.
- Psalm 78:43-51 (thematic): A poetic retelling of the plagues and miraculous signs in Egypt; like Ps.135:9 it recounts God’s acts of power displayed against Pharaoh and his land.
- Acts 7:36 (verbal): Stephen’s speech summarizes the Exodus, saying God ‘brought them out’ after showing ‘wonders and signs’ in Egypt—the New Testament echo of the same tradition invoked in Ps.135:9.
Alternative generated candidates
- He sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.
- He sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.
Psa.135.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- שהכה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- גוים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- רבים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- והרג: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- מלכים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- עצומים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 136:17-18 (verbal): Nearly identical wording in the parallel thanksgiving psalm: 'He smote great kings... and slew famous kings,' linking Psalm 135's claim to the refrain-driven recounting in Psalm 136.
- Exodus 15:3-5 (thematic): The Song of the Sea depicts Yahweh as a warrior who overthrows mighty enemies and their chariots/captains—the same theme of God striking down powerful nations and rulers.
- Deuteronomy 3:1-6 (allusion): Narrative account of God giving Og king of Bashan and his cities into Israel's hand; exemplifies the historic pattern behind the psalm's claim that God 'smote great nations' and 'slew mighty kings.'
- Joshua 10:10-11 (thematic): Description of Yahweh aiding Israel in routing and killing enemy kings and armies in battle (including extraordinary phenomena), paralleling the psalm's emphasis on divine defeat of powerful rulers.
- 2 Samuel 8:2 (thematic): Report of David's victories over Moab and other peoples—while about the king, the narrative is framed as results of divine aid, reflecting the psalm's attribution of military triumphs to God.
Alternative generated candidates
- He struck many nations and slew mighty kings.
- He struck many nations and slew mighty kings;
Psa.135.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לסיחון: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- האמרי: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ולעוג: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- הבשן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ולכל: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ממלכות: NOUN,f,pl,cs
- כנען: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Numbers 21:21-35 (allusion): Narrative account of Israel’s battles against Sihon king of the Amorites and the conquest of his territory—direct historical background to the psalm’s reference to Sihon.
- Deuteronomy 2:24-37 (thematic): Moses’ commission and report concerning the defeat of Sihon and the dispossession of his land; thematically parallels the psalm’s celebration of God’s victories over Canaanite kings.
- Deuteronomy 3:1-11 (allusion): Account of the battle with Og king of Bashan and his defeat—provides the historical source for the psalm’s mention of Og.
- Joshua 12:2-4 (verbal): List of kings defeated by Moses and Joshua that explicitly names Sihon and Og; closely parallels the psalm’s cataloguing of conquered Canaanite rulers.
- Psalm 136:17-22 (structural): Thanksgiving litany that recounts the same acts—striking down great kings and giving their lands to Israel—repeating the motif and many of the same names found in Ps 135:11.
Alternative generated candidates
- Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan.
- Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan.
Psa.135.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ונתן: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ארצם: NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,pl
- נחלה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- נחלה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לישראל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עמו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 135:4 (verbal): Same psalm's affirmation that the LORD has chosen Jacob and made Israel his possession — closely linked language and idea of Israel as God's heritage.
- Psalm 105:44-45 (thematic): Retells God's gift of the lands of the nations to Israel so that they might keep his statutes — a thematic recounting of God giving the land as an inheritance.
- Joshua 21:43-45 (quotation): Explicit historical summary: 'Thus the LORD gave to Israel all the land…' — a fulfillment-statement that echoes Psalm 135:12's claim of God giving the land to Israel.
- Deuteronomy 32:8-9 (allusion): God's allotting of the nations and his taking of Israel as his own portion parallels the motif of divine distribution of land and Israel as God's special heritage.
- Genesis 15:18 (thematic): God's covenantal grant to Abraham ('I give this land…') is the foundational promise behind later statements that God gave the land as an inheritance to Israel.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he gave their land as a heritage—a heritage to Israel his people.
- He gave their land as a heritage—a heritage to Israel his people.
Psa.135.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- שמך: NOUN,m,sg,cs,2,m,sg
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- זכרך: NOUN,m,sg,abs,2ms
- לדר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ודר: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Exodus 3:15 (verbal): God declares, 'This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations' (Hebrew uses the same language about name and remembrance 'לְעוֹלָם' / 'לְדוֹר־ דּוֹר'), a near verbal precedent for Ps 135:13.
- Psalm 72:17 (verbal): 'May his name endure forever; may his fame continue as long as the sun!'—an explicitly parallel petition/blessing that the king's (and by extension God's) name and renown endure for all generations.
- Psalm 145:13 (structural): 'Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations'—shares the structural theme of divine rule and durability 'לְדֹר וָדֹר' (throughout all generations) found in Ps 135:13.
- Psalm 115:1 (thematic): 'Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory'—focuses on honoring and ascribing enduring glory/reputation to God's name, thematically consonant with Ps 135:13's emphasis on God's name and renown enduring.
Alternative generated candidates
- Your name, O LORD, endures forever; your renown, O LORD, to all generations.
- Your name, O LORD, endures forever; your memorial, O LORD, through all generations.
Psa.135.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- ידין: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- עמו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- ועל: CONJ+PREP
- עבדיו: NOUN,m,pl,abs+3ms
- יתנחם: VERB,hitp,impf,3,m,sg
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 32:36 (quotation): Nearly identical wording/echo: Yahweh will vindicate/judge his people and have compassion on his servants (direct verbal parallel).
- Exodus 34:6–7 (verbal): God’s revealed character as merciful, compassionate yet just—combines judgment and mercy, framing divine dealings with his people.
- Psalm 103:13 (thematic): Affirms God’s compassionate care for his people (like a father toward children), echoing the theme of divine compassion for God’s servants.
- Isaiah 63:9 (allusion): Speaks of God’s compassion and redemptive presence with his afflicted people—links divine pity with active intervention on behalf of God’s servants.
- Psalm 94:14 (thematic): Assures that the LORD will not abandon his people—complements Ps 135:14’s assurance that God judges for and shows compassion to his servants.
Alternative generated candidates
- For the LORD will vindicate his people; on his servants he will have compassion.
- For the LORD will judge his people; he will have compassion on his servants.
Psa.135.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- עצבי: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,1,NA,sg
- הגוים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- כסף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וזהב: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מעשה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ידי: NOUN,f,pl,cons
- אדם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 115:4-8 (verbal): Nearly identical wording and imagery: the nations' idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands, and are mute and powerless—Psalm 135:15 echoes Psalm 115's language and theme.
- Isaiah 44:9-20 (thematic): A sustained denunciation of idols as human-made objects (often of metal and wood), emphasizing the futility and foolishness of carving and worshiping images—paralleling Psalm 135's judgement of idols as products of human craft.
