Psalms 137 in the early church
91 passages quote, allude to, or echo Psalms 137, grouped by verse; passages on the same verse are in date order. Verse text from the Berean Standard Bible (public domain). References use the Protestant English Bible's numbering, with a writer's own numbering in brackets where it differs.
Verses: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9
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Psalms 137:1
By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ps 137:1 (136:1 LXX) | Against the Jews 7 · Anonymous | allusion, medium confidence | 3rd cent. (disputed) |
| Ps 137:1 (136:1 LXX) | PG 12:1633 (Ps 124–125 LXX) · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Ps 137:1 (136:1 LXX) | PG 12:1651 (Ps 135–136 LXX) · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Ps 137:1 (136:1 LXX) | Commentary on John 6.246 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 230–248 |
| Ps 137:1 (136:1 LXX) | Address of Thanksgiving 16 · Gregory Thaumaturgus | allusion, high confidence | ca. 238–245 |
| Ps 137:1 (136:1 LXX) | Homilies on Ezekiel 1.5 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 238–250 (Jerome's translation in the 380s) |
| Ps 137:1 (136:1 LXX) | Homilies on Ezekiel 13.4 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 238–250 (Jerome's translation in the 380s) |
| Ps 137:1 (136:1 LXX) | Homilies on Numbers 15.1 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 238–250 (Rufinus's translation ca. 400–410) |
| Ps 137:1 (136:1 LXX) | Symposium 4.2 · Methodius of Olympus | allusion, high confidence | late 3rd century |
| Ps 137:1–2 (136:1-Ps LXX) | Symposium 4.3 · Methodius of Olympus | quotation, high confidence | late 3rd century |
| Ps 137:1 (136:1 LXX) | Prophetic Extracts 4.31 · Eusebius of Caesarea | allusion, high confidence | before 325 (probably ca. 310–320) |
| Ps 137:1 (136:1 LXX) | Letter to Marcellinus 24 · Athanasius of Alexandria | allusion, high confidence | uncertain, after 335 |
| Ps 137:1 (136:1 Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 136.4 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 137:1 (136:1 Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 136.5 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 137:1 (136:1 Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 136.6 · Hilary of Poitiers | allusion, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 137:1 (136:1 LXX) | Letter 46.2 · Jerome | allusion, high confidence | ca. 370–419 |
| Ps 137:1 (136:1 LXX) | Letter 96.12 · Jerome | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 370–419 |
| Ps 137:1 (136:1 LXX) | Letter 98.19 · Jerome | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 370–419 |
| Ps 137:1–9 (136:1-Ps LXX) | Psalm 136 · Apollinaris of Laodicea | quotation, high confidence | uncertain (fourth to sixth century) |
| Ps 137:1 (136:1 LXX) | Explanation of Twelve Psalms 1.36.3 · Ambrose | allusion, high confidence | ca. 387-397 |
| Ps 137:1 (136:1 Vulg.) | Poem 9, lines 1–31 (VIIII) · Paulinus of Nola | quotation, high confidence | ca. 393–431 |
| Ps 137:1 (136:1 Vulg.) | Letters 29.13 · Paulinus of Nola | allusion, high confidence | ca. 394–413 |
| Ps 137:1 (136:1 Vulg.) | Formulae of Spiritual Understanding 3 · Eucherius of Lyon | quotation, high confidence | ca. 420-430 |
Psalms 137:2
There on the willows we hung our harps,
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ps 137:2 (136:2 LXX) | PG 12:1651 (Ps 135–136 LXX) · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Ps 137:2 (136:2 LXX) | Address of Thanksgiving 16 · Gregory Thaumaturgus | allusion, high confidence | ca. 238–245 |
| Ps 137:2 (136:2 LXX) | Homilies on Ezekiel 1.5 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 238–250 (Jerome's translation in the 380s) |
| Ps 137:2 (136:2 Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 136.4 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 137:2 (136:2 Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 136.5 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 137:2 (136:2 Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 136.6 · Hilary of Poitiers | allusion, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 137:2 (136:2 Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 136.7 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 137:2 (136:2 LXX) | Hexameron (Exameron) 3.53 · Ambrose | quotation, high confidence | ca. 387-390 |
| Ps 137:2 (136:2 LXX) | Explanation of Twelve Psalms 1.36.4 · Ambrose | allusion, high confidence | ca. 387-397 |
| Ps 137:2 (136:2 Vulg.) | Poem 9, lines 1–31 (VIIII) · Paulinus of Nola | quotation, high confidence | ca. 393–431 |
| Ps 137:2 (136:2 Vulg.) | Letters 29.13 · Paulinus of Nola | allusion, high confidence | ca. 394–413 |
Psalms 137:3
for there our captors requested a song; our tormentors demanded songs of joy: “Sing us a song of Zion.”
