The Israelites were captive in Babylon: men forced to work, women abused. Verse 9 notes one of the more grotesque scenes, the needless slaughter of children. Perhaps the Israelites turned to song, which then gave the captors something to taunt them about. "Give us some entertainment; sing us one of the songs of Zion." The response was: "Let's hang up our harp! Zip our lips! How can we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?"
Scripture: Psalm 137
