RE: "Infanticide!?"

John & Vicki Mansur (jmansur@iu.net)
Mon, 26 Aug 1996 21:35:12 -0400

This Psalm is a prayer written during the time the Jewish people were =
captive in Babylon. They had been prisoners away from their own land =
for a couple of generations, badly treated, and they are mourning for =
home. The last vivid verse may reflect the writer's thoughts that baby =
Babylonians grow up to be big Babylonians, and the Jewish writer is =
hoping that there will be no next Babylonian generation to enslave his =
world. (At least that is my interpretation)

John
----------
From: Debra Knodel/HQ/3Com[SMTP:Debra_Knodel@3mail.3com.com]
Sent: Monday, August 26, 1996 3:44 PM
To: Suidae
Cc: nidana; harp
Subject: Re: "Infanticide!?"

Now that we've got all the words, can someone tell me what this means? =
I'm not=20
real good at interpreting these types of things.....

Thanks,
Debra Knodel =20

----- Previous Message =
----------------------------------------------------=20

To: nidana @ pacbell.net @ UGATE
harp @ MIT.EDU @ UGATE
cc: =20
From: Suidae @ aol.com @ UGATE =20
Date: Monday August 26, 1996 05:22 PM
Subject: Re: "Infanticide!?"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
--------------------------------------------
To everyone following the discussion of different versions of "Rivers of
Babylon", I apologize for dragging the matter of text and context into =
the
harp list. I had no business ruining anyone's love of a beautiful song,
which my previous post may have done.

However, Morgaine requested the unsung portion of Psalm 137, and from =
what
she said, I think she wanted it sent to the list. OK, here's the King =
James
version of the whole thing:

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we =
remembered
Zion.
We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and =
they
that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of
Zion.=20
How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?
If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.
If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; =
if I
prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.
Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who =
said,
Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.
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.

Take care,=20
Ellen James

=20