Psalms 136:1-6

1 Alleluia. Acknowledge ye to the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy is [into] without end. (Alleluia. Give ye thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his love is forever.)

2 Acknowledge ye to the God of gods. (Give ye thanks to the God of gods.)

3 Acknowledge ye to the Lord of lords. (Give ye thanks to the Lord of lords.)

4 Which alone maketh great marvels. (Who alone doeth marvellous deeds, or great miracles.)

5 Which made heavens by understanding. (Who made the heavens by his wisdom.)

6 Which made steadfast [the] earth on waters. (Who made the earth firm upon the waters.)

Psalms 136:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

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.