Psalms 136

Psalms 136:1-26

Psalms 136IN theme and structure, this psalm resembles that before it, a resemblance rendered still more striking by particular coincidences of expression. In this case also, the people are invited to praise Jehovah, Psalms 136:1-3, as the God of nature, Psalms 136:4-9, as the deliverer of Israel from Egypt, Psalms 136:10-15, his guide in the wilderness, Psalms 136:16, the conqueror of his enemies, Psalms 136:17-24, the provider of all creatures, Psalms 136:25, and the God of heaven, to whom, in conclusion, praise is again declared to be due, Psalms 136:26. The grand peculiarity of form in this psalm, by which it is distinguished from all others, is the regular recurrence, at the close of every verse, of a burden or refrain, like the responses in the Litany, but carried through with still more perfect uniformity. The text or theme, which thus forms the second clause of every verse, is one which has repeatedly occurred already, in Psalms 106:1; Psalms 107:1; Psalms 118:1-4; Psalms 118:29. It has been a favourite idea with interpreters, that such repetitions necessarily imply alternate or responsive choirs. But the other indications of this usage in the Psalter are extremely doubtful, and every exegetical condition may be satisfied by simply supposing that the singers, in some cases, answered their own questions, and that in others, as in that before us, the people united in the burden or chorus, as they were wont to do in the Amen. See above, on Psalms 106:48.

1. (Psalms 136:1) Give thanks unto Jehovah— for unto eternity (is) his mercy. This introductory sentence is identical with those already cited from Psalms 106, 107, 118.

2. (Psalms 136:2) Give thanks unto the God of gods— for unto eternity (is) his mercy. The divine title or description, both in this verse and the next, is borrowed from Deuteronomy 10:17. Gods does not here mean false gods, but is a superlative plural qualifying that before it. See above, on Psalms 77:13; Psalms 135:5.

3. (Psalms 136:3) Give thanks unto the Lord of lords for unto eternity (is) his mercy. The Lord of lords, i.e. the supreme Lord, the Lord by way of excellence, as in the English phrase heart of hearts for inmost heart.

4. (Psalms 136:4) To (him) doing wondrous (things), great (things), alone for unto eternity (is) his mercy. Compare the expression doing wonders, Exodus 15:11. Alone, not merely more than others, but to their exclusion. The for, in this and the following verses, has reference, not to what immediately precedes, but to the verb give thanks, to be supplied at the beginning of the sentence

5. (Psalms 136:5) To him that made the heavens in wisdom–for unto eternity (is) his mercy. That made, literally making, perhaps in reference to the continued exercise of God’s creative power. In wisdom, or with understanding. See above, on Psalms 104:24, and compare Proverbs 3:19.

6. (Psalms 136:6) To him that spread the earth above the waters–for unto eternity (is) his mercy. That spread, literally spreading, as in ver. 5. Above (not upon, but higher than) the waters. See above, on Psalms 24:2.

7. (Psalms 136:7) To him that made great lights–for unto eternity (is) his mercy. The plural lights occurs only here, but is cognate and synonymous with the one used in Genesis 1:14; Genesis 1:16.

8. (Psalms 136:8) The sun to rule by day–for unto eternity (is) his mercy. The musical design of the composition is especially observable where the burden or chorus is interposed between inseparable parts of the same sentence, as in this one, the substance of which is borrowed from Genesis 1:16, but with some change both in the words and the construction.

9. (Psalms 136:9) The moon and stars to rule by night–for unto eternity (is) his mercy. To rule, literally for rules or dominions, perhaps because the stars are here made sharers with the moon in the dominion of the night.

10. (Psalms 136:10) To him that smote Egypt in their first-born–for unto eternity (is) his mercy. We have here the transition from nature to history, as in Psalms 135:8. Him that smote (or the smiler of) Egypt, i.e. the Egyptians. Hence the plural pronoun, their first-born.

