27- By the Rivers of Babylon: Survival and Resilience

Mizmor 137 and the Last David Collection (138-145)

Mizmor 137 and the Last David Collection (138-145): Unit II of Book V

How do the wish for punishment for Babylon and the last David collection complete the picture for Jewish survival? What are the connections between this mizmor, the previous units of Book V and the last David collection which envision the restoration of the Davidic kingdom and hope for world-wide redemption?

Mizmor 137 describes the sad state of the Jews in exile by the rivers of Babylon, their eternal allegiance to Jerusalem and calls for revenge on the enemies responsible for the destruction. The complex inter-connections between this and the eight mizmorim in the last David collection may be elucidated by contextual interpretation which reveals the flow of the narrative of Book V and its role in the entire Book of Tehillim.

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