Give ye thanks unto Jehovah, for he is good; for his loving-kindness [endureth] for ever
Psalm 136 repeats one line twenty-six times, and verse 1 sets it up: a call to give thanks, then the reason for it. Older translations call the ESV's "steadfast love" "mercy" or "loving-kindness," and that is how the writers below name it.
Each verse works in two halves, and the second half never changes.
This psalm is Israel's response to the call to praise in the psalm before it. The first half of each verse gives the theme of praise. The second half gives the refrain of praise: "For His loving-kindness endures for ever." Every stage of Israel's history is retold to show one thing: through all their ups and downs, the loving-kindness of the Lord had lasted.
This line already had a history. Israel had sung it since the days of Solomon's temple.
This Psalm opens with what we may call the refrain of Israel's national song — at least from the time of Solomon's temple (see 2 Chronicles 5:13). The song that proclaims "His mercy endures for ever" is surely a song for eternity.
The call to thanks rests first on what God is, not on what He has done.
What matters first is who He is; that always comes before what He has done. He is good, unlike all others, for "no one does good, not even one" (Rom. 3:12). Goodness is God's very nature, so everything He does is good — even when it means dreadful judgment for the ungodly. "His mercy endures forever." Every verse of this psalm repeats it, for this is a fact that needs to be learned well, and it will be learned in the millennium.
Verse 1 gives the reason. The psalm then ties that reason to one thing after another: who God is, creation, rescue from Egypt, the desert road, and the land.
It is beautiful to see how the Psalmist ties the mercy of the Lord to the whole of Israel's relationships and history. In verses 2-4 that mercy flows from what God is: the God of gods, the Lord of lords, and the doer of great wonders… Verses 5-9 celebrate God as Creator, and celebrate His mercy. Next He is Redeemer (vv. 10-15)… The One who had brought them out had also brought them in, for His mercy endures for ever.
The psalm before this one covers much of the same ground under a different name.
Notice that Psalm 136 is about "mercy," and Psalm 135 about "glory." The creation of the heavens and God's dealings with the Amorites have all declared God's name, or glory. Now the very same things are celebrated as making His mercy known. The same ways and works of the Lord make known both His name and His mercy, His glory and His grace, with equal clearness and sureness — they honour Him and bless His people.
A line repeated this often raises a question.
Why, we may ask, are these comforting words repeated as many as 26 times? There must be a reason, and an urgent one. The answer is that people are so easy-going and complacent. They accept the wonderful mercies of God without being thankful. And the history of Israel is mainly in view in this Psalm. They were a people under the law, and they forgot that the law only brought condemnation on them. All the good things they enjoyed came to them on the ground of God's mercy instead.
Later, others in Israel took this line up and applied it to themselves.
Psalm 136 says of God twenty-six times that "His mercy endures for ever." They now acknowledged this about themselves, as those who stood for Israel. It was their confession that no merit on their side had led to the revival they shared in. It was all on the ground of God's mercy.
The same confession is open to anyone who traces God's dealings with them from beginning to end.
From first to last, and all through the time in between, it is and will be nothing but mercy. That holds in creation… in our redemption, in our guidance through the wilderness, in our deliverance from our enemies, and in our being put in possession of all that God has secured for us in Christ — both now and when we are for ever with the Lord. So we may take up Israel's song.
- Good — the call to thanks rests first on who God is; goodness is His nature, so everything He does flows from it.
- Mercy — verse 1 gives the reason, and the psalm ties it to creation, redemption, the wilderness, and the land, one verse at a time.
- Glory — the works that make His name known in Psalm 135 make His mercy known here. The same acts honour Him and bless His people.
- Repeated — twenty-six times. People take God's mercies without thanks, and forget that all they enjoy comes on that ground alone.
- Ours — a later generation owned the line as a confession that they had no merit of their own. From first to last it is nothing but mercy, so the song is still ours to sing.
