Shīpiān 136

1 Nǐmen yào chēngxiè Yēhéhuá , yīn tā bĕn wèi shàn . tāde cíaì yǒngyuǎn chángcún .

2 Nǐmen yào chēngxiè wàn shén zhī shén , yīn tāde cíaì yǒngyuǎn chángcún .

3 Nǐmen yào chēngxiè wàn zhǔ zhī zhǔ , yīn tāde cíaì yǒngyuǎn chángcún .

4 Chēngxiè nà dú xíng dà qí shì de , yīn tāde cíaì yǒngyuǎn chángcún .

5 Chēngxiè nà yòng zhìhuì zào tiān de , yīn tāde cíaì yǒngyuǎn chángcún .

6 Chēngxiè nà pū dì zaì shuǐ yǐshàng de , yīn tāde cíaì yǒngyuǎn chángcún .

7 Chēngxiè nà zàochéng dà guāng de , yīn tāde cíaì yǒngyuǎn chángcún .

8 Tā zào rìtou guǎn báizhòu , yīn tāde cíaì yǒngyuǎn chángcún .

9 Tā zào yuèliang xīng xiǔ guǎn hēi yè , yīn tāde cíaì yǒngyuǎn chángcún .

10 Chēngxiè nà jī shā Āijí rén zhī zhǎngzǐ de , yīn tāde cíaì yǒngyuǎn chángcún .

11 Tā lǐng Yǐsèliè rén cóng tāmen zhōngjiān chūlai , yīn tāde cíaì yǒngyuǎn chángcún .

12 Tāshī zhǎn dà néng de shǒu hé shēn chūlai de bǎngbì , yīn tāde cíaì yǒngyuǎn chángcún .

13 Chēngxiè nà fēnliè Hónghǎi de , yīn tāde cíaì yǒngyuǎn chángcún .

14 Tā lǐng Yǐsèliè cóng qízhōng jīngguò , yīn tāde cíaì yǒngyuǎn chángcún .

15 Què bǎ fǎlǎo hé tāde jūn bīng tuīfān zaì Hónghǎi lǐ , yīn tāde cíaì yǒngyuǎn chángcún .

16 Chēngxiè nà yǐndǎo zìjǐ de mín xíng zǒu kuàngyĕ de , yīn tāde cíaì yǒngyuǎn chángcún .

17 Chēngxiè nà jī shā dà jūnwáng de , yīn tāde cíaì yǒngyuǎn chángcún .

18 Tā shā lù yǒumíng de jūnwáng , yīn tāde cíaì yǒngyuǎn chángcún .

19 Jiù shì shā lù yà Mólì wáng Xīhóng , yīn tāde cíaì yǒngyuǎn chángcún .

20 Yòu shā Bāshān wáng Ě , yīn tāde cíaì yǒngyuǎn chángcún .

21 Tā jiāng tāmende dì cì tāde bǎixìng wèi yè , yīn tāde cíaì yǒngyuǎn chángcún .

22 Jiù shì cì tāde púrén Yǐsèliè wèi yè , yīn tāde cíaì yǒngyuǎn chángcún .

23 Tā gùniàn wǒmen zaì bēiwēi de dìbù , yīn tāde cíaì yǒngyuǎn chángcún .

24 Tā jiù bá wǒmen tuōlí dírén , yīn tāde cíaì yǒngyuǎn chángcún .

25 Tā cì liángshi gĕi fán yǒu xuèqì de , yīn tāde cíaì yǒngyuǎn chángcún .

26 Nǐmen yào chēngxiè tiān shang de shén , yīn tāde cíaì yǒngyuǎn chángcún .

Shīpiān 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.

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.