← All Chapters The Book of Psalms · Chapter 136

Psalms 136: His Love Endures Forever

A great litany of thanksgiving where every line of creation and redemption returns to one refrain: his loving kindness endures forever.

Coming soon

Psalms 136 (WEB)

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:

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 its midst; 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:

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.

Summary

Psalm 136 is a great hymn of thanksgiving, almost certainly sung antiphonally, with a leader voicing each act of God and the congregation answering, "for his loving kindness endures forever." The psalm opens by calling Israel to give thanks to Yahweh, the God of gods and Lord of lords, who alone does great wonders. It then sweeps through creation—the heavens, the earth spread out above the waters, the sun, moon, and stars set to rule day and night. From creation it turns to redemption, recounting the striking of Egypt's firstborn, the bringing out of Israel with a strong hand and outstretched arm, the dividing of the Red Sea, and the overthrow of Pharaoh's army. It follows Israel through the wilderness, the defeat of mighty kings like Sihon and Og, and the gift of the land as an inheritance. Then it grows tender: he remembered us in our low estate, delivered us from our adversaries, and gives food to every creature. Twenty-six times the refrain returns, hammering home that behind every act of God stands a love that never quits. Christians hear in this enduring covenant love the same steadfast mercy that crowns the cross, where God's loving kindness toward us was fixed forever.

Voices

  • The worship leader — The voice that announces each of God's mighty acts, from creation to conquest, inviting the people to answer in praise.
  • The congregation — The gathered people of Israel who respond to every line with the refrain that his loving kindness endures forever.
  • Yahweh (the LORD) — The God of gods and Lord of lords whose steadfast covenant love is the cause behind creation, the Exodus, and Israel's inheritance.

Key Verse

Psalm 136:1 (WEB)

Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good; for his loving kindness endures forever.

Lessons Learned

  • Thanksgiving is not a single feeling but a rhythm—every act of God gives us another reason to repeat the same praise.
  • God's love is not abstract; it is written into creation, history, and the rescue of his people.
  • The same God who made the stars also remembers us in our low estate, joining cosmic power to personal tenderness.
  • A love that endures forever cannot be exhausted by our failures or interrupted by our circumstances.
  • God's goodness is the ground of all thanks. The psalm begins not with our need but with his character: "Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good" (Psalm 136:1, WEB).
  • Creation itself preaches steadfast love. He who "by understanding made the heavens" and set the great lights (Psalm 136:5-7, WEB) does so out of a love that endures forever.
  • Redemption is the proof of his faithfulness. He "brought out Israel" and "divided the Red Sea apart" (Psalm 136:11, 13, WEB), showing that his love acts to deliver.
  • He stoops to the lowly. "Who remembered us in our low estate" (Psalm 136:23, WEB)—the God of gods bends down to the weak and forgotten.
  1. Why do you think the psalmist repeats the same refrain twenty-six times rather than varying it?
  2. How does the psalm move from creation to redemption to personal rescue, and what does that order teach us?
  3. What does it mean that God "remembered us in our low estate" (136:23), and where have you seen that in your life?
  4. How does seeing God's love behind creation and history change the way you read your own circumstances?
  5. Pick one line of God's faithfulness from your own life. Can you answer it, like Israel, with "for his loving kindness endures forever"?
  1. The repetition is the point. Each act of God is different, but the answer is always the same, training the worshipers to see a single, unbroken love beneath every wonder. The refrain turns a history lesson into worship.
  2. The psalm grounds redemption in creation: the God strong enough to make the heavens is strong enough to split the sea. It then narrows from the nation to "us" (136:23), showing that cosmic power serves personal rescue.
  3. Israel's "low estate" recalls slavery and exile, times when they were helpless. Invite members to recall a season of weakness when God remembered and delivered them, and to name it as evidence of enduring love.
  4. When love stands behind both the stars and the Red Sea, our own troubles sit inside a larger story of faithfulness. The group can discuss how a long view of God's acts steadies a hard present.
  5. This is a gentle personal-application question. Encourage members to voice one specific mercy and respond with the refrain. As leader, model it first with a brief example so others feel free to share.

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB), the King James Version (KJV), and the American Standard Version (ASV), all of which are in the public domain.