Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 137:3

"For there they that led us captive required of us songs, And they that wasted us [required of us] mirth, [saying], Sing us one of the songs of Zion." — Psalms 137:3 (ASV)

For there those who carried us away captive - The Babylonians.

Required of us a song - Asked of us a song. The word does not express the idea of compulsion or force. The margin, as in Hebrew, reads "words of a song." Perhaps the idea is that they did not merely ask for music, but they wished to hear the words—the songs themselves—in which they were accustomed to praise God. This may have been a taunt, and the request may have been in derision; or it may have been made seriously, with no desire to reproach them or add to their sorrows.

We are not to attribute bad motives to others where there is no evidence of any, and where the assumption of good motives explains the situation just as well.

The expression here may have been a kind and natural wish to hear the songs of these foreigners—songs about which they might have heard much by report, perhaps songs they had overheard them singing when they were in a less despondent state of mind and sought to comfort themselves with these ancient national melodies.

Since the only reason given for not complying with this request was that they could not “sing the Lord’s song in a strange land” (Psalms 137:3), we are rather led to infer that there was no bad motive—no disposition to taunt and ridicule them—in the request that was made.

And those who wasted us - The margin reads, "laid us on heaps." The Hebrew word means a tormentor; properly, one who extorts lamentation from others, or who causes them to howl—namely, under oppression or wrong. The Septuagint and Latin Vulgate render it, "They who led us away." The general idea is those under whom they were then suffering, or who had caused these trials to come upon them.

Required of us mirth - literally, "Our tormentors, joy." The Hebrew word means joy, and the sense is that they asked them to give the usual indications of joy and happiness—namely, a song. The language means, "Cheer up; be happy; give us one of the beautiful songs which you were accustomed to sing in your own land." It may, indeed, have been in derision, but there is no proof that it was.

Saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion - The songs—the sacred hymns—which you were accustomed to sing in worship in your own land.