Psalm 136.8-9: On 'dashing infants against a rock'

[Daniel M. Head]

Greetings in Christ.

Wretched daughter of Babylon! blessed shall he be who shall reward thee as thou hast rewarded us. Blessed shall he be who shall seize and dash thine infants against the rock.
I am observing an interesting discussion on another board between an atheist and a few Protestants. They are discussing Psalm 136 (137 in Protestant/Hebrew Bibles):8-9. Of course, as expected, each Protestant has their own interpretation of the verses. The discussion seems to be centered around the "blessing" of the one smashing the infants against the rock.

Anyway, it made me wonder if any of the Fathers have commented on the historical aspect of this Psalm. Would this commentary on this be available online? If not, would someone be willing to share the part of the commentary that deals with these verses?

I don't think it would be profitable to try and derail the thread, but it has simply become a point of interest for me.

Thank you all in advance.

[Father David Moser]

Greetings in Christ.Wretched daughter of Babylon! blessed shall he be who shall reward thee as thou hast rewarded us. Blessed shall he be who shall seize and dash thine infants against the rock.


I am observing an interesting discussion on another board between an atheist and a few Protestants. They are discussing Psalm 136 (137 in Protestant/Hebrew Bibles):8-9. ... The discussion seems to be centered around the "blessing" of the one smashing the infants against the rock.

Anyway, it made me wonder if any of the Fathers have commented on the historical aspect of this Psalm.

There is a very standard patristic commentary on this psalm, as it appears every year at matins for the prelenten Sundays. Here is a quote from the book The Faith We Hold by Archbishop Paul of Finland


During the Vigil for the three Sundays before Great Lent, Psalm 137 is sung. It begins with the words "By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion." The last verse of the Psalm, reads as follows: "Happy shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!" The little ones of Babylon symbolize just those involuntary sinful thoughts and images which come to our minds as described above. They must be destroyed the moment they are born, and dashed against the rock. And this rock is Jesus Christ.

[Daniel M. Head]

There is a very standard patristic commentary on this psalm, as it appears every year at matins for the prelenten Sundays. Here is a quote from the book The Faith We Hold by Archbishop Paul of Finland
Father bless!

Thank you for your answer.

I am (somewhat) familiar with this spiritual meaning of the text. As far as I am concerned, it is a given that all of Holy Scripture points to Christ in it's purest understanding. From what little I understand though, we should not entirely reject the historical meaning, even as the spiritual meaning is of a higher and more important order. The one meaning does not eliminate the other... at least, this is what I have been led to believe. So, is there absolutely no historical meaning or context to the text? Or do the Fathers simply never comment on this historical meaning?

:) When I first read your post, I thought you were referring to These Truths We Hold (http://www.stots.edu/these_truths_we_hold.html), which I read during my catechumenate.

Thank you again Father!

[Kusanagi]

the desert fathers understood it as dash the infants heads against the rock as the passions when they are small and easy to deal with against the rock which is the Jesus prayer.

[Herman Blaydoe]

I don't believe any babies were harmed in the writing of this Psalm. I don't think this describes an actual historic event.

The historical context is that we have a people in exile. They are separated from their home and seemingly from their God, with a fierce visceral longing to leave Babylon and go back home.

The Psalms were written by people. Inspired people. Hurting people. I think it quite possible they were using hyperbole. "I hate the Babylonians so much for keeping me here that I wish they were all dead and that includes the babies!" This indeed must have been a very strong and raw emotion and it is expressed in a strong and raw manner.

Hyperbole is a concept that I think is lost on modern society that has also suffering from a serious irony deficiency. When we sing the Psalm in our diocese, we leave off the last line to "sanitize" it. Personally I think that is a mistake. Too sanitary an environment leaves us less resistant to infection, and political correctness is a particularly insidious infection, but that is another thread.

Herman the hyperbolic Pooh

[Daniel M. Head]

Hyperbolic rhetoric; learn what it meansInteresting. I fail to see how asking if the Fathers have commented on the historic aspect of the Psalm equates to not knowing what hyperbole and rhetoric means.



I don't believe any babies were harmed in the writing of this Psalm. I don't think this describes an actual historic event.

The historical context is that we have a people in exile. They are separated from their home and seemingly from their God, with a fierce visceral longing to leave Babylon and go back home.

The Psalms were written by people. Inspired people. Hurting people. I think it quite possible they were using hyperbole. "I hate the Babylonians so much for keeping me here that I wish they were all dead and that includes the babies!" This indeed must have been a very strong and raw emotion and it is expressed in a strong and raw manner.

Hyperbole is a concept that I think is lost on modern society that has also suffering from a serious irony deficiency. When we sing the Psalm in our diocese, we leave off the last line to "sanitize" it. Personally I think that is a mistake. Too sanitary an environment leaves us less resistant to infection, and political correctness is a particularly insidious infection, but that is another thread.

Herman the hyperbolic Pooh Thank you Herman, for this commentary. Do you happen to know if there are any Fathers who have commented on this historical, hyperbolic, rhetorical understanding, or is this your own personal interpretation?

BTW: I agree that it is sad to leave the line out. In it's purest form, it points to Christ, and we have nothing to be shy of. "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel".

