Psalms 136
Call to Thank the Supreme Lord 1–3
God's Wonders in Creation 4–9
God's Mighty Acts in the Exodus 10–15
Defeating Kings and Giving the Land 16–22
Universal Provision and Enduring Mercy 23–26
Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain
Study Notes for Psalms 136
Verse 1
his mercy endureth for ever — Chesed is the LORD's loyal love toward his covenant people, and this line closes every one of the psalm's 26 verses. 'O give thanks' is yadah, to give thanks or praise. The same opening stands in 1 Chr 16:34 and Pss 106:1; 107:1; 118:1.
Verse 2
the God of gods — This is the title of Deut 10:17, 'the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords', whose second half v.3 adds. He is above every power called a god, as Ex 18:11 says: 'the LORD is greater than all gods'.
Verse 5
by wisdom made the heavens — 'Wisdom' is tebunah, understanding: 'The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens' (Prov 3:19). Jer 10:12 sets the two words side by side: 'he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion' (tebunah); Ps 104:24 adds 'in wisdom hast thou made them all'.
Verse 6
stretched out the earth above the waters — Raqa' is to beat out and spread, the verb of Isa 42:5, 'he that spread forth the earth', and Isa 44:24, 'that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself'. Ps 24:2 gives the same work: 'he hath founded it upon the seas'.
Verse 10
smote Egypt in their firstborn — The tenth plague: 'at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt' (Ex 12:29), as he had said at Ex 12:12. Nakah, to smite, is the verb again in v.17. The same event is told in Pss 78:51; 105:36; 135:8.
Verse 12
With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm — The pair stands in the LORD's promise, 'I will redeem you with a stretched out arm' (Ex 6:6), and in Moses' reminder, 'a mighty hand, and… a stretched out arm' (Deut 4:34). v.11 says what the hand did: it 'brought out Israel from among them'.
Verse 15
overthrew Pharaoh and his host — Na'ar is to shake off, to toss about, the verb of Ex 14:27, 'the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea'. 'Red sea' is yam suph, from suph, a reed. The verse sets the sea that stood open for Israel (v.13) against the host it closed on.
Verse 17
smote great kings — After the sea the psalm tells of the road to the land. 'Smote' is nakah, the verb of v.10, here of kings. Ps 135:10–11 gives the same deed, 'smote great nations, and slew mighty kings', and names the two: Sihon (v.19) and Og (v.20).
Verse 19
Sihon king of the Amorites — Israel asked leave to pass by 'the king's high way' (Num 21:22); Sihon refused, 'went out against Israel into the wilderness', and was smitten, and Israel 'possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabbok' (Num 21:23–24). Moses adds that the LORD had made his heart obstinate (Deut 2:30).
Verse 22
an heritage unto Israel his servant — Nachalah is a portion received by inheritance, here the land given to Abraham's seed (Gen 15:18). v.21 says he 'gave their land' to Israel, whom the psalm calls his 'servant', as Ps 105:6 addresses them, 'ye seed of Abraham his servant'.
Verse 23
remembered us in our low estate — Shephel is a low place or rank, found elsewhere only in Eccl 10:6, 'the rich sit in low place'. 'Remembered' (zakar) is the word of Ex 2:24, 'God remembered his covenant'. Luke 1:48 has the same phrase: 'he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden'.
Verse 25
giveth food to all flesh — After the acts done for Israel, the line reaches 'all flesh' (basar), every living creature. Lechem, 'food', is the word of Ps 147:9, 'He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry'; see also Ps 104:27, 'thou mayest give them their meat in due season'.