Psalm 137:9—How could the Psalmist rejoice at the thought of little ones being dashed against rocks?

Problem: When the psalmist considers the ultimate judgment that will be brought against Babylon, he appears to rejoice that babies will be injured. How could a man of God rejoice over such a tragic and cruel event?

Solution: The psalmist is not rejoicing over the dashing of babies. Rather, he is rejoicing over the retributive justice of God that would ultimately return the cruelty of the Babylonians upon them as a just punishment for their crimes. The Babylonians had treated the Hebrews and their children with just such acts of brutality. Ultimately, God would bring the Medes and Persians to inflict His judgment upon Babylon. In the hands of God, the armies of the Medes and Persians would balance the scales of justice, for the Babylonians would reap what they had sown (see comments on Ps. 109:1ff).

This excerpt is from When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1992). © 2014 Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Click here to purchase this book.