Mazmur 37:13

37:13 The Lord laughs in disgust ¹  at them,

for he knows that their day is coming. ² 

Mazmur 137:8-9

137:8 O daughter Babylon, soon to be devastated! ³ 

How blessed will be the one who repays you

for what you dished out to us! ⁴ 

137:9 How blessed will be the one who grabs your babies

and smashes them on a rock! ⁵ 

[37:13]  ¹ tn Heb “laughs.” As the next line indicates, this refers to derisive laughter (see 2:4). The Hebrew imperfect verbal form describes the action from the perspective of an eye-witness who is watching the divine response as it unfolds before his eyes.

[37:13]  ² tn Heb “for he sees that his day is coming.” As the following context makes clear (vv. 15, 17, 19-20), “his day” refers to the time when God will destroy evildoers.

[137:8]  ³ tn Heb “O devastated daughter of Babylon.” The psalmist dramatically anticipates Babylon’s demise.

[137:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “O the happiness of the one who repays you your wage which you paid to us.”

[137:9]  ⁵ sn For other references to the wholesale slaughter of babies in the context of ancient Near Eastern warfare, see 2 Kgs 8:12; Isa 13:16; Hos 13:16; Nah 3:10.