How to interpret the words of Scripture
"Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks"
Psalms 137.8-9 "Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is the one who repays you according to what you have done to us. Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks." - (New International Version)
Psalms 137.8-9 "O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones." - (King James Version)
Psalms 137.8-9 "Daughter of Babylon, you devastated one, Blessed will be one who repays you With the retribution with which you have repaid us. Blessed will be one who seizes and dashes your children against the rock." - (New American Standard Bible)
The above two sentences are among many that prove that Scripture is not afraid to use strong words, including those that, for many, put God in an unfavorable light. How is it possible that one who kills children should be happy?
Babylon in the Scriptures is depicted as the seat of evil. It is from it that many pagan and satanic beliefs originated. It is a symbol of Satan and appears in many books of Scripture also in the Book of Revelation (Revelation) as an adversary of God's people.
There is no denying that when Israel went against their Creator, rejecting His help, God delivered them into the hands of the Babylonians. This does not mean that God wanted Babylon to destroy Israel, He simply stopped protecting them, they met with what they deserved, which was self-destruction. The fact that Babylon invaded Israel did not justify its hatred and merciless treatment of its prisoners. Let's give a simple example:
You were walking down the street and were attacked by a gang of men and women. They beat you up, took out knives and were about to cut off your head. At the same time, another gang passed by and waged a so-called war with them. Those who attacked you were themselves attacked and treated in a bestial manner, i.e. their legs were cut off, women were raped and murdered, their ears were pulled out. You, during this battle, escaped safely. Did those who attacked your would-be tormentors become your saviors? In a sense, yes, if not for them, what happened to them would have happened to you as well. A person of faith could say that God saved them by directing a savage gang to this place. Does the fact that they saved you from imminent death justify their behavior? Do they deserve praise for keeping you alive thanks to them, or condemnation for the way they dealt with the enemy? Should God be blamed for the way they acted?
The same is true of Babylon, even though they defeated Israel with their attack they are not forgiven for the viciousness and vindictiveness with which they murdered the defeated. The one who defeats such a cruel nation will contribute to the destruction of evil, which is why the verse quoted in the introduction uses the phrase that it is happy. Happy in this case is the destruction of evil.
While the first verse can be easily explained, the difficulty may be the second, so for a better understanding of the topic I recommend reading the articles: Why young children die and Why curses and wishes for evil occur in the Bible.
Let's be clear: children who would grow up in Babylon would become as cruel as their parents. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, but as we know the exception proves the rule. It seems cruel, but death for these children is a blessing. Thanks to the fact that they were killed before they had time to grow up, they did not scar their hearts with the same sins as their demoralized parents. Jesus taught that children are innocent (Matthew 19.14 "But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.") If the interpretation of the text, about little children receiving salvation, is correct, this would mean that Babylonian children will receive eternal life, not damnation. But we can't be sure, because the Bible doesn't explicitly say whether little children are saved or not.
In that case, was it better for them to live and be damned, or to die too young and live forever? The answer is obvious.
If we were born into a pathological family or nation, it does not mean that we are doomed in advance because we were born into such and not another environment. It is up to us to soil our conscience.
In short: if these little children of Babylon had not been killed, they would have grown up over time, inflicted pain and suffering themselves and murdered others. We also believe that the Scriptures are inspired and that God Most High surpasses us in wisdom and understanding, so that in relation to Him we are like a poor stain. It follows that the problem with understanding the text lies in ourselves, not in the sentences contained.
Parallel interpretation of the words
Another interpretation of the above sentences is possible, but I would consider it a second image, i.e. both are true except that they refer to different periods and are not mutually exclusive. One such example is the words of Jesus when he spoke of the impending destruction of Jerusalem while foreshadowing the end times.
Psalms are poetry, and as it happens in poetry, words do not always reflect reality, e.g.: a joyful morning. Does the morning have any feelings to be joyful? These verses, may represent the end times, in which God destroys Satan (the demon is depicted here as Babylon) and his followers (depicted as children). The rock in this case is Jesus, and the blessed one is God.
Then the sentence would sound more or less like this: Satan, destroyer, blessed be God, who will repay you for the evil you have done. Blessed be the God who will destroy your followers.
We should not reject the earlier interpretation in favor of this one, in the name of love for our neighbor. This is contradicted by Isaiah 13.16, there is a prophecy contained there that we know has already been fulfilled.
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