Psalms 136

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.

2 Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.

3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.

4 to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever.

5 who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever.

6 who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever.

7 who made the great lights— His love endures forever.

8 the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever.

9 the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever.

10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt His love endures forever.

11 and brought Israel out from among them His love endures forever.

12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm; His love endures forever.

13 to him who divided the Red Sea^[a] asunder His love endures forever.

14 and brought Israel through the midst of it, His love endures forever.

15 but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea; His love endures forever.

16 to him who led his people through the wilderness; His love endures forever.

17 to him who struck down great kings, His love endures forever.

18 and killed mighty kings— His love endures forever.

19 Sihon king of the Amorites His love endures forever.

20 and Og king of Bashan— His love endures forever.

21 and gave their land as an inheritance, His love endures forever.

22 an inheritance to his servant Israel. His love endures forever.

23 He remembered us in our low estate His love endures forever.

24 and freed us from our enemies. His love endures forever.

25 He gives food to every creature. His love endures forever.

26 Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.

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Psalms 136 Commentary

Chapter 136

God to be praised as the Creator of the world. (1-9) As Israel's God and Saviour. (10-22) For his blessings to all. (23-26)

Verses 1-9 Forgetful as we are, things must be often repeated to us. By "mercy" we understand the Lord's disposition to save those whom sin has rendered miserable and vile, and all the provision he has made for the redemption of sinners by Jesus Christ. The counsels of this mercy have been from everlasting, and the effects of it will endure for ever, to all who are interested in it. The Lord continues equally ready to show mercy to all who seek for it, and this is the source of all our hope and comfort.

Verses 10-22 The great things God did for Israel, when he brought them out of Egypt, were mercies which endured long to them; and our redemption by Christ, which was typified thereby, endures for ever. It is good to enter into the history of God's favours, and in each to observe, and own, that his mercy endureth for ever. He put them in possession of a good land; it was a figure of the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Verses 23-26 God's everlasting mercy is here praised for the redemption of his church; in all his glories, and all his gifts. Blessed be God, who has provided and made known to us salvation through his Son. May we know and feel his redeeming power, that we may serve him in righteousness all our days. May He who giveth food to all flesh, feed our souls unto eternal life, and enliven our affections by his grace, that we may give thanks and praise to his holy name, for his mercy endureth for ever. Let us trace up all the favours we receive to this true source, and offer praise continually.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

Cross References 37

1. Psalms 105:1
2. Psalms 100:5; Psalms 106:1; Psalms 145:9; Jeremiah 33:11; Nahum 1:7
3. ver 2-26; S 2 Chronicles 5:13; S Ezra 3:11; Psalms 118:1-4; 1 Chronicles 16:34; 2 Chronicles 20:21
4. Psalms 105:1
5. S Deuteronomy 10:17
6. Psalms 105:1
7. S Deuteronomy 10:17; S 1 Timothy 6:15
8. S Exodus 3:20; S Job 9:10; Psalms 72:18
9. Proverbs 3:19; Jeremiah 51:15
10. S Genesis 1:1
11. Genesis 1:9; S Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 42:5; Jeremiah 10:12; Jeremiah 33:2
12. S Genesis 1:6; Psalms 24:2
13. Genesis 1:14,16; Psalms 74:16; James 1:17
14. S Genesis 1:16
15. S Exodus 4:23; S Exodus 12:12; Exodus 12:29; Psalms 135:8
16. S Exodus 6:6; Exodus 12:51; Exodus 13:3; Psalms 105:43
17. S Exodus 3:20; S Deuteronomy 5:15
18. S Deuteronomy 9:29; Deuteronomy 4:34; Psalms 44:3
19. Exodus 14:21; S Psalms 78:13
20. Exodus 14:22; Psalms 106:9
21. S Exodus 14:27; Psalms 135:9
22. S Exodus 13:18; Psalms 78:52
23. Numbers 21:23-25; Joshua 24:8-11; Psalms 78:55; Psalms 135:9-12
24. Deuteronomy 29:7; S Joshua 12:7-24
25. Numbers 21:21-25
26. Numbers 21:33-35
27. Joshua 12:1
28. S Deuteronomy 1:38; S Joshua 14:1
29. S Deuteronomy 29:8; Psalms 78:55
30. Isaiah 20:3; Isaiah 41:8; Isaiah 42:19; Isaiah 43:10; Isaiah 44:1,21; Isaiah 45:4; Isaiah 49:5-7
31. Psalms 78:39; Psalms 103:14; Psalms 115:12; Psalms 113:7
32. S Joshua 10:14; S Nehemiah 9:28
33. S Deuteronomy 6:19; Psalms 107:2
34. S Genesis 1:30; S Matthew 6:26; Psalms 104:27; Psalms 145:15
35. Psalms 105:1
36. S Psalms 115:3
37. S Ezra 3:11

Footnotes 1

[a]. Or the Sea of Reeds; also in verse 15

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 136

This psalm was very probably composed by David, and given to the Levites to sing every day, 1Ch 16:41. Solomon his son followed his example, and made use of them in singing at the dedication of the temple, 2Ch 7:3,6; as Jehoshaphat seems to have done when he went out to war against his enemies, 2Ch 20:21. The subject of it is much the same with the preceding psalm; its composition is very singular; the half of every verse: in it is, "for his mercy endureth for ever"; this is the burden of the song; and the design of it is to show, that all blessings of every kind flow from the grace, goodness, and mercy of God, which is constant and perpetual; and to impress a sense of it upon the minds of men: the inscription of the Syriac version is,

``it is said of Moses and Israel praising the Lord for those who were delivered; and concerning the deliverance of souls out of hell from Pharaoh, the devil, by Christ our Saviour, the Redeemer of them.''

R. Obadiah says it is an exhortation to the children of God in the days of the Messiah to praise the Lord.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible