Psalms 136:4-14

4 To Him who alone does great wonders, For His mercy endures forever;

5 To Him who by wisdom made the heavens, For His mercy endures forever;

6 To Him who laid out the earth above the waters, For His mercy endures forever;

7 To Him who made great lights, For His mercy endures forever--

8 The sun to rule by day, For His mercy endures forever;

9 The moon and stars to rule by night, For His mercy endures forever.

10 To Him who struck Egypt in their firstborn, For His mercy endures forever;

11 And brought out Israel from among them, For His mercy endures forever;

12 With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, For His mercy endures forever;

13 To Him who divided the Red Sea in two, For His mercy endures forever;

14 And made Israel pass through the midst of it, For His mercy endures forever;

Psalms 136:4-14 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.