- Jeremiah 10:3-5 (allusion): Describes people fashioning and worshiping wooden idols that cannot speak, highlighting the man-made and impotent character of idols, echoing Psalm 135:15's focus on idols as the work of human hands.
- Habakkuk 2:18-19 (thematic): Rhetorical critique of idols and their makers—'What profit is an idol...?' and 'Woe to him who says to wood, Awake!'—which parallels Psalm 135's denunciation of idols as lifeless human artifacts.
Alternative generated candidates
- The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.
- The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
Psa.135.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- פה: ADV
- להם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- ולא: CONJ
- ידברו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- עינים: NOUN,f,du,abs
- להם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- ולא: CONJ
- יראו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Psalm 115:4-8 (quotation): Psalm 135 echoes and largely repeats this earlier psalm’s lines about idols having mouths but not speaking, eyes but not seeing (verbatim parallels).
- Isaiah 44:18 (verbal): Prophetic denunciation of idolatry uses the same language (they have eyes but do not see; they have ears but do not hear), echoing the motif of blind, deaf idols.
- Isaiah 46:7 (thematic): Describes idols as powerless and silent—unable to speak or act and needing to be carried—reinforcing the theme of impotent, inanimate gods.
- Deuteronomy 4:28 (thematic): Predicts Israel serving man-made gods of wood and stone that ‘cannot see or hear,’ an earlier legal/traditional statement of the same idea about mute, blind idols.
Alternative generated candidates
- They have mouths, but they do not speak; they have eyes, but they do not see.
- They have mouths and do not speak; they have eyes and do not see.
Psa.135.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אזנים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- להם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- ולא: CONJ
- יאזינו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- אף: ADV
- אין: PART,neg
- יש: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- רוח: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- בפיהם: PREP+NOUN,m,pl+PRON,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Psalm 115:5-7 (verbal): Near-verbatim parallel passage: both Psalms portray idols as having ears but not hearing, mouths that cannot speak, and no breath—explicitly identical imagery condemning lifeless idols.
- Psalm 135:15-18 (structural): Immediate literary context: the stanza in Psalm 135 enumerates the senses of idols and their lifelessness (mouths, eyes, ears, noses), with verse 17 part of this sustained polemic against idols.
- Deuteronomy 4:28 (thematic): The law warns Israel they may serve wood and stone gods that 'neither see, nor hear, nor eat'—same theme of idols as insentient objects incapable of perception or speech.
- Isaiah 44:18 (thematic): Isaiah depicts idol-makers and idols as ignorant and unseeing—'They know not... he hath shut their eyes'—echoing the prophetic critique of idols as without senses or life.
Alternative generated candidates
- They have ears, but they do not hear; neither is there any breath in their mouths.
- They have ears and do not hear; they have nostrils, yet there is no breath in their mouths.
Psa.135.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כמוהם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
- יהיו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- עשיהם: NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,3,m,pl
- כל: DET
- אשר: PRON,rel
- בטח: ADV
- בהם: PREP+PRON,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Ps.115:8 (quotation): Nearly identical line: 'Those who make them are like them; so are all who trust in them.' — direct repetition of the same judgment against idols and their makers.
- Isaiah 44:9-20 (thematic): Extended polemic against idol-makers: craftsmen fashion idols from wood and metal and are depicted as foolish—makers and users of idols are shown to be like the idols themselves.
- Habakkuk 2:18-19 (verbal): Rhetorical condemnation of carved images: 'What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it?...' — parallels the idea that makers/trusters are comparable to the idols.
- Jeremiah 10:14-15 (thematic): Jeremiah denounces human-made gods as vain and powerless and portrays those who fashion or trust them as foolish, echoing the Psalm's verdict on makers and trusters.
Alternative generated candidates
- Those who make them shall be like them—everyone who trusts in them.
- Those who make them shall be like them—everyone who trusts in them.
Psa.135.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ברכו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אהרן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ברכו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 134:2-3 (structural): A close liturgical parallel: a temple/household call to bless the LORD addressed to those who serve in the sanctuary (same imperative formula calling God’s servants to bless YHWH).
- Psalm 113:1 (verbal): Both verses address ‘servants of the LORD’/servant-groups and issue the imperative to praise or bless the name of the LORD (similar wording and function in worship).
- Numbers 6:24-26 (allusion): The famous Aaronic/priestly blessing identifies the house of Aaron as the priestly locus of blessing; Ps 135:19 calls the house of Aaron to bless the LORD, invoking the priestly role in worship (thematic inversion/allusion to Aaronic function).
- Psalm 115:18 (thematic): A corporate vow to bless the LORD (‘we will bless the LORD from this time forth’). Both passages reflect communal liturgical responses of Israel to God’s acts and encourage ongoing praise by the people.
Alternative generated candidates
- House of Israel, bless the LORD! House of Aaron, bless the LORD!
- Bless the LORD, O house of Israel; bless the LORD, O house of Aaron.
Psa.135.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- בית: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הלוי: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ברכו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- יראי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ברכו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Ps.134:1 (verbal): A near-identical liturgical summons: 'Behold, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD' — same imperative to temple/household ministers to bless YHWH.
- Ps.113:1 (thematic): Another priest/servant-oriented call to praise: 'Praise, O servants of the LORD,' echoing the communal summons to bless or praise God.
- Num.6:22-27 (allusion): The priestly (Aaronic) blessing — priests are commanded to bless Israel, linking the role of Levi/priests with the act of blessing the LORD and the people.
- Deut.10:8 (structural): Describes the LORD's appointment of the tribe of Levi to minister before the LORD, providing the institutional background for addressing the 'house of Levi' to bless the LORD.
Alternative generated candidates
- House of Levi, bless the LORD! You who fear the LORD, bless the LORD!
- Bless the LORD, O house of Levi; you who fear the LORD, bless the LORD.
Psa.135.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ברוך: ADJ,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- מציון: PREP+NOUN,prop,sg,abs
- שכן: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,sg
- ירושלם: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- הללו: VERB,piel,impv,2,m,pl
- יה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 135:1-3 (structural): Begins the same psalm with repeated imperatives to 'Praise the LORD' and addresses God's servants—framing the bookending structure that culminates in the specific summons to Zion/Jerusalem in v.21.
- Psalm 147:12 (verbal): Uses nearly identical wording: 'Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion,' directly echoing the imperative addressed to Jerusalem/Zion in Ps 135:21.
- Psalm 149:2 (verbal): Commands 'let the children of Zion be joyful in their King,' closely paralleling the call for Zion/Jerusalem to bless or praise the LORD.
- Zechariah 9:9 (thematic): 'Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem'—a prophetic summons for communal rejoicing in Zion that aligns thematically with the psalm's instruction to bless the LORD from Zion.
