Psalms 136
Big idea: Twenty-six verses, and the second half of every one is identical: for his loving kindness endures forever. It was almost certainly sung antiphonally, a leader giving the line and the congregation answering. The effect of that repetition is an argument by accumulation — creation, the exodus, the wilderness, the kings, the land, and then, without any change in register, who gives food to every creature. The same chesed that split the Red Sea feeds the animals, and the psalm refuses to rank them.
Psalm 136 says his loving kindness endures forever, twenty-six times. Psalm 137 is sung by people who could not see it at all.
136:1–9 — To him who by understanding made the heavens
The Great Hallel, and its form is the content: twenty-six lines, each answered by the same refrain. Sung antiphonally, half the congregation says the deed and the other half says the reason, so nobody hears a single act of God without hearing why. This first movement is creation — and verse 5 credits it to UNDERSTANDING, which is Proverbs 3:19's claim.
1 Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever. 2 Give thanks to the God of gods, for his loving kindness endures forever. 3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his loving kindness endures forever; 4 to him who alone does great wonders, for his loving kindness endures forever; 5 to him who by understanding made the heavens, for his loving kindness endures forever; 6 to him who spread out the earth above the waters, for his loving kindness endures forever; 7 to him who made the great lights, for his loving kindness endures forever; 8 the sun to rule by day, for his loving kindness endures forever; 9 the moon and stars to rule by night, for his loving kindness endures forever;
136:10–22 — Who divided the Red Sea apart
The longest movement, and the refrain is doing something difficult here. 'He struck down the Egyptian firstborn' is answered by 'his loving kindness endures forever', and so is the drowning of Pharaoh's army. The psalm does not soften that. It sings the hardest parts of the exodus in the same breath as the mercy, and lets the congregation say both.
10 to him who struck down the Egyptian firstborn, for his loving kindness endures forever; 11 and brought out Israel from among them, for his loving kindness endures forever; 12 with a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, for his loving kindness endures forever; 13 to him who divided the Red Sea apart, for his loving kindness endures forever; 14 and made Israel to pass through the middle of it, for his loving kindness endures forever; 15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, for his loving kindness endures forever; 16 to him who led his people through the wilderness, for his loving kindness endures forever; 17 to him who struck great kings, for his loving kindness endures forever; 18 and killed mighty kings, for his loving kindness endures forever; 19 Sihon king of the Amorites, for his loving kindness endures forever; 20 Og king of Bashan, for his loving kindness endures forever; 21 and gave their land as an inheritance, for his loving kindness endures forever; 22 even a heritage to Israel his servant, for his loving kindness endures forever;
136:23–26 — Who gives food to every creature
Four lines to close, and they change the scale twice. First the psalm remembers the congregation itself — 'in our LOW ESTATE', which is the only verse in it about the present — and then it widens further than anything before: he gives food to EVERY CREATURE. After Sihon and Og, the last deed recited is feeding animals.
23 who remembered us in our low estate, for his loving kindness endures forever; 24 and has delivered us from our adversaries, for his loving kindness endures forever; 25 who gives food to every creature, for his loving kindness endures forever. 26 Oh give thanks to the God of heaven, for his loving kindness endures forever.
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).