Give thanks unto the God of gods, for his loving-kindness [endureth] for ever;
Psalm 136 opens with three calls to give thanks, and this verse is the second: to the God of gods. The title names Him by what He is, and the refrain ties His unending love to that supremacy.
(Note: the writers quoted here use an older translation, which reads "His mercy endures forever." The ESV reads "His steadfast love endures forever.")
One line of praise answers that call twenty-six times.
This is a historical Psalm of praise, as His grateful people Israel think of all He has done. Twenty-six times we read, "His mercy endures forever." The Psalm begins with a threefold call to give thanks: to the Lord, to the God of gods, and to the Lord of lords. So the three-in-one God is adored.
The three titles together sketch the reach of His rule — nothing above Him in heaven, nothing beyond Him on earth.
The opening verses present the goodness of Jehovah, the unchangeable God, the One who is supreme above all that rule in the heavens, or that exercise dominion on earth — the God of gods and the Lord of lords.
The title does not admit that rival gods are real. It is a measurement.
The second verse speaks of Him as "the God of gods." However great others may appear to be, He is infinitely greater than they are. He also bears the name "the Lord of lords." Whatever authority others may have, His authority is infinitely higher than theirs.
Every so-called god and every lesser lord stands under Him — and a title like His belongs to the Lord Jesus too.
Whatever people may call "gods," all of them are completely under the one living God. Whoever may be "lords," with authority in some small area, they are themselves under the supreme authority of the one Lord of the universe. Scripture uses a similar expression of the Lord Jesus in Revelation 19:16: "King of kings and Lord of lords."
This refrain was Israel's national song, and here it grows out of who God is.
This Psalm opens with what could be called the refrain of Israel's national song, sung at least from the time of Solomon's temple (see 2 Chronicles 5:13). The song that proclaims "His mercy endures for ever" is surely a song for eternity. It is beautiful to notice how the Psalmist connects the mercy of the Lord with the whole of Israel's relationships and history. So in verses 2–4 it flows from what God is: the God of gods, the Lord of lords, and the doer of great wonders. It flows from what God is in His absolute supremacy and in His almighty power.
Because God cannot act apart from what He is, His character stamps everything He does.
Creation, redemption, judgment on their enemies, mercy to themselves — the same seal marks all His work: Jehovah's loving-kindness has been working in it. And indeed in all His acts, all that He is must act. If He is good, as God is, He must be good in everything He does.
The refrain sets the highest power beside the deepest need, and mercy is where they meet.
This Psalm ties its key word, mercy, to compassion on one side and to needs waiting to be met on the other. Divine compassion meets human need. In the New Testament we find Divine mercy giving its favours far beyond human needs. But when we understand the mercy this Psalm speaks of, it leads to an outflow of thanksgiving.
Those who sang this refrain at the rebuilding knew what they were confessing about themselves.
In the second year after their return, they laid the foundations of the house, and there was joyful praise and thanksgiving to God. Psalm 136 says of God twenty-six times, "His mercy endures for ever," and they now acknowledged this about themselves as representing Israel. It was the confession that no merit on their side had led to the revival in which they had part. It was all on the ground of God's mercy. Every revival God has granted in the sad history of Christendom has rested on the mercy of God, with no merit on our side. Let us never forget this.
Twenty-six repetitions are not padding. They answer a fault in us.
Why, we may ask, are these comforting words repeated no less than 26 times? There must be a reason, and an urgent one. The answer is that people are so easy-going and self-satisfied. They accept the wonderful mercies of God without thanking Him.
- Supreme — the title measures; it does not compare. However great others appear, He is infinitely greater, and every lesser authority sits under His.
- Therefore merciful — His mercy flows from what He is in absolute supremacy and power. It is not a favour He happened to grant.
- Consistent — all that He is must act in all He does; if He is good, everything He does carries that seal.
- Undeserved — to sing this refrain is to confess that no merit of ours earned the blessing. It rests wholly on mercy.