- Isaiah 52:9 (thematic): Calls Jerusalem to 'break forth into joy' and sing together; thematically parallels the collective liturgical call for Jerusalem/Zion to praise or bless the LORD in Ps 135:21.
Alternative generated candidates
- Blessed be the LORD from Zion, he who dwells in Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!
- Blessed be the LORD from Zion, he who dwells in Jerusalem—hallelujah!
Psa.136.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- הודו: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,pl
- ליהוה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- כי: CONJ
- טוב: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- כי: CONJ
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חסדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- 1 Chronicles 16:34 (quotation): Identical liturgical line used in the ark/temple thanksgiving: “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.”
- Psalm 107:1 (verbal): Same wording begins a thanksgiving psalm, repeating the refrain about God’s goodness and enduring steadfast love.
- Psalm 118:1 (verbal): Another psalm that opens with the same formula of thanksgiving—linking communal praise to God’s everlasting chesed (steadfast love).
- Exodus 34:6 (thematic): God’s self-declaration emphasizes his goodness and steadfast love/mercy (chesed), providing the theological basis for the thanksgiving refrain.
Alternative generated candidates
- Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.
- Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa.136.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- הודו: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,pl
- לאלהי: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,const
- האלהים: NOUN,m,sg,def
- כי: CONJ
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חסדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Psalm 136:26 (verbal): Closely parallel refrain in the same psalm: 'Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever' — same thanksgiving formula and eternal love refrain.
- Psalm 107:1 (verbal): Identical liturgical line: 'Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever,' echoing the refrain and theme of God's enduring steadfast love.
- 1 Chronicles 16:34 (quotation): David's liturgical proclamation uses the same thanksgiving formula — 'Give thanks to the LORD, for his steadfast love endures forever' — showing its use in worship and tradition.
- Psalm 118:1 (verbal): Another psalm that repeats the same refrains: 'Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever,' reinforcing the standard cultic thanksgiving refrain.
- Deuteronomy 7:9 (thematic): Theologically linked: speaks of God's faithfulness and covenantal steadfast love toward those who keep his covenant — connects the reason for thanksgiving to God's enduring covenantal chesed.
Alternative generated candidates
- Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
- Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa.136.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- הודו: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,pl
- לאדני: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,m,poss1s
- האדנים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- כי: CONJ
- לעלם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חסדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- 1 Chronicles 16:34 (verbal): Uses the exact thanksgiving refrain—“Give thanks to the LORD, for his steadfast love endures forever”—matching the psalm’s recurring line.
- Psalm 107:1 (verbal): Closely parallels the language and theme: “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.”
- Psalm 136:1 (structural): Opening line of the same psalm that establishes the repeated refrain of thanksgiving for God’s enduring steadfast love.
- Psalm 136:26 (verbal): Final occurrence of the psalmic refrain—“Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever”—showing a formulaic variation on the same thanksgiving motif.
- Deuteronomy 10:17 (verbal): Contains the title “Lord of lords,” echoing the divine sovereignty language of Ps 136:3 and linking the praise of God’s supreme status with his covenantal steadfast love.
Alternative generated candidates
- Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever.
- Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa.136.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לעשה: VERB,qal,inf,NA,NA,NA
- נפלאות: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- גדלות: ADJ,f,pl,abs
- לבדו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חסדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Psalm 86:10 (verbal): Uses near-verbal language about God doing wonders and emphasizes God’s uniqueness (‘you alone are God’), echoing ‘does great wonders alone.’
- Psalm 77:14 (verbal): Explicitly declares God to be the one who has performed wondrous deeds (עשית נפלאות), a close verbal parallel to ‘לעשה נפלאות גדלות.’
- Exodus 15:11 (thematic): The Song of the Sea praises the LORD’s unmatched wonders and mighty deeds—thematically parallel praise of God’s wondrous acts and singularity.
- Psalm 111:2 (thematic): Speaks of the LORD’s ‘great works’ (גדולים מעשי יהוה), echoing the theme of God’s great/wondrous deeds celebrated in Psalm 136:4.
- Isaiah 25:1 (thematic): Offers thanksgiving for the LORD’s ‘wonderful deeds’ and faithful plans—themically related praise of God’s wondrous acts and enduring faithfulness.
Alternative generated candidates
- To him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever.
- To him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa.136.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לעשה: VERB,qal,part,3,m,sg
- השמים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- בתבונה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חסדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Proverbs 3:19 (verbal): Uses nearly identical language: 'By wisdom the LORD founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens,' paralleling 'made the heavens with understanding.'
- Jeremiah 10:12 (verbal): Speaks of God creating the earth/world 'by his wisdom'—a close verbal and thematic echo of divine wisdom in creation.
- Psalm 104:24 (thematic): Celebrates God's wisdom in making the works of creation ('in wisdom you made them all'), thematically aligned with 'made the heavens with understanding.'
- Isaiah 45:18 (thematic): Affirms that God 'created the heavens' and formed the earth intentionally—paralleling the creator role attributed in Ps 136:5.
- Psalm 136:1 (structural): Shares the recurring refrain 'for his steadfast love endures forever,' which structures and unifies Psalm 136, also found in v.5.
Alternative generated candidates
- To him who made the heavens by understanding, for his steadfast love endures forever.
- To him who made the heavens with understanding, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa.136.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לרקע: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- הארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
- על: PREP
- המים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- כי: CONJ
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חסדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Genesis 1:9-10 (thematic): Creation account of God gathering the waters and causing dry land to appear — the same act of arranging earth and waters underlying Psalm 136:6.
- Job 9:8 (verbal): Speaks of God spreading out the heavens and treading on the waves of the sea; shares the motif and similar language of divine authority over the waters and the earth.
- Psalm 24:2 (verbal): Declares that God founded the earth upon the seas and established it upon the waters, closely echoing the image of the earth set over the waters in Psalm 136:6.
- Psalm 104:5-6 (thematic): Describes God laying the earth’s foundations and covering it with the deep, using waters-and-land imagery that parallels the creation theme of Psalm 136:6.
Alternative generated candidates
- To him who spread out the earth upon the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever.
- To him who spread out the earth upon the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa.136.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לעשה: PREP+VERB,qal,ptcp,ms,sg
- אורים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- גדלים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- כי: CONJ
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חסדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Genesis 1:16 (verbal): The account of creation: God 'made the two great lights' (sun and moon), directly corresponding to 'made the great lights' in Ps 136:7.
- Psalm 118:1 (quotation): Shares the refrains of thanksgiving: 'Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever,' the same recurring line as Ps 136:7's closing clause.
- 1 Chronicles 16:34 (quotation): Uses the identical liturgical refrain 'for his steadfast love endures forever' in a liturgical thanksgiving context, paralleling the refrain of Psalm 136.