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ps 137:3–4 (136:3-Ps LXX) | On Mount Sinai and Mount Zion 8 · Anonymous | quotation, high confidence | 3rd cent. (disputed) |
| Ps 137:3 (136:3 LXX) | PG 12:1651 (Ps 135–136 LXX) · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Ps 137:3 (136:3 LXX) | Homilies on Ezekiel 1.5 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 238–250 (Jerome's translation in the 380s) |
| Ps 137:3–4 (136:3-Ps LXX) | Symposium 4.4 · Methodius of Olympus | allusion, high confidence | late 3rd century |
| Ps 137:3 (136:3 Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 136.8 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 137:3 (136:3 LXX) | Letter 7.3 · Jerome | allusion, high confidence | ca. 370–419 |
| Ps 137:3 (136:3 Vulg.) | Poem 9, lines 1–31 (VIIII) · Paulinus of Nola | quotation, high confidence | ca. 393–431 |
Psalms 137:4
How can we sing a song of the LORD in a foreign land?
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ps 137:4 (136:4 LXX) | PG 12:1675 (Ps 149–150 LXX) · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Ps 137:4 (136:4 LXX) | Address of Thanksgiving 16 · Gregory Thaumaturgus | allusion, high confidence | ca. 238–245 |
| Ps 137:4 (136:4 LXX) | Homilies on Ezekiel 11.4 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 238–250 (Jerome's translation in the 380s) |
| Ps 137:4 (136:4 LXX) | Homilies on Jeremiah 7.3 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 240 |
| Ps 137:4–6 (136:4-Ps LXX) | Symposium 4.5 · Methodius of Olympus | quotation, high confidence | late 3rd century |
| Ps 137:4 (136:4 Vulg.) | On the Holy Spirit 0 · Didymus the Blind | allusion, high confidence | Greek ca. 360-390; Latin 387-391 |
| Ps 137:4 (136:4 Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 136.9 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 137:4 (136:4 LXX) | Oration 44.1 · Gregory of Nazianzus | allusion, high confidence | ca. 362–383 |
| Ps 137:4 (136:4 LXX) | Letter 45.6 · Jerome | allusion, high confidence | ca. 370–419 |
| Ps 137:4 (136:4 LXX) | Theological Oration 1 (Or. 27), Against the Eunomians 5 · Gregory of Nazianzus | quotation, high confidence | 380 |
| Ps 137:4 (136:4 LXX) | Exposition of Psalm 118 22.18.2 · Ambrose | quotation, high confidence | ca. 386-397 |
| Ps 137:4 (136:4 LXX) | Exposition of Psalm 118 22.25.1 · Ambrose | quotation, high confidence | ca. 386-397 |
| Ps 137:4 (136:4 LXX) | Explanation of Twelve Psalms 36.41.2 · Ambrose | quotation, high confidence | ca. 387-397 |
| Ps 137:4 (136:4 LXX) | Explanation of Twelve Psalms 36.41.3 · Ambrose | allusion, high confidence | ca. 387-397 |
| Ps 137:4 (136:4 Vulg.) | Poem 9, lines 1–31 (VIIII) · Paulinus of Nola | quotation, high confidence | ca. 393–431 |
| Ps 137:4 (136:4 LXX) | Apology against Jerome 2.24 · Rufinus of Aquileia | allusion, high confidence | ca. 401 |
Psalms 137:5
If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand cease to function.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ps 137:5 (136:5 Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 136.10 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 137:5 (136:5 Vulg.) | Poem 9, lines 32–71 · Paulinus of Nola | quotation, high confidence | ca. 393–431 |
Psalms 137:6
May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not exalt Jerusalem as my greatest joy!