11. (Psalms 136:11) And brought out Israel from the midst of them–for unto eternity (is) his mercy. Here for the first time we have a finite tense (the future conversive), interrupting the long series of participles, all agreeing with Jehovah understood.

12. (Psalms 136:12) With a high hand and with an arm outstretched–for unto eternity is his mercy. These are favourite Mosaic figures for the active and energetic exercise of power. See Exodus 3:19; Exodus 6:1; Exodus 6:6; Exodus 13:9; Exodus 15:12, Deuteronomy 4:34; Deuteronomy 5:15; Deuteronomy 7:19; Deuteronomy 11:2; Deuteronomy 26:8.

13. (Psalms 136:13) To him that larted the Bed Sea into parts–for unto eternity (is) his mercy. Parted and parts have the same relation to each other as the Hebrew verb and noun.

14. (Psalms 136:14) And made Israel to pass through the midst of it–for unto eternity (is) his mercy. Here again we have a finite tense, not the conversive future, as in Psalms 136:11, but the preterite. Through the midst of it, between the parts into which it was divided. Some suppose an allusion to the covenant transaction in Genesis 15:17, where the word translated parts is the one used in Psalms 136:13 above.

15. (Psalms 136:15) And cast Pharaoh and his host into the Bed Sea–for unto eternity (is) his mercy. The first verb strictly means knocked off or shook off, and is borrowed from Exodus 14:27. A passive form of it occurs above, Psalms 109:23.

16. (Psalms 136:16) To him that led his people in the wilderness— for unto eternity (is) his mercy. Led, literally, caused to go. See above, Psalms 125:5. The participial construction is again resumed.

17. (Psalms 136:17) To him that smote great kings— for unto eternity (is) his mercy. Compare the parallel passage, Psalms 135:10, which is here divided by the theme or chorus. See above, on Psalms 136:8.

18. (Psalms 136:18) And slew mighty kings— for unto eternity (is) his mercy. The first clause answers to the latter half of Psa 135:10, with the substitution of another Hebrew word for mighty.

19. (Psalms 136:19) Sihon king of the Amorite–for unto eternity (is) his mercy. Literally to, for, or as to Sihon, etc. See above, on Psalms 135:11.

20. (Psalms 136:20) And Og king of Bash,an— for unto eternity (is) his mercy. To, for, or as to, Og king of Bashan.

21. (Psalms 136:21) And gave their land as a heritage— for unto eternity (is) his mercy. As a heritage, literally for it. See above, on Psalms 135:12.

22. (Psalms 136:22) A heritage to Israel his servant— for unto eternity (is) his mercy. This is the latter half of Psa 135:12, divided from the first half by the theme or chorus.

23. (Psalms 136:23) Who in our low estate remembered us— for unto eternity (is) his mercy. In our low estate, in our humiliation, in our being humbled or reduced. Remembered us, or for us, for our benefit, as in Psalms 132:1. From the analogy of Psa 107:16; Psalms 107:18; Psalms 107:26; Psalms 115:12, we learn that this relates to the captivity in Babylon, which is also the subject of the next psalm.

24. (Psalms 136:24) And snatched us from our adversaries— for unto eternity (is) his mercy. The first verb always denotes violent action. See above, on Psalms 7:2. It here means to snatch or tear away, as in Lamentations 5:8, and has reference to the great catastrophe by which the Babylonian power was broken and the Jews set free.

25. (Psalms 136:25) Giving bread to all flesh— for unto eternity (is) his mercy. Here the description passes suddenly from God’s acts of mercy towards his people to his general beneficence towards all that lives, perhaps with a design to intimate that he who thus cares for men in general and even for the lower animals, will not and cannot let his people perish. See Matthew 6:30.

26. (Psalms 136:26) Give thanks unto the God of heaven, for unto eternity (is) his mercy. The God of heaven is a new description as to form, but substantially equivalent to that in Psalms 7:7; Psalms 11:4; Psalms 14:2; Psalms 33:13-14.