- Psalm 19:1 (thematic): Both celebrate the heavens and celestial bodies as evidence of God's creative glory—'The heavens declare the glory of God' parallels the praise for God who made the great lights.
- Isaiah 40:26 (allusion): Calls attention to God as creator of the heavenly host ('Who created these?'), thematically echoing Psalm 136's praise for God who made the great lights.
Alternative generated candidates
- To him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever.
- To him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa.136.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- את: PRT,acc
- השמש: NOUN,f,sg,def
- לממשלת: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,const
- ביום: PREP
- כי: CONJ
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חסדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Genesis 1:16 (verbal): God 'made the two great lights' (sun and moon); a direct creation statement paralleling Psalm 136's attribution of the sun to God's creative activity.
- Psalm 74:16 (thematic): Speaks of the day and the sun as belonging to the LORD ('The day is yours, and also the night; you have prepared the light and the sun'), echoing the theme of God's sovereignty over the sun and day.
- Psalm 104:19 (thematic): Describes God appointing the moon and the sun's role ('He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting'), reflecting the ordering of day and celestial bodies by God.
- Jeremiah 31:35 (allusion): Portrays the LORD as the one who gives the sun for light by day and the moon by night, alluding to God's ongoing ordinance of day and night as in Psalm 136.
Alternative generated candidates
- The sun to govern the day, for his steadfast love endures forever.
- The sun to rule by day, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa.136.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- את: PRT,acc
- הירח: NOUN,m,sg,def
- וכוכבים: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- לממשלות: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- בלילה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חסדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Genesis 1:14-18 (structural): The creation account establishing lights in the expanse to separate day from night and to serve as signs—foundation for Psalm’s claim that God made the moon and stars to govern the night.
- Psalm 104:19 (verbal): Directly parallels wording and idea: 'He made the moon for seasons; the sun knows its setting'—like Ps 136:9 attributing the moon and stars' role in the night to God's action.
- Job 38:31-33 (thematic): God’s control and ordering of the constellations (Pleiades, Orion) and the heavenly ordinances echoes the theme of God assigning roles to celestial bodies to govern time and the night.
- Psalm 8:3 (thematic): Meditation on the heavens—the moon and stars as the work of God’s hands—reinforces Psalm 136’s attribution of the celestial order to divine handiwork and care.
- Isaiah 40:26 (allusion): Calls attention to God as creator and sustainer of the stars (calling them by name, giving great power), paralleling Ps 136’s affirmation of God’s sovereign ordering of the moon and stars.
Alternative generated candidates
- The moon and the stars to govern the night, for his steadfast love endures forever.
- The moon and the stars to rule by night, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa.136.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- למכה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מצרים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- בבכוריהם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,pl
- כי: CONJ
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חסדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Exodus 12:29-30 (thematic): Narrates the death of Egypt’s firstborn on the night of the Passover—the historical event Psalm 136 commemorates when it praises God for striking Egypt’s firstborn.
- Exodus 12:12 (thematic): States God’s purpose for the Passover night—‘to strike all the firstborn’—providing the theological motive behind the act celebrated in Psalm 136:10.
- Exodus 11:5 (thematic): Prophetic announcement that every firstborn in Egypt would die (including Pharaoh’s), the immediate antecedent to the plague cited in Psalm 136:10.
- Psalm 78:51 (verbal): Retells the Exodus plagues, explicitly saying God ‘struck down every firstborn in Egypt,’ echoing the same language and memory found in Psalm 136:10.
- Psalm 105:36–37 (allusion): Recounts the plague against Egypt and Israel’s departure with spoil; an allied retelling of the Exodus episode that Psalm 136:10 invokes to praise God’s deeds.
Alternative generated candidates
- To him who struck Egypt through their firstborn, for his steadfast love endures forever.
- To him who struck Egypt through their firstborn, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa.136.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויוצא: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מתוכם: PREP,3,m,pl
- כי: CONJ
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חסדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Psalm 135:11 (verbal): Nearly identical wording: both speak of God bringing Israel out from among the nations and conclude with the refrain about his steadfast love.
- Deuteronomy 7:8 (thematic): Explains the motive for Israel's exodus — God brought Israel out because he loved them and kept his oath — paralleling the psalm's emphasis on God's love as the reason for deliverance.
- Exodus 14:30-31 (thematic): Narrates the actual deliverance at the Red Sea: Israel is delivered from Egypt and comes to fear and trust the LORD — the historical event the psalm commemorates.
- Exodus 3:7-10 (thematic): God’s proclamation of intent to rescue Israel from Egyptian bondage because he has seen their affliction—provides the divine initiative for the exodus celebrated in the psalm.
- Psalm 136:1 (structural): Shares the recurring refrain 'for his steadfast love endures forever,' which frames each act of deliverance (including bringing Israel out) throughout the psalm.
Alternative generated candidates
- And brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever.
- And who brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa.136.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ביד: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- חזקה: ADJ,f,sg,abs
- ובזרוע: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- נטויה: ADJ,f,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חסדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Exodus 6:6 (verbal): God's promise to bring Israel out 'with a stretched out arm' and 'with a mighty hand'—the same language of a strong hand and outstretched arm used for deliverance from Egypt.
- Deuteronomy 26:8 (verbal): In the covenant recitation the LORD is said to have brought Israel out of Egypt 'with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm,' echoing the precise wording of Psalm 136:12.
- Exodus 3:20 (verbal): God declares 'I will stretch out my hand' against Egypt to bring about signs and wonders—uses the same motif of God's outstretched arm effecting salvation and judgment.
- Isaiah 63:12-14 (allusion): Isaiah recalls God leading Israel 'by the right hand of Moses' and acting with his 'glorious arm' to deliver them—the prophetic retelling alludes to the 'strong hand' and 'outstretched arm' imagery of Exodus and the psalm.
Alternative generated candidates
- With a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever.
- With a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa.136.13 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לגזר: PREP+VERB,qal,inf
- ים: NOUN,m,sg,cs
- סוף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לגזרים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- כי: CONJ
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חסדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Exodus 14:21–22 (verbal): The primary narrative account of God dividing the sea at the Exodus — the historical event commemorated by Ps 136:13.
- Exodus 15:8–10 (thematic): The Song of Moses celebrates the drowning of the Egyptians as the waters returned — a poetic articulation of the same deliverance praised in the psalm.
- Psalm 78:13 (verbal): A Psalm retelling the Exodus using language very close to Ps 136 (God ‘divided the sea’ and made the waters stand like a heap) — a direct verbal/poetic parallel.
- Psalm 106:9 (thematic): Another thanksgiving psalm that recounts God’s rebuke of the Red Sea and Israel’s passage — same saving act celebrated in Ps 136:13.
- Isaiah 63:11–12 (allusion): The prophetic memory of God’s leading Israel and dividing the sea — an allusion to the Exodus deliverance echoed in Ps 136:13.
