Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago

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Psalm 137 ends with one of the Bible's most scandalizing lines: a prayer that an enemy's infants would be dashed against rocks. It understandably troubles believers, and for skeptics, it's a classic case against the Bible's goodness.

Does this cry for violence—especially against innocent babies—belong in what is supposed to be a sacred hymn book? On this episode of What in the Word?, Kirk E. Miller brings in Dr. Bruce Waltke to reckon with this troubling passage.

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Outline:
01:27 Bruce Waltke Background
04:41 Reading Psalm 137
05:46 Why It Troubles Us
08:53 Common Interpretations
12:56 Imprecations and Justice
17:32 Law Justice and Mercy
25:13 Exile Context and Vengeance
27:44 God's Enemies, Not Personal
31:01 Hyperbole or Literal
35:34 Blessed or Rewarded
38:11 Eschatology and Revelation
42:41 Messianic Reading in Psalms
44:21 Preaching and Application