Mirth in the Bible

In this week’s video on When Morning Gilds the Skies, we went through the definition of mirth – amusement, especially as expressed in laughter.

We looked at this as it connected with the lines:
When mirth for music longs,
This is my song of songs:
“May Jesus Christ be praised!”

We talked about this as when we are joyful we should be singing praises to Christ. Mirth is used in the Psalm 137:3 The word seems to be used slightly differently in different translations. Let’s just take a look at two of them.

KJV
For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

ESV
For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

Depending on how you interpret this you can get the same effect. KJV clearly states that the captors required the captives to be happy and express that in song and laughter. You can read ESV the same way where mirth is required of the tormentors, but you can also see it as the tormentors were mirth when they required songs. In this case mirth is being used to describe the bully. They are having fun and laughing while torching the captives. It creates a very different image. When you start to look at additional translations the scale seems to tip toward the tormentors requiring mirth from the captives.

I personally like the imagery of the bully. Because we all know it never works out well for the bully. And we don’t have to look any further then the bully that tormented Adam and Eve. Satan started all of this and has been granted his own place to rule, the problem is does anyone really want to rule in an active volcano?

Our mirth as in the song comes from the amazing sacrifice that was made and the triumph over death. Do not fear when others attack your faith. Be proud knowing that you have a Savior and He will never leave you so you can always have mirth.