The Hebrew towlal appears only in Psalm 137:3, describing those who caused the exiles anguish β demanding songs of joy in a foreign land. Related to the root meaning to howl or wail, towlal describes one who makes others wail: an oppressor who inflicts deep emotional torment on the vulnerable.
Psalm 137 is one of the most raw and honest laments in Scripture, arising from the Babylonian exile. The exiles sat by the rivers of Babylon and wept β they could not sing the LORD's songs in a foreign land. Their towlal β oppressors β mockingly demanded worship songs as entertainment. This psalm captures the theology of lament: God's people may cry out their anguish in the confidence that God hears and remembers. The memory of Zion and the faithfulness of God sustain the community even in crushing oppression.