Labuschagne, C.J.,

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Labuschagne, C.J.

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Psalm 137

University of Groningen Digital Archive

Psalm 137— Logotechnical Analysis 
Guidelines 
•  Please read the General Introduction as well as the Introduction to Book I and Book V. 
•  For common features found in the numerical analysis charts, see the Key to the charts.   
Specific features of Psalm 137 
•  Being the follow-up to Psalm 136, Psalm 137 is a sister psalm of 135 and 136; together 
they constitute a group within the Second Group of Eleven Psalms in Book V (135-145).  
In terms of content, Psalm 137 clearly elaborates on the theme of Psalm 120, the first 
Song of Ascents: the situation of distress in which Israel lived “among those who hate 
peace” (120:6), and explains why it was difficult there to praise YHWH properly. This is 
symbolically expressed by the fact that Psalm 137 (with only 26 cola and 84 words) is 
half the size of Psalm 136 (with 52 (2 x 26) cola and 166 words). The despondent 
question in 137:4 contains the quintessential thought of the poem: “How could we sing 
YHWH’s song in a foreign land?”. 
•  The subjects concerned basically determine the poetic structure of the psalm: Babylon, 
on the one hand, and Jerusalem and YHWH on the other. The ensuing division of the 
text (vs. 1-4, 5-6, 7 and 8-9) is strongly supported by the form of address: 1
st person 
plural (vs. 1-4), 1
st person singular (vs. 5-6), direct address to YHWH (v. 7) and once 
again 1
st person plural in the direct address to Babylon (vs. 8-9). 
•  As a numerical composition Psalm 137 is a real showpiece. As in many psalms, e.g., in 
all 15 Songs of Ascents, the total number of words, 84, is defined by the numerical value 
of a key-word in the text. In this case, the repeated key-word ˚rAv ˚rAv, ‘Raze it, raze it!’, 
occurring in v. 7c. Moreover, the number of words devoted to Babylon, 52 (Column c), 
represents the numerical value of the other key-word y„r¸Ha', ‘happy’, in vs. 8b and 9a.  
Strophic structure  - Canto/Stanza boundary: || 
•  Van der Lugt: 1-2, 3 || 4-5, 6 || 7, 8-9 (3 cantos, 6 strophes, 12 verselines and 26 cola). 
•  Fokkelman: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7, 8-9 (5 strophes with 12 verselines and 26 cola). 
•  Labuschagne: 1-2, 3-4 || 5-6, 7 || 8-9 (3 cantos and 5 strophes (as Fokkelman), with 12 
verselines and 26 cola). 
Logotechnical analysis  
• Columns  a and b show the number of words before and after the atnach. 
•  Column c: words devoted to Babylon; d: words devoted to Jerusalem and YHWH. 
•  The numbering of the verselines is shown in brown. 
    Total a b c d 
  1  lebA–b tÙr·h¬n lav  1 3  3     3    
   ^ ˚nyikA–b-£¬Fg ˚n¸baH√y £AH 4  4     4    
   :§ÙCyic-te' ˚n„r¸k√z¸–b  3     3  3  
    Total, v. 1  10  =   7  +   3  =  10  +   0 
  2 ^ –hAkÙt¸–b £yibﬂr·v-lav  2 3  3     3    
   :˚nyEtÙrOFni–k ˚nyilAGt  2     2  2  
    Total, v. 2  5  =   3  +   2  =   5  +   0
   Strophe 1  Total, v. 1-2  15  =  10  +   5  =  15  +   0 
© 2008 Casper J. Labuschagne    ps137— rev 05/09/08 5:38 PM  Page 1  3  ˚n˚lE'¸H £AH yi–k  3 3  3      3    
   ryiH-y„r¸bÊ–d ˚nyEbÙH 3  3      3    
   ^ hAx¸miW ˚nyElAlÙtÃw  4 2  2     2    
   :§ÙCyic ryiKHim ˚nAl ˚ryiH  4     4  4  
     Total, v. 3  12  =   8  +   4  =  12  +   0
    Total, v. 2-3  17  =  11  +   6  =  17  +   0
