This worship song repeats
"His love endures forever"
after every statement about God's character. (This phrase was used by Solomon in 2 Chronicles 7:3, at the dedication of the temple.) The phrase is probably intended as part of a call-response from the congregation, with the priests singing one line and the people responding. Kidner says that Jewish tradition calls this psalm the Great Hallel, that is, the Great Psalm of Praise.
The word translated "love" 26 times here is the Hebrew hesed (or checed, חֵסֵד.)
Psalm 136:1-3, Good and greatest
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
YHWH is not only good but is above all gods and lords (that is, greatest of all gods/lords.) Only in the first line is God's name, YHWH, given. After that (the Hebrew text is here) God is described as Elohim ("God") or Adon ("Lord") or by a pronoun.
Psalm 136:4-9, Creator
to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.
the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.
God is praised for His creation of the heavens, earth, sun, moon and stars. Note the ANE belief in verse 6 that the disk of the earth rested on water. Verses 7-9 ("...who made the great lights... moon and stars...") echoes Genesis 1:14-18, the fourth Day of Creation.
Psalm 136:10-15, Lord of Egypt
to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His love endures forever.
and brought Israel out from among them
His love endures forever.
with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
His love endures forever.
to him who divided the Red Sea asunder
His love endures forever.
and brought Israel through the midst of it,
His love endures forever.
but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
His love endures forever.
God is praised for his deliverance of the Israelites from the slavery of Pharaoh. Verse 12 echoes a phrase that occurs throughout the Exodus (see, for example, Deuteronomy 26:8.) Although the Egyptian pharaohs might claim "a mighty hand and outstretched arm", their strength was nothing compared to that of YHWH!
The verb naar (נָעַר, to shake out, overthow) first appears in Exodus 14:27 to describe, as in verse 15 here, God sweeping the Egyptians into the sea.
Psalm 136:16-20, Defeating all enemies
to him who led his people through the wilderness;
His love endures forever.
to him who struck down great kings,
His love endures forever.
and killed mighty kings—
His love endures forever.
Sihon king of the Amorites
His love endures forever.
and Og king of Bashan—
His love endures forever.
As in the previous psalm (Psalm 135:8-12), God is praised for leading His people through the wilderness to Canaan, defeating kings along the way. including Sihon and Og. (The defeat of Sihon and Og is recorded in Numbers 21:21-35; see also Deuteronomy 3:1-11.)
Psalm 136:21-22, Eternal inheritance
and gave their land as an inheritance,
His love endures forever.
an inheritance to his servant Israel.
His love endures forever.
Finally, the people were settled in their land which will be their inheritance forever.
Psalm 136:23-25, Our lowly estate
He remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.
and freed us from our enemies.
His love endures forever.
He gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.
God has watched over His vulnerable people, freeing them from their enemies. He watches over everything and for that security the people give thanks.
Psalm 136:26, God of heaven
Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.
The psalm ends as it began, giving thanks to the powerful Creator, God above all creation.
Some Hebrew Vocabulary
First published November 20, 2025; updated November 20, 2025
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