[Daniel M. Head]

the desert fathers understood it as dash the infants heads against the rock as the passions when they are small and easy to deal with against the rock which is the Jesus prayer.
Thank you Kusanagi, I have read this interpretation as well, and treasure it as a precious jewel.

[Herman Blaydoe]

Interesting. I fail to see how asking if the Fathers have commented on the historic aspect of the Psalm equates to not knowing what hyperbole and rhetoric means.

Which "historic" aspect? I don't believe it describes an historic event, other than the raw emotions of a people in exile.


Thank you Herman, for this commentary. Do you happen to know if there are any Fathers who have commented on this historical, hyperbolic, rhetorical understanding, or is this your own personal interpretation?

Not sure, I am on the road right now and don't have access to my library and time for research is constrained. I believe a couple of people have talked to how several Fathers have chosen to interpret it from a spiritual aspect. However, that doesn't cut much ice for people like atheists who refuse to acknowledge the spiritual to begin with so I tried to cover some other ground. Better to talk to the cultural aspects for which most Protestants are not well aware as well. It at least helps provide a context to better understand where the Psalmist is coming from, regardless. If you don't like my approach or method, feel free to disregard.


BTW: I agree that it is sad to leave the line out. In it's purest form, it points to Christ, and we have nothing to be shy of. "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel".

It is still a problematic line. Dealing with it rather than avoiding it does seem the better path, but I'm just the cantor.

Herman the Pooh

[Daniel M. Head]

Hyperbolic rhetoric; learn what it meansInteresting. I fail to see how asking if the Fathers have commented on the historic aspect of the Psalm equates to not knowing what hyperbole and rhetoric means.Which "historic" aspect? I don't believe it describes an historic event, other than the raw emotions of a people in exile.
Well, that would indeed be the historic aspect of the Psalm then. That is a perfectly valid and workable opinion. It was the "Hyperbolic rhetoric; learn what it means" on the other hand, that seemed just a little presumptuous and unnecessary.


Not sure, I am on the road right now and don't have access to my library and time for research is constrained. I believe a couple of people have talked to how several Fathers have chosen to interpret it from a spiritual aspect. However, that doesn't cut much ice for people like atheists who refuse to acknowledge the spiritual to begin with so I tried to cover some other ground. Better to talk to the cultural aspects for which most Protestants are not well aware as well. It at least helps provide a context to better understand where the Psalmist is coming from, regardless. If you don't like my approach or method, feel free to disregard.
It has nothing to do with liking or not liking your approach or method... I was just asking if this was a personal opinion, or if it was supported by the Fathers writings. Even if it was just your personal understanding though, that's fine. It is an opinion that makes good sense. If I do post in the discussion on the other board, I hope you don't mind if I use your approach... Or even quote you.


It is still a problematic line. Dealing with it rather than avoiding it does seem the better path, but I'm just the cantor.

Herman the Pooh
And I am just a newly illumined layman. Thankfully I happen to know that our shared opinion on including the line in the service is also shared by my Priest. :)


Thanks again. I do like your approach to the text. If I can find something Patristic, that would be great... But regardless, I still appreciate your own thoughts on it.

[M.C. Steenberg]

Dear friends,

Rather than get overly emotional about things, it is best to look at this psalm for what it teaches of the spiritual life, which is how the Church always uses it. This is a song of exile and lament, which takes the historical experience of the exile in Babylon as a spiritual paradigm for the exile of the heart from communion in God. The experience of the Hebrew people under the oppressive forces of Babaylon is the symbol of the person's experience under the oppressive forces of the devil; the foreignness of the Babylonian rivers and trees to the people, is the symbol of the foreignness of the person's fallen self to his first-created nature; and the ferocity of the people's desire to overcome their enemies and repay them in kind, is the symbol of the person's need to respond in kind to the demons.

This orientation of the psalm is made evident, in part, through its location in the matins service during these pre-Lenten weeks. It follows the polyeleos, which is the great hymn of joy in God's power over creation, and which has the particular symbolism of heaven and earth, the angel powers and the material, uniting together in the praise of God (which is why the corona and hanging lamps are often set swaying at this point in monasteries). So the unified hymn of angels and men in praise of God's glory, leads in to this psalm of exile from God, which is the nature of man's harbouring the demons, rather than the angels, as his closest companions. This is where our sin has brought us. And this psalm leads into the evloghitaria ('Blessed art Thou, O Lord, teach me Thy statutes...'), which is above all a hymn of expectation: a hymn focussed on the power of the resurrected Lord to defeat sin and death.

The psalm thus forms, on these pre-Lenten Sundays, an integral part of a larger motion at matins, and one that is critical to the 'icon' of the human condition and economy that the service crafts.

The final verse ('Happy are they who take thy little ones and dash them against the rock') cannot be removed from the psalm - it is an integral part of its message. It is a travesty of the divine scriptures - and a great sin - to remove bits one doesn't like. We must learn to see them with the vision of the Church.

INXC, Deacon Matthew

[Vasiliki D.]

Please visit:

March 08, podcast by Father Thomas Hopko who discusses http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/podup/hopko/psalm_137 on Ancient Faith Radio from the Program "Speaking the Truth in Love".

[Jonathan Michael]

Link of the above podcast if you want to download it:

http://audio.ancientfaithradio.com/download.php?podcast=hopko&file=stt005psalm137_pc.mp3

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