      Total, v. 1-3  27  =  18  +   9  =  27  +   0 
  4 ^ h√whÃy-ryiH-te' ryiH√n ™yE'  5 5  5      5    
   :rAk≈n tamËda' lav  3     3  3  
    Total, v. 4  8  =   5  +   3  =   8  +   0
   Strophe 2  Total, v. 3-4  20  =  13  +   7  =  20  +   0
   Canto I  Total, v. 1-4  35  =  23  +  12  =  35  +   0 
5        Middle cola:  £iAlAH˚rÃy ™ExA–k¸He'-£i'  6  3  3        3 
      26 = 11 + 4 + 11  :y«nyimÃy xa–k¸HiGt  2  2        2
Off-centre pivot: 84 = 35 + 11 + 38  Total, v. 5  5  =   5  +   0  =   0  +   5
6       Middle words:  yi–kix¸l y«nÙH¸l-qa–bËdiGt  7  3  3        3 
       84 = 41 + 2 + 41  yik„r¸–kÃze' '◊l-£i'  3  3        3 
   ^ £ialAH˚rÃy-te' hel·va' '◊l-£i'  8  5  5        5 
   :yitAx¸miW H'◊r lav  3     3     3
     Total, v. 6  14  =  11  +   3  =   0  +  14
   Strophe 3  Total, v. 5-6  19  =  16  +   3  =   0  +  19
      Total, v. 4-6  27  =  21  +   6  =   8  +  19 
 7  £ÙdÈ' y≈n¸bil h√whÃy rOkÃz  9  4  4        4 
   £iAlAH˚rÃy £Ùy tE'  3  3        3 
              ˚rAv + ˚rAv = 84 ^ ˚rAv ˚rAv £yÊr¸mO'Ah  10  3  3        3 
   :–hA–b dÙsÃyah dav  3     3     3
   Strophe 4  Total, v. 7  13  =  10  +   3  =   0  +  13
   Canto II  Total, v. 5-7  32 =    26  +   6  =   0  +  32 
  8  hﬂd˚d¸KHah lebA–b-ta–b  11 3  3      3    
   ^ ™Al-£eGlaHÃyeH y„r¸Ha' 3  3      3    
   :˚nAl ¸Gt¸lam√FgeH ™El˚mÃFg-te'  4     4  4  
                   y„r¸Ha' = 52  Total, v. 8  10  =   6  +   4  =  10  +   0
    Total, v. 7-8  23  =  16  +   7  =  10  +  13 
  9  ¶EKp«nÃw zEx'◊CyeH y„r¸Ha'  12 3  3      3    
   :valA–sah-le' ™«yalAlOv-te'  4 4      4  
    Total, v. 9  7  =   7  +   0  =   7  +   0
   Canto III  Strophe 5 Total, v. 8-9  17 =    13  +   4  =  17  +   0
      Total, v. 7-9  30  =  23  +   7  =  17 +    13
    Total, v. 6-9  44 =    34  +  10  =  17  +  27
    Total, v. 5-9  49 =    39  +  10  =  17 +    32
    Total, v. 1-9  84  =  62  +  22  =  52 +    32 
© 2008 Casper J. Labuschagne    ps137— rev 05/09/08 5:38 PM  Page 2Observations 
1. The  2 middle words are yi–kix¸l y«nÙH¸l, ‘my tongue to my palate’ (84 = 41 + 2 + 41), in v. 
6a, but the consciously designed meaningful centre is constituted by the 4 middle cola in 
vs. 5-6a (26 = 11 + 4 + 11): 
:y«nyimÃy xa–k¸HiGt    £iAlAH˚rÃy ™ExA–k¸He'-£i' 
   yik„r¸–kÃze' '◊l-£i'   yi–kix¸l y«nÙH¸l-qa–bËdiGt 
        If I forget you, Jerusalem,    may my right hand wither away! 
        May my tongue cling to my palate,    if I do not remember you! 
In terms of words, the poetic pivot is slightly off-centre: 84 = 35 + 11 + 38, in much the 
same way as in Psalms 118 and 135 – see Observation 1 in my Analysis of Psalm 135. 
The meaningfulness of this beautiful chiastically arranged protestation lies in the fact that 
the remembrance of Jerusalem was crucial to Israel’s survival in the exile. 
2.  There is difference of opinion about the strophic structure of the psalm – see above 
under “Strophic structure”. Van der Lugt’s division of the text is based on the regularity of 
the poetic framework: 3 cantos, 6 strophes, 12 verselines and 26 cola. He presumes a 
caesura between vs. 5 and 6, dividing the text into two equal halves (3+3 strophes, 6+6 
verselines and 13+13 cola). Additionally, his canto division is partly underscored by a 
certain regularity on word level, Cantos I and II being of equal length:  
Canto I,  vs. 1-3   2 strophes  4 verselines  27 words 
Canto II,  vs. 4-6   2 strophes  4 verselines  27 words 