Alternative generated candidates
- To him who divided the Red Sea in sunder, for his steadfast love endures forever.
- To him who divided the Sea of Reeds and made a way through, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa.136.14 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והעביר: VERB,hif,perf,3,m,sg
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בתוכו: PREP,3,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חסדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Exodus 14:22 (verbal): Narrates the same event—the Israelites passing through the sea on dry ground during the Exodus (direct historical parallel to 'made Israel pass through it').
- Exodus 15:1-5 (structural): The Song of Moses celebrates the Red Sea crossing and God's deliverance; a poetically parallel account framing the same miracle in liturgical/song form.
- Psalm 106:9 (verbal): Retells the Red Sea episode ('he rebuked the Red Sea... so he led them through'), echoing the psalm's account of God bringing Israel through the waters.
- Psalm 77:19 (thematic): Poetic reflection on God's way through the sea ('Thy way was in the sea...'), thematically recalling the divine guidance in the crossing.
- 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 (allusion): New Testament typological use of the sea episode—Paul cites Israel's passage through the sea (baptism into Moses) as a theological precedent for the church.
Alternative generated candidates
- And made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever.
- And who led Israel through it, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa.136.15 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ונער: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- פרעה: NOUN,m,sg,def
- וחילו: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
- בים: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- סוף: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חסדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Exodus 14:28 (quotation): Narrates the waters returning and covering Pharaoh's chariots and host—directly describing the event Psalm 136:15 commemorates.
- Exodus 15:4 (quotation): The Song of the Sea proclaims that Pharaoh's chariots and army were hurled into the sea, language echoed by the psalm's reference to striking down Pharaoh and his host.
- Psalm 78:13 (thematic): Retells the Red Sea deliverance and God's defeat of Egypt, paralleling Psalm 136's praise for that salvific act.
- Psalm 106:9 (allusion): Recounts God rebuking the Red Sea and leading Israel through it—another psalmic reflection on the same deliverance celebrated in Ps 136:15.
- Isaiah 63:11-12 (allusion): Isaiah remembers God leading Israel by Moses and dividing the sea, alluding to the divine victory over Egypt reflected in Psalm 136:15.
Alternative generated candidates
- But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever.
- But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Sea of Reeds, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa.136.16 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- למוליך: PREP+VERB,hiphil,ptcp,3,m,sg
- עמו: PREP+PRON,3,m,sg
- במדבר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חסדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Exod.15:13 (verbal): Direct verbal and thematic parallel — Exodus praises God for leading the redeemed in his steadfast love (Hebrew רַחֲמֶיךָ/חַסְדֶּךָ) and guiding them to his dwelling, echoing the Psalm’s ‘led his people in the wilderness’ motif.
- Num.9:15-23 (structural): Describes the pillar of cloud and fire that guided Israel through the wilderness, providing the concrete means by which God ‘led his people in the wilderness,’ a central scene implied in Psalm 136:16.
- Deut.8:2 (thematic): Moses recalls God’s prolonged leading of Israel ‘in the wilderness’ to test and humble them — echoing the Psalm’s emphasis on God’s guidance in the desert as an act of covenantal care.
- Ps.78:14,55 (thematic): Psalm 78 recounts God’s leading of Israel by a cloudy pillar and guiding them ‘in the wilderness like a flock,’ closely paralleling the wilderness-guidance theme and divine providence celebrated in Ps 136:16.
- Ps.105:39 (verbal): Speaks of God spreading a cloud for a covering and giving fire by night while leading Israel — language and images that parallel the Psalm’s depiction of God’s wilderness guidance and sustaining love.
Alternative generated candidates
- To him who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever.
- To him who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa.136.17 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- למכה: PREP+VERB,qal,ptcp,3,m,sg
- מלכים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- גדלים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- כי: CONJ
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חסדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Psalm 136:15 (verbal): Same psalm immediately recounts God’s overthrow of Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea and uses the identical refrain “for his steadfast love endures forever,” linking divine conquest with the refrain.
- Psalm 135:12 (verbal): Psalm 135 describes God striking down many nations and killing mighty kings (e.g., Sihon and Og), using language very similar to “struck great kings,” showing a shared liturgical tradition.
- Exodus 14:27-28 (quotation): Narrates the overthrow of Pharaoh’s army when the waters returned—an historical event explicitly recalled in the Psalms as God’s striking of mighty rulers.
- 1 Chronicles 16:34 (structural): Uses the same liturgical refrain “Give thanks to the LORD, for his steadfast love endures forever,” linking royal acts of God (deliverance and judgment) with the perpetual refrain found in Psalm 136.
Alternative generated candidates
- To him who struck great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever.
- To him who struck great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa.136.18 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויהרג: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- מלכים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אדירים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- כי: CONJ
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חסדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Exodus 15:4 (verbal): In the Song at the Sea Israel sings that God cast Pharaoh's chariots and host into the sea—another poetic depiction of God overthrowing mighty enemies, paralleling 'he killed mighty kings.'
- Isaiah 37:36 (allusion): God acts directly to destroy an enemy army (the Assyrian camp), showing the motif of divine killing of powerful foes in salvation history akin to 'he killed mighty kings.'
- Joshua 10:8-11 (thematic): Narrative account where the LORD defeats the Amorite kings on behalf of Israel (stones from heaven and rout by Israel), thematically parallel to God subduing great kings.
- 1 Chronicles 16:34 (verbal): The refrain 'for his steadfast love endures forever' (or 'for his mercy endureth for ever') appears here as in Psalm 136, linking the motif of God's saving acts with his enduring steadfast love.
- Psalm 136:17 (verbal): Immediate parallel within the same psalm ('Who smote great kings'), essentially the same claim repeated with the recurring refrain about God's everlasting mercy.
Alternative generated candidates
- And slew mighty kings, for his steadfast love endures forever.
- And slew mighty kings, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa.136.19 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לסיחון: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- האמרי: NOUN,m,sg,def
- כי: CONJ
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חסדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Numbers 21:21-31 (verbal): Narrative account of Israel's demand for passage and the subsequent defeat of Sihon king of the Amorites—the historical event Psalm 136 commemorates.
- Deuteronomy 2:24-37 (verbal): Moses' retelling of the conquest of Sihon and the seizure of his land, paralleling the psalm's praise for God giving Sihon to Israel.
- Joshua 12:2 (structural): Part of a royal list of kings defeated by Israel (including Sihon), echoing Psalm 136's litany of God's acts in subduing foes and granting their land.
- Psalm 135:10-12 (quotation): Another psalm that names Sihon and Og and attributes their defeat and the giving of their land to God's power—closely related language and tradition to Ps 136:19.
Alternative generated candidates
- Sihon king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever.
