Psalms 137:6 Commentary: Preferring Jerusalem Above Chief Joy

Psalm 137 is set during the Babylonian exile, likely written shortly after the return or while still in captivity. Keil and Delitzsch describe it as a psalm 'not belonging to the Exile, but written in memory of the Exile.' The opening verses paint a vivid scene: captives sitting by the rivers of Babylon, the Euphrates, Tigris, Chebar, and Ulai, weeping as they remember Zion. They hang their harps on willow trees because they cannot bring themselves to sing Yahweh's songs in a foreign land, even when their captors mockingly demand 'one of the songs of Zion.'

Verse 6 is the second half of a pair of oaths (vv.5-6). The first oath invokes the right hand, the second the tongue. Both are instruments of music: the hand plucks the harp, the tongue sings. By cursing these organs if he forgets Jerusalem, the psalmist declares that he would rather be unable to play or sing than to use those gifts to make merry while Zion lies in ruins. Matthew Henry observes that the exiles chose the rivers as places of solitude 'where they might mingle their tears with the streams.' The demand for mirth from the tormentors (v.3) was a form of psychological cruelty, and the psalmist's refusal to comply was an act of resistance and loyalty.

Calvin notes that the psalmist speaks 'in the name of the Church at large' and that the destruction of the Temple had overthrown the established order of worship. In this context, 'preferring Jerusalem above my chief joy' meant treasuring not just a city but the place where God had chosen to dwell, and the hope of restoration that clung to it. The self-imprecation underscores the depth of that commitment: singing cheerfully in Babylon would imply that the exile was acceptable, that the loss of the temple didn't matter. The psalmist will have none of it.

The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 137:6. The verse is textually stable across the Masoretic tradition and the ancient versions. The only minor difference in English translations is the rendering of the Hiphil verb 'prefer' or 'exalt', both accurately capture the sense of 'cause to ascend' (H5927). The KJV's 'prefer not' and the BSB's 'do not exalt' represent the same underlying Hebrew.

Psalm 137 has been read in Jewish tradition as a central text for Tisha B'Av, the fast commemorating the destruction of the Temples. Verses 5-6 are recited as a vow of loyalty to Jerusalem, and the refusal to sing in a strange land became a model for mourning. In Christian interpretation, the early church often allegorized Jerusalem as the heavenly city or the Church. Augustine saw the psalmist's longing as a picture of the soul's exile from God and the hope of the heavenly homeland. The imprecatory language against Babylon and Edom (vv.7-9) has troubled some readers, but verse 6 has been consistently admired as an expression of single-hearted devotion. Hymnody has drawn on this verse to express longing for the church and for the New Jerusalem.

Three-point outline

1. The vow of remembrance. The psalmist swears to remember Jerusalem. Remembrance here is more than mental recall, it carries affection, loyalty, and grief (H2142, za.khar). In a culture that sings and tells stories to preserve identity, forgetting Zion would be a betrayal.
2. The price of forgetfulness. The self-curse on the tongue is severe: let it stick to the roof of the mouth so that speech and song are impossible. This is solemn language that says, in effect, 'I would rather be mute than use my voice in ways that dishonor what I love most.'
3. Jerusalem as head of joy. The phrase 'chief joy' ('head of my joy') uses rosh to denote supremacy. Jerusalem is not one joy among many but the joy that governs all others. Barnes writes that 'the happiness which is found in religion is superior to that found in every other source of enjoyment, and is preferred to every other.'

Five-point outline

1. Context: the demand for a song. The captors asked for 'mirth' (v.3). The psalmist's vow is a direct refusal to perform joy on command.
2. The parallel self-imprecations. Right hand (v.5) and tongue (v.6), both linked to musical expression. The curse on the tongue echoes Ezekiel 3:26, where God makes the prophet mute as a sign of judgment.
3. Remembering as covenant loyalty. Biblical 'remembrance' is active, often tied to obedience. Forgetting leads to covenant curses (Deuteronomy 8:19).
4. Preferring as exalting. The Hiphil verb 'cause to ascend' suggests actively lifting Jerusalem above competing joys. This is not passive sentiment but a deliberate ordering of loves.
5. The positive assertion. The psalmist does not just avoid sin; he positively prioritizes. Jerusalem is more than a duty, it is the head of his joy, the source and sum of his gladness.

Illustration hooks

• The wedding ring. A couple separated by distance might refuse to engage in trivial amusements because they are saving their joy for reunion. The psalmist reserves his songs for the restoration of Jerusalem.
• The athlete's discipline. An athlete skips a party to train for the championship. Jerusalem is the prize; the chief joy is the day when worship resumes in the temple.
• The refugee's loyalty. A displaced person holds onto the homeland's language and stories despite pressure to assimilate. The psalmist clings to the memory of Zion even while adapting to exile.

Questions your congregation is asking

• How do I know if I really 'prefer' my church or my relationship with God above everything else?
• Is it wrong to enjoy good things, music, food, family, when others are suffering? Does this verse forbid all joy in exile?
• What does it look like to make our spiritual community the 'head of joy' without becoming detached from the real world?

Psalm 137 is raw and honest. The people of God have been taken captive, their city destroyed, and their worship silenced. In verses 5-6 the psalmist takes a personal oath not to forget Jerusalem, to value her above everything. This opens up big questions about where we find our deepest joy and what we do when that source is taken away. As you discuss, hold the tension between the pain of loss and the hope of restoration.

Discussion questions

1. Read Psalm 137:1-4. What details stick out to you about the exiles' situation? Why do you think the captors demanded a song?
2. What does the psalmist mean when he says 'if I do not remember you'? In what ways do we 'forget' the things that matter, not by accident, but by choosing comfort over faithfulness?
3. The Hebrew verb for 'prefer' (verse 6) is literally 'cause to ascend' (H5927). How does that word picture change the way you think about priorities?
4. Why does the psalmist attach a curse to his failure? Is this a healthy way to express commitment, or is it extreme? What does it reveal about the depth of his loyalty?
5. Barnes says the chief joy of religion should be 'preferred to every other' joy. Do you think that is realistic? What makes it hard to put Jerusalem (or the church) first in your daily life?
6. Compare this verse with Matthew 6:33 ('seek first God's Kingdom'). How does Jesus' command echo or transform the psalmist's vow?
7. What is 'your Jerusalem', the thing or person or place you hold as your chief joy? How might this psalm call you to reorder your loves?