Psalms

Psalm 137:2–4

²There on the willows^a

we hung our harps,

³for there our captors requested a song;

our tormentors demanded songs of joy:

“Sing us a song of Zion.”

⁴How can we sing a song of the LORD

in a foreign land?

Footnotes

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
There on	עַֽל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
the willows	עֲרָבִ֥ים	‘ă·rā·ḇîm	Noun - feminine plural	H6155 willow
we hung	תָּ֝לִ֗ינוּ	tā·lî·nū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural	H8518 hang
our harps	כִּנֹּרוֹתֵֽינוּ׃	kin·nō·rō·w·ṯê·nū	Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common plural	H3658 lyre

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
for	כִּ֤י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
there	שָׁ֨ם	šām	Adverb	H8033 there, thither
our captors	שׁוֹבֵ֡ינוּ	šō·w·ḇê·nū	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct; first person common plural	H7617 take captive
requested	שְֽׁאֵל֪וּנוּ	šə·’ê·lū·nū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural; first person common plural	H7592 ask, inquire
a song	שִׁ֭יר	šîr	Noun - masculine singular	H7892 song
our tormentors demanded	וְתוֹלָלֵ֣ינוּ	wə·ṯō·w·lā·lê·nū	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine plural construct; first person common plural	H8437 causing to howl, oppressor
songs of joy	שִׂמְחָ֑ה	śim·ḥāh	Noun - feminine singular	H8057 joy, gladness, mirth
Sing	שִׁ֥ירוּ	šî·rū	Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural	H7891 sing
us	לָ֝֗נוּ	lā·nū	Preposition; first person common plural
a song	מִשִּׁ֥יר	miš·šîr	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct	H7892 song
of Zion	צִיּֽוֹן׃	ṣî·yō·wn	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H6726 Zion

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
How	אֵ֗יךְ	’êḵ	Interjection	H349 How?
can we sing	נָשִׁ֥יר	nā·šîr	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common plural	H7891 sing
a song	שִׁיר־	šîr-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H7892 song
of the LORD	יְהוָ֑ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
in	עַ֝֗ל	‘al	Preposition	H5921 height
a foreign	נֵכָֽר׃	nê·ḵār	Noun - masculine singular	H5236 that which is foreign, foreignness
land	אַדְמַ֥ת	’aḏ·maṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H127 ground, land

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Psalm 137:2 Ezekiel 26:13 · Isaiah 24:8 · Revelation 18:22

Psalm 137:3 Luke 21:6 · Psalm 9:14 · Micah 3:12 · Lamentations 2:15–16 · Psalm 80:6 · Psalm 79:1 · Psalm 123:3–4 · Psalm 65:1 · 1 Chronicles 16:7 · Revelation 14:1–3 · Isaiah 35:10 · Jeremiah 9:11

Psalm 137:4 Isaiah 22:12 · Amos 8:3 · Hosea 9:4 · Lamentations 5:14–15

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.