- Sihon king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa.136.20 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ולעוג: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg
- מלך: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- הבשן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חסדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Numbers 21:33-35 (allusion): Narrates Israel’s defeat of Og king of Bashan—event to which Psalm 136 refers when giving thanks for God’s acts of deliverance.
- Deuteronomy 3:1-11 (verbal): Gives the fuller account of the conquest of Og (including the famous bed/size detail in v.11); shares the same identification 'Og king of Bashan' cited in the psalm.
- Joshua 12:4 (thematic): Summary list of defeated kings that includes Og king of Bashan; parallels Psalm 136’s recall of God’s victories over Israel’s enemies.
- Psalm 135:10-11 (verbal): Within the Psalter’s hymnody this passage also names Og king of Bashan among those God smote and connects the acts of God with his enduring mercy—close verbal and thematic parallel to Ps 136:20.
Alternative generated candidates
- And Og king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever.
- And Og king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa.136.21 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ונתן: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ארצם: NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,3,m,pl
- לנחלה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חסדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Ps.135:12 (verbal): Nearly identical wording in Hebrew — both say God 'gave their land as an inheritance; for his steadfast love endures forever.' (direct liturgical parallel).
- Ps.105:44 (verbal): Speaks of God giving the lands of the nations to Israel as a possession ('gave them their lands as an inheritance'), using similar language and theme of divine grant of territory.
- Gen.15:18 (thematic): God's covenant promise to Abraham: 'To your offspring I give this land' — the foundational promise of the land as an inheritance that underlies the psalm's affirmation.
- Josh.21:43 (thematic): Narrates the historical fulfillment: 'And the LORD gave to Israel all the land...' — parallels the psalm's assertion that God gave the land as a heritage to his people.
Alternative generated candidates
- And gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever.
- And gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa.136.22 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- נחלה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לישראל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- עבדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3,m,sg
- כי: CONJ
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חסדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Genesis 17:8 (allusion): God's promise to Abraham: 'I will give to you and to your offspring... the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession'—an archetypal covenantal grant of land echoed in 'gave a heritage to Israel.'
- Exodus 6:7-8 (thematic): Yahweh's promise to free Israel and bring them into the land, saying he will bring them in and give them the land as an inheritance—parallels the theme of God giving Israel a heritage.
- Psalm 105:8-11 (verbal): Speaks of God remembering his covenant and giving the nations' land to his people as an inheritance; language and theme closely mirror Psalm 136's claim that God gave Israel a heritage.
- Joshua 21:43 (thematic): Narrative statement that 'the LORD gave to Israel all the land' (fulfillment of the promise), paralleling Psalm 136's declaration of God giving the land to Israel as their heritage.
Alternative generated candidates
- A heritage to Israel his servant, for his steadfast love endures forever.
- A heritage to Israel his servant, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa.136.23 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- שבשפלנו: REL+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,1,pl
- זכר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לנו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- כי: CONJ
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חסדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Exodus 2:24 (verbal): God 'remembered' Israel in their affliction and acted to deliver them—same verb and deliverance-in-remembrance motif as Ps 136:23.
- Genesis 8:1 (verbal): ’God remembered Noah’—uses the same root of 'remember' to signal God’s intervention on behalf of the lowly/in peril, paralleling Ps 136:23.
- Luke 1:54–55 (thematic): Mary’s song: God 'has helped Israel, his servant, remembering his mercy'—links divine remembrance with mercy/steadfast love as in Ps 136:23.
- Psalm 136:1 (structural): The refrain 'for his steadfast love endures forever' recurs throughout Psalm 136; Ps 136:23 combines the 'remembered us' motif with this structural refrain.
- Psalm 106:4 (thematic): A petition 'Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people' reflects the same concern with divine remembrance and favor that Ps 136:23 affirms as already enacted.
Alternative generated candidates
- Who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever.
- Who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa.136.24 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויפרקנו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- מצרינו: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- כי: CONJ
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חסדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Exodus 2:24 (verbal): God 'remembered' his people and the covenant, initiating deliverance from bondage—the same verb/theme of God recalling and rescuing the afflicted in Ps 136:24.
- Psalm 106:44-45 (verbal): Describes God regarding their affliction and remembering his covenant, leading to mercy and rescue—closely parallels the motif of divine remembrance and mercy in Ps 136:24.
- Psalm 118:1 (verbal): Opens with the refrain 'for his mercy/enduring love endures forever,' a near-identical liturgical refrain shared throughout Psalm 136.
- Lamentations 3:22-23 (thematic): Affirms God's steadfast love/compassion as never failing and renewed—the same theological assertion of enduring mercy that underlies Ps 136:24.
Alternative generated candidates
- And rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever.
- And rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa.136.25 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- נתן: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לחם: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לכל: PREP
- בשר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חסדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Psalm 104:27-28 (verbal): Both verses speak of all living creatures looking to God to give them food and of God opening his hand to satisfy every living thing — closely similar language and theme of divine provision.
- Psalm 145:15-16 (verbal): Uses almost identical imagery: 'The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food,' emphasizing God's ongoing care and provision for every creature.
- Matthew 6:11 (thematic): The Lord's Prayer petition 'Give us this day our daily bread' echoes the dependence on God for sustenance expressed in Psalm 136:25 — communal and daily trust in God's provision.
- Acts 14:17 (thematic): Paul's declaration that God 'did good, giving you rains and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness' parallels the Psalm's emphasis that God provides food for all flesh as an expression of his steadfast love.
- Luke 12:24 (thematic): Jesus' example of God's care for the ravens ('they neither sow nor reap... yet God feeds them') reflects the Psalm's teaching that God gives food to all creatures, underscoring divine provision for life.
Alternative generated candidates
- Who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever.
- Who gives food to every living thing, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa.136.26 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- הודו: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,pl
- לאל: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- השמים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- כי: CONJ
- לעולם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חסדו: NOUN,m,sg,abs+3ms
Parallels
- Ps.136.1 (structural): Immediate refraining line of the same psalm: the exhortation to give thanks and the repeated refrain 'for his steadfast love endures forever' that structures the whole psalm.
- Ps.107.1 (verbal): Nearly identical wording—'Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever'—sharing the key refrain and thanksgiving motif.
- Ps.118.1 (verbal): Same refrain appears here ('Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever'), linking communal praise and the motif of God's enduring steadfast love.
- 1 Chron.16:34 (verbal): Davidic/Levitical thanksgiving formula in Chronicles mirrors the psalmic refrain ('Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever'), showing liturgical reuse of the line.
Alternative generated candidates
- Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.
- Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psa.137.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- על: PREP
- נהרות: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- בבל: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- שם: ADV
- ישבנו: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,pl
- גם: ADV
- בכינו: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,pl
- בזכרנו: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- ציון: NOUN,prop,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 126:1 (thematic): Presents the opposite movement to Ps 137’s exile-weeping: celebrates the Lord’s restoration of Zion, highlighting the Psalm’s concern with loss and hoped-for return.
- Lamentations 1:1 (thematic): Like Ps 137, Lamentations portrays Jerusalem’s desolation and the sorrow of those who remember Zion, sharing the theme of communal mourning in exile.
- Jeremiah 29:10 (allusion): Places the psalm within the Babylonian exile framework by recalling the prophetic promise of return after seventy years, explaining the exiles’ longing for Zion.
- Ezra 1:1–4 (structural): The decree of Cyrus permitting return to Jerusalem functions as the historical resolution to the exile-lament expressed in Ps 137, linking the Psalm’s yearning to later restoration.
Alternative generated candidates
- By the rivers of Babylon—there we sat down; yea, we wept as we remembered Zion.
- By the rivers of Babylon there we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion.
Psa.137.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- על: PREP
- ערבים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- בתוכה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,fs
- תלינו: VERB,qal,perf,1,pl
- כנרותינו: NOUN,f,pl,abs+PRON,1,_,pl
Parallels
- Psalm 137:1 (structural): Immediate context: the scene 'By the rivers of Babylon... we wept, when we remembered Zion' frames why the harps were hung on the willows.
- Psalm 137:4 (structural): Direct continuation of the lament: the question 'How shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land?' explains the refusal to play/hang up harps.
- Lamentations 2:11 (thematic): Similar imagery of overwhelming weeping for Zion—'Mine eyes do fail with tears'—reflecting exile-grief and mourning over Jerusalem's destruction.
- Jeremiah 9:1 (thematic): A comparable expression of intense sorrow for Jerusalem ('Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears'), echoing the psalmist's lament in exile.
- 1 Chronicles 15:16 (allusion): Describes the Levites appointed to sing with harps and instruments in Jerusalem—provides a liturgical/functional contrast to the exiles who hung their harps on the willows.
Alternative generated candidates
- On the willows in its midst we hung our harps.
- Upon the willows in its midst we hung our harps.
Psa.137.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- שם: ADV
- שאלונו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- שובינו: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- דברי: NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,1,c,sg
- שיר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ותוללינו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- שמחה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- שירו: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לנו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
- משיר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ציון: NOUN,prop,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 137:4 (structural): Immediate continuation of the same scene—questions the possibility of singing the Lord’s song in a foreign land in response to captors’ demand for a Zion-song.
- Psalm 126:1-2 (thematic): Contrasts the exile’s enforced sorrow in Babylon with the later restoration when mouths are filled with laughter and songs—both texts link national fortune with public singing.
- Judges 16:25 (thematic): Philistines summon the captive Samson to entertain them at a festival—parallel motif of captors forcing a prisoner to provide songs/entertainment for their amusement.
- Acts 16:25 (thematic): Paul and Silas sing hymns while imprisoned—echo of singing in captivity as an act of piety or resistance, paralleling captive Israelites’ refusal/pressure to sing Zion’s songs.
- 2 Chronicles 36:20-21 (structural): Historical summary of the Judean exile to Babylon provides the background context for Psalm 137’s scene—explains why Zion-songs would be demanded and why the exiles mourn.
Alternative generated candidates
- For there our captors asked of us songs, and our tormentors—mirth—'Sing us one of the songs of Zion!'
- For there our captors asked of us the words of a song, and those who plundered us demanded mirth: "Sing us one of the songs of Zion."
Psa.137.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- איך: ADV
- נשיר: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,pl
- את: PRT,acc
- שיר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- על: PREP
- אדמת: NOUN,f,sg,cons
- נכר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 137:3 (verbal): Immediate context — the psalmists sit by the rivers of Babylon and weep for Zion, which sets up the question about how they can sing the LORD’s song in a foreign land.
- Psalm 42:4 (thematic): Expresses the same longing to lead songs of praise in the house of God; contrasts present exile/absence with past festival worship in Jerusalem.
- Psalm 126:1-2 (thematic): Speaks of singing and joyful song when the LORD restores Zion — a thematic counterpoint to the inability to sing while exiled.
- Jeremiah 31:12 (thematic): Foresees a time when the people will 'sing aloud on the height of Zion' as part of restoration language that answers the Psalm’s lament about singing in a foreign land.
- Lamentations 5:15 (thematic): Captures the loss of joy and public celebration in exile ('our dancing has been turned into mourning'), echoing the Psalm’s question about singing in a strange land.
Alternative generated candidates
- How shall we sing the LORD's song in a foreign land?
- How shall we sing the LORD's song in a foreign land?
Psa.137.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אם: CONJ
- אשכחך: VERB,qal,impf,1,c,sg
- ירושלם: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- תשכח: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- ימיני: ADJ,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 137:6 (structural): Immediate continuation of the same vow ('May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth...'); completes the oath formula that begins in v.5 and reinforces the pledge never to forget Jerusalem.
- Lamentations 5:20 (thematic): Both voice the community's anguish over apparent divine abandonment or forgetting of Jerusalem; Lamentations pleads 'Why do you forget us forever?' echoing the theme of remembrance and loss.
- Isaiah 49:15 (thematic): Contrasts human fear of forgetting Zion with God's promise not to forget his people ('Can a woman forget... yet I will not forget you'), offering a theological counterpoint to the psalmist's oath of remembrance.
- Deuteronomy 8:11-14 (thematic): Warning against forgetting the LORD and the land after prospering; parallels Psalm 137's intense concern that Jerusalem (and covenant memory) not be abandoned or forgotten.
Alternative generated candidates
- If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill.
- If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill.
Psa.137.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- תדבק: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- לשוני: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs,1cs
- לחכי: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+1cs
- אם: CONJ
- לא: PART_NEG
- אזכרכי: VERB,qal,imperfect,1,sg,OBJ:2,f,sg
- אם: CONJ
- לא: PART_NEG
- אעלה: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- ירושלם: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- על: PREP
- ראש: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- שמחתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,c,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 137:5 (structural): Immediate parallel within the same psalm: v.5 and v.6 form a paired oath series (right hand/tongue) underlining the vow never to forget Jerusalem.
- Psalm 137:7 (structural): Continues the poem’s petition and retribution motif; v.6’s vow leads directly into v.7’s plea for God to remember Babylon’s treatment of Zion—same lament/justice structure.
- Psalm 63:8 (verbal): Uses the verb 'cling' (Heb. דבק) in a devotional context—'my soul clings to you'—paralleling the image of clinging as intense devotion found in Ps 137:6.
- Psalm 122:6 (thematic): Both psalms express deep commitment to Jerusalem; Ps 122:6’s call to seek Jerusalem’s peace echoes Ps 137:6’s placing of Jerusalem above personal joy.