- Repeated — twenty-six times, because we take His mercies for granted; and love that endures forever is a song for eternity.
Give thanks unto the Lord of lords, for his loving-kindness [endureth] for ever.
The third call to give thanks in this psalm names God by His authority, then adds the refrain that ends all twenty-six verses. Supreme power and unfailing mercy stand side by side: the highest throne there is, described by its kindness. (Where the ESV reads "steadfast love," older translations quoted below read "mercy.")
The psalm opens with three calls to give thanks, and each names God differently. One writer ties the third title to the mercy that runs through the whole song:
This psalm opens with what we may call the refrain of Israel's national song. And the song that proclaims "His mercy endures for ever" is surely a song for eternity. It is wonderful to see how the psalmist ties the mercy of the Lord to the whole of Israel's relationships and history. In verses 2-4 that mercy flows from what God is: the God of gods, the Lord of lords, and the doer of great wonders. That is, what God is in His absolute supremacy and in His almighty power.
This psalm also had a settled place in Israel's worship:
The psalm begins with a threefold call to give thanks to the Lord, the God of gods, and the Lord of lords. In this way the triune God is adored. This psalm was without doubt used in the temple worship. The Jews in their ritual call it "the great Hallel." It will most likely be used again in the future, when Israel sings the praises of His name in the new temple.
The title works by comparison. It sets God above every other holder of power:
The second verse speaks of Him as "the God of gods." That is, no matter how great others may appear to be, He is infinitely greater than they are. He is also named "the Lord of lords." Whatever authority others may have, His authority is infinitely higher than theirs.
The same title belongs to Christ. A second writer unpacks both halves of it:
The proud king of the west and the arrogant ruler of the east each have their Master. Christ is "higher than the kings of the earth." The kingdoms of the world are His by right and title, and before Him all must bow. He is "Lord of lords and King of kings." Lord of all who exercise authority, and King of all who reign.
Psalm 135 tells of the same works under a different heading. Set the two side by side:
Notice that Psalm 136 is "mercy," and Psalm 135 is "glory." The creation of the heavens and God's dealings with the Amorites have all declared God's name, or glory. Now the psalm celebrates those very same things as making His mercy known. The same ways and works of the Lord make known both His name and His mercy, His glory and His grace, with equal clearness and certainty. They honour Him and bless His people.
Twenty-six verses end the same way. Why say it so often?
Why, we may ask, are these comforting words repeated no less than 26 times? There must be a reason, and an urgent one. The answer is that human beings are so easy-going and complacent in accepting the wonderful mercies of God without being thankful.
One writer notes what it meant when Israel sang this refrain over themselves:
Twenty-six times Psalm 136 says of God, "His mercy endures for ever." They now acknowledged this about themselves, as those representing Israel. It was their confession that no merit on their side had led to the revival they had a part in. It rested wholly on God's mercy. In the sad history of the Christian world, every revival God has granted has rested on His mercy, with no merit on our side. Let us never forget this.
The same writer then turns the song toward us:
From first to last, and all through the time between, it is nothing but mercy. It is mercy in creation — and we can go back further still, to God's purposes of grace in Christ before the foundation of the world. It is mercy in our redemption, in our guidance through the wilderness, in our deliverance from our enemies, and in our being put in possession of all that God has secured for us in Christ. Whether now, or when we are for ever with the Lord, it is and will be nothing but mercy.
- Supremacy — "Lord of lords" measures God against every other authority. Whatever power others hold, His is higher, and all must bow.
- Mercy — that supreme title carries one reason for thanks: mercy that lasts for ever. The same works that show His glory show His mercy.
- Reach — mercy runs through every stage: creation, redemption, the wilderness, and full possession of all God has secured in Christ.
- Repetition — the line comes twenty-six times because we take God's mercies for granted and forget to thank Him.
- Result — where mercy is the ground, merit has no place. That confession leaves nothing to boast of, and it turns into a song for eternity.