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ps 137:6 (136:6 Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 136.10 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 137:6 (136:6 Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 136.11 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 137:6 (136:6 Vulg.) | Poem 9, lines 32–71 · Paulinus of Nola | quotation, high confidence | ca. 393–431 |
Psalms 137:7
Remember, O LORD, the sons of Edom on the day Jerusalem fell: “Destroy it,” they said, “tear it down to its foundations!”
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ps 137:7 (136:7 LXX) | PG 12:1651 (Ps 135–136 LXX) · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Ps 137:7 | Demonstration 2.13 · Aphrahat | quotation, high confidence | 337-345 |
| Ps 137:7 (136:7 Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 136.12 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 137:7 (136:7 Vulg.) | Poem 9, lines 32–71 · Paulinus of Nola | quotation, high confidence | ca. 393–431 |
Psalms 137:8
O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, blessed is he who repays you as you have done to us.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ps 137:8–9 (136:8-Ps LXX) | Homilies on Numbers 20.2 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 238–250 (Rufinus's translation ca. 400–410) |
| Ps 137:8–9 (136:8-Ps LXX) | Against Celsus 7.22 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 248 |
| Ps 137:8 (136:8 Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 136.13 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 137:8 (136:8 LXX) | Letter 22.6 · Jerome | quotation, high confidence | ca. 370–419 |
| Ps 137:8 (136:8 Vulg.) | Poem 9, lines 32–71 · Paulinus of Nola | quotation, high confidence | ca. 393–431 |
| Ps 137:8 (136:8 Vulg.) | Letters 29.13 · Paulinus of Nola | echo, low confidence | ca. 394–413 |
| Ps 137:8 (136:8 Vulg.) | Letters 47.1 · Paulinus of Nola | allusion, low confidence | ca. 394–413 |
| Ps 137:8–9 (136:8-Ps Vulg.) | Instructions 1.60 · Eucherius of Lyon | quotation, high confidence | ca. 428-434 |
| Ps 137:8 (136:8 Vulg.) | Part 4, chapter 7 · Quodvultdeus of Carthage | quotation, high confidence | ca. 445-450 |
Psalms 137:9
Blessed is he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ps 137:9 (136:9 LXX) | PG 12:1653 (Ps 136–138 LXX) · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Ps 137:9 (136:9 LXX) | Homilies on Joshua 15.3 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 238–250 (Rufinus's translation ca. 400–410) |
| Ps 137:9 (136:9 LXX) | Commentary on the Song of Songs 3.240 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 240–245 (Rufinus's translation ca. 410) |
| Ps 137:9 (136:9 Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 136.13 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 137:9 (136:9 Vulg.) | Tractates on the Psalms 136.14 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Ps 137:9 (136:9 LXX) | Oration 45.15 · Gregory of Nazianzus | allusion, high confidence | ca. 362–383 |
| Ps 137:9 (136:9 LXX) | Letter 22.6 · Jerome | quotation, high confidence | ca. 370–419 |
| Ps 137:9 (136:9 LXX) | Letter 130.8 · Jerome | allusion, high confidence | ca. 370–419 |
| Ps 137:9 (136:9 Vulg.) | Book of Rules 4 · Tyconius | quotation, high confidence | ca. 380 |
| Ps 137:9 (136:9 LXX) | Exposition of Psalm 118 8.35.3 · Ambrose | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 386-397 |
| Ps 137:9 (136:9 LXX) | Letter 27.2 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, high confidence | ca. 386–430 |
| Ps 137:9 (136:9 LXX) | Tractates on Matthew 9.1 · Chromatius of Aquileia | quotation, high confidence | ca. 388–407 |
| Ps 137:9 (136:9 Vulg.) | Poem 9, lines 32–71 · Paulinus of Nola | quotation, high confidence | ca. 393–431 |
| Ps 137:9 (136:9 Vulg.) | Letters 44.3 · Paulinus of Nola | allusion, high confidence | ca. 394–413 |
| Ps 137:9 (136:9 LXX) | Apology against Rufinus 3.38 · Jerome | echo, low confidence | ca. 401–402 |
| Ps 137:9 (136:9 Vulg.) | The Institutes 6.13 · John Cassian | allusion, high confidence | ca. 419–426 |