- Isaiah 49:15-16 (thematic): Isaiah’s assurance that God will not forget Zion ('I have engraved you on the palms of my hands') contrasts and complements Ps 137:6’s human vow to remember Jerusalem above all.
Alternative generated candidates
- Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth—if I do not remember you; if I do not set Jerusalem above my chief joy.
- Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my chief joy.
Psa.137.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- זכר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- לבני: PREP
- אדום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- יום: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ירושלם: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- האמרים: VERB,qal,ptcp,0,m,pl
- ערו: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,pl
- ערו: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,pl
- עד: PREP
- היסוד: NOUN,m,sg,def
- בה: PREP+PRON,3,f,sg
Parallels
- Obadiah 1:10-14 (allusion): Condemns Edom for standing aloof and rejoicing at Jerusalem’s fall; echoes Ps.137:7’s accusation that Edom said ‘Raze it…to its foundation.’
- Jeremiah 49:7-22 (thematic): Oracle against Edom calling for judgment for violence and rejoicing over Judah’s ruin—parallels the psalmist’s plea to ‘remember’ Edom’s role in Jerusalem’s destruction.
- Ezekiel 35:11-15 (verbal): Speaks of Edom’s perpetual hatred and God’s response to make Mount Seir desolate—language and theme mirror the psalm’s charge and desire for vindication.
- Amos 1:11-12 (thematic): Condemns Edom for pursuing his brother with the sword and showing no pity; parallels the moral indictment behind Ps.137:7’s call to hold Edom accountable for Jerusalem’s devastation.
Alternative generated candidates
- Remember, O LORD, against the children of Edom the day of Jerusalem—'Raze it, raze it, even to its foundations!'
- Remember, O LORD, against the children of Edom the day of Jerusalem—"Raze it, raze it, down to its foundations!" they cried.
Psa.137.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- בת: NOUN,f,sg,cs
- בבל: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- השדודה: ADJ,f,sg,def
- אשרי: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- שישלם: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- לך: PRON,2,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- גמולך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,2,f,sg
- שגמלת: VERB,qal,perf,2,f,sg
- לנו: PREP+PRON,1,pl
Parallels
- Obadiah 1:15 (verbal): Uses the same retributive formula — “as you have done, it shall be done to you” / “your reward shall return upon your head,” echoing the psalm’s wish that one repay Babylon as it repaid Israel.
- Deuteronomy 32:35 (thematic): “Vengeance is mine, and recompence” — expresses the same theme of divine or judicial repayment and retribution for enemies that underlies the psalm’s call for Babylon’s recompense.
- Isaiah 47:1–3 (allusion): Addresses the “daughter/virgin of Babylon” and announces her humiliation and punishment; parallels the psalm’s direct address to Babylon and its expectation of retributive justice.
- Nahum 1:2 (thematic): Depicts the LORD as an avenger who takes vengeance on nations opposed to him — a theological background for the psalm’s demand that Babylon be repaid for its deeds.
Alternative generated candidates
- O Daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed—blessed shall he be who repays you as you have dealt with us.
- O daughter of Babylon, who are to be devastated—happy shall he be who requites you as you have requited us.
Psa.137.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אשרי: ADJ,m,sg,abs
- שיאחז: SUBORD+VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- ונפץ: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- עלליך: NOUN,m,pl,abs+2mp
- אל: NEG
- הסלע: NOUN,m,sg,def
Parallels
- Isaiah 13:16 (verbal): Oracular judgment against Babylon: uses the nearly identical violent image — 'their little ones will be dashed to pieces before their eyes' — a direct verbal and thematic parallel.
- Hosea 13:16 (verbal): Judgment on Samaria employs the same verb/image: 'their little ones shall be dashed in pieces,' echoing Psalm 137:9's punitive violence toward infants.
- Nahum 3:10 (verbal): Prophecy against a fallen city describes infants 'dashed to pieces at the head of every street,' repeating the graphic motif of children slain in siege/vengeance contexts.
- Psalm 109:9 (thematic): An imprecatory psalm that prays severe harm on an enemy's offspring ('may his children be fatherless'), sharing the broader theme of vengeance directed at descendants, though without the same graphic imagery.
Alternative generated candidates
- Blessed shall be he who seizes and dashes your infants against the rock.
- Happy shall he be who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rock.
A song of ascents. Behold—bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who stand in the house of the LORD by night.
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD.
May the LORD bless you from Zion—he who made heaven and earth.
Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD; praise, O servants of the LORD,
you who stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God.
Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing to his name, for it is pleasant.
For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession.
I know that the LORD is great, and our Lord is greater than all gods.
Whatever the LORD pleases he does—in heaven and on earth, in the seas and in all the depths.
He brings up vapors from the ends of the earth; he makes lightning for the rain; he brings forth wind from his storehouses.
Who struck the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and of beast.
He sent signs and wonders into the midst of Egypt—against Pharaoh and all his servants.
Who struck many nations and slew mighty kings.
Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan. And he gave their land as a heritage—a heritage to Israel his people.
Your name, O LORD, endures forever; your renown, O LORD, to all generations.
For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
They have mouths, but they do not speak; they have eyes, but they do not see.
They have ears, but they do not hear; there is no breath in their mouths.
Those who make them shall become like them—everyone who trusts in them.
House of Israel, bless the LORD! House of Aaron, bless the LORD!
House of Levi, bless the LORD! You who fear the LORD, bless the LORD!
Blessed be the LORD from Zion, he who dwells in Jerusalem—Hallelujah!
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever.
To him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever.
To him who made the heavens by understanding, for his steadfast love endures forever.
To him who spread out the earth above the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever.
To him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever.
The sun to rule by day, for his steadfast love endures forever.
The moon and stars to rule by night, for his steadfast love endures forever.
To him who struck Egypt in their firstborn, for his steadfast love endures forever. And brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever.
With a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever.
To him who divided the Sea—the Red Sea—asunder, for his steadfast love endures forever. And made Israel pass through it, for his steadfast love endures forever. But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever.
To him who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever.
To him who struck great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever. And slew mighty kings, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Sihon king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever. And Og king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever. And gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever.
A heritage to Israel his servant, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever. And rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever.
He gives food to every living thing, for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.
By the rivers of Babylon we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion.
On the willows there we hung up our harps.
For there our captors asked us for songs, and our tormentors demanded mirth: "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"
How shall we sing the LORD's song in a foreign land?
If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill.
May my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my chief joy.
Remember, O LORD, against the sons of Edom the day of Jerusalem—who said, "Raze it, raze it, even to its foundations!"
O daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction—blessed is the one who repays you as you have served us.
Blessed is the one who seizes and dashes your little ones against the rock.