Psalm 137:9 | Do Christians Condone Infanticide?

Christians have struggled with verse 9, the final verse of Psalm 137.

Many suppose that it supports a vengeful attitude toward Babylon or that it approves the torture and killing of babies and children. It does not. But the resolution of this apparent moral contradiction is not reached by cobbled reinterpretation of the verse nor by making excuses for an attitude of getting even.
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This verse comes into clarity by careful and simple exposition – simply by asking,
What does the verse say?
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For comments or questions, email Tony Dapena at

[luvnmyjesus]

Good stuff! Thanks for the explanation!

[storiesbysarahdanielle]

Very informative and clear. Great video!

[I-Am-He]

It sounds to me like the psalmist is saying that he wants the Babylonians to feel or understand the same pain of having your children dashed upon the rocks just as they did to the Israelites. He’s essentially saying let’s see how happy and joyous you guys are to sing songs when you’ve had your children slaughtered.

With that said I’m a new Christian and haven’t even reached psalms yet… let alone the Old Testament. Pray for me that by the time I get there that I’ll have more understanding.

Thanks for the exegesis Brother.

[kausamsalam]

But why would a Merciful, Benevolent God prescribe extreme vengeance on Others?

“The writer says, ….”
I think you’re diverging from the main points directly related to that psalm.
May we all coexist harmoniously without doing genocide on innocent babies of Other people different from the people in power.

I invite you to study the Quran, with respect to your interest in Scriptures.

Sura 5:8, “O you who believe! Stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to Piety: and fear Allah. For Allah is well-acquainted with all that you do.”
That diction is Divine diction without any intermediary psalmist writing tired into the Night.

Unity of all people,

Sura 2:213, “Mankind was one single Nation, and Allah sent Messengers with glad tidings and warnings; and with them He sent the Book in truth, to judge between people in matters wherein they differed; but the People of the Book, after the Clear Signs came to them, they did not differ among themselves, except through selfish contumacy. Allah by His Grace guided the Believers to the Truth, concerning that wherein they differed. For Allah guides whom He will to a path that is straight.”

There are, in the One Quran, many versus about saving all human life, including this:

Sura 17:31, “Do not kill your children children for fear of want: We shall provide sustenance for them as well as for you. Verily the killing of them is a great sin.”

When Blessed Virgin Mary was pining with pain of childbirth near a palm tree, as depicted in Quran, Allah provided sustenance upon sustenance, much to the shock of those who wanted to take care of her.

Sura 17:33, Nor take Life-which Allah has made sacred, except for Just Cause.”

I was also raised on the many Bibles, as that’s what public schools’ implied instruction was, along with atheistic humanism —until shock to my personality taught me to read Quran word for word, as the entire dining room was lit up by the Light of Allah on that Quran my father left for me, along with the other hundreds of ordinary books sprawled on the Table Spread. May you be blessed in your career and family.

Violence in society also taught me -by Grace of Allah —to gravitate towards the Quran, much to the shame of those I thought were my school friends and shallow distant relatives interested in the “cooler culture.”