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Psalm 136

God’s Work in Creation and in History

1

O give thanks to the L ord, for he is good,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

2

O give thanks to the God of gods,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

3

O give thanks to the Lord of lords,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

4

who alone does great wonders,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

5

who by understanding made the heavens,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

6

who spread out the earth on the waters,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

7

who made the great lights,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

8

the sun to rule over the day,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

9

the moon and stars to rule over the night,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

10

who struck Egypt through their firstborn,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

11

and brought Israel out from among them,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

12

with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

13

who divided the Red Sea in two,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

14

and made Israel pass through the midst of it,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

15

but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

16

who led his people through the wilderness,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

17

who struck down great kings,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

18

and killed famous kings,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

19

Sihon, king of the Amorites,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

20

and Og, king of Bashan,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

21

and gave their land as a heritage,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

22

a heritage to his servant Israel,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

23

It is he who remembered us in our low estate,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

24

and rescued us from our foes,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

25

who gives food to all flesh,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

26

O give thanks to the God of heaven,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

23. Who remembered us in our humiliation The six verses taken from the previous Psalm I pass over without observation; and I shall only touch very briefly upon the others, which do not need lengthened consideration. We may just observe that the Psalmist represents every age as affording’ displays of the same goodness as had been shown to their fathers, since God had never failed to help his people by a continued succession of deliverances. It was a more notable proof of his mercy to interpose for the nation at a time when it was nearly overwhelmed by calamities, than to preserve it in its entire state and under a more even course of affairs, there being something in the emergency to awaken attention and arrest the view. Besides, in all the deliverances which God grants his people, there is an accompanying remission of their sins. In the close he speaks of the paternal providence of God as extending not only to all mankind, but to every living creature, suggesting that we have no reason to feel surprise at his sustaining the character of a kind and provident father to his own people, when he condescends to care for the cattle, and the asses of the field, and the crow, and the sparrow. Men are much better than brute beasts, and there is a great difference between some men and others, though not in merit, yet as regards the privilege of the divine adoption, and the Psalmist is to be considered as reasoning from the less to the greater, and enhancing the incomparably superior mercy which God shows to his own children.