Canto III,  vs. 7-9   2 strophes  4 verselines  30 words. 
In my opinion, however, in terms of thought content, there is no caesura either between 
vs. 3 and 4, or between vs. 5 and 6. This division of the text on purely formal grounds is 
overruled by what I consider to be the basic strophic structure of the psalm. This 
framework is determined by two factors corroborating each other: first, the subjects 
concerned: Babylon, on the one hand, and YHWH and Jerusalem, on the other, and 
second, the form of address: the ‘we’-form and the 2
nd person form of address. In other 
words, the division of the text based on the subjects concerned coincides precisely with 
the two forms of address: 
   Strophe 1  vs. 1-2  Babylon: the general situation there   ‘we’ form 
  Strophe 2  vs. 3-4  Babylon: the harassment by the captors  ‘we’ form 
  Strophe 3  vs. 5-6  Jerusalem, I shall always remember you  1
st pers. sing. 
  Strophe 4  vs. 7  YHWH, please remember what Edom did  2
nd pers. sing. 
  Strophe 5  vs. 8-9  Babylon: retribution for the devastator  ‘we’ form. 
The canto- and strophic structure presented here, is logotechnically underscored by the 
fact that 52 (2 x 26) words are devoted to Babylon (35 in Canto I and 17 in Canto III), 
while 32 are devoted to Jerusalem (19) and YHWH (13). 
3.  There are two considerations behind the compositional formula 84 = 52c + 32d: first, the 
fact that 52 represents the numerical value of the important key-word in vs. 8-9, y„r¸Ha', 
‘happy’ (1 + 21 + 20 + 10 = 52). The ‘happiness’ concerns the just punishment for the 
Babylon empire in retribution for what she has done to Jerusalem. 
Second, the kabod number 32 in vs. 5-7 signifies YHWH’s presence and his involvement 
in the expected requital of the devastator. This is buttressed by the 13 words addressed 
to YHWH and the 17 addressed to Babylon, which constitute the ‘minor’ YHWH echad 
formula: 30 = 17 + 13. The ‘minor’ formula is reinforced by the ‘major’ one, 39 = 26 + 13, 
occurring in vs. 5-9 (26 words before atnach in vs. 5-7 and 13 before atnach in vs. 8-9). 
© 2008 Casper J. Labuschagne    ps137— rev 05/09/08 5:38 PM  Page 34.  Psalm 137 is one of the many psalms – e.g., all 15 Songs of Ascents - of which the 
number of words is determined by the numerical value of a key-word in the text. Here, it 
concerns the repeated key-word ˚rAv ˚rAv, “Raze it, raze it!” (16 + 20 + 6) x 2 = 84 (v. 7c). 
The cry is supposed to have been uttered by the Edomites at the fall of Jerusalem.  
Interestingly, unlike the requital of Babylon, which is anticipated with glee, the repayment 
of Edom is not elaborated on. 
5.  Here is a survey of the divine name numbers woven into the fabric of the text: 
vs. 1-9   26 cola in total 
vs. 2-3   17 words in total 
vs. 5-7   26 words before atnach 
vs. 8-9   17 words in total 
vs. 6-9   34 (2 x 17) words before atnach 
Column c  52 (2 x 26) words in total. 
6. The  name  hwhy appears twice: in vs. 4a and 7a. 
 
 
 
© 2008 
Dr. C.J. Labuschagne 
Brinkhorst 44 
9751 AT  Haren (Gron) 
The Netherlands 
labuschagne.cj@planet.nl 
 
Senior Lecturer in Semitic Languages (retired), 
University of Pretoria, South Africa 
and  
Professor of Old Testament (retired), 
University of Groningen, The Netherlands 
 
 
© 2008 Casper J. Labuschagne    ps137— rev 05/09/08 5:38 PM  Page 4

Psalm 137

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