Chapter Overview
Summary
Psalm 136 (MT) / Psalm 135 (LXX) is the GREAT HALLEL — a 26-verse historical-thanksgiving where every single verse closes with the refrain 'for his steadfast love endures forever' (ki le'olam chasdo / hoti eis ton aiōna to eleos autou). The antiphonal-structure suggests liturgical-use: leader-sings the historical-line, congregation-responds with the refrain. The psalm surveys creation (vv. 1–9), Exodus (vv. 10–15), wilderness-and-conquest (vv. 16–22), and the universal-present (vv. 23–26).
Notable Variants
All 26 verses share the 'his steadfast love endures forever' refrain — antiphonal-liturgical structure; the Great Hallel sung at Passover-seder (alongside the Egyptian Hallel); creation-Exodus-Conquest historical-sweep.
Structural Notes
MT Ps 136 = LXX Ps 135. 26 verses. The GREAT HALLEL — every verse has the chesed-endures-forever refrain.
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His faithful love endures forever.
'Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT. FIRST REFRAIN — repeats 26 times total.
Give thanks to the God of gods, for His faithful love endures forever.
'Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His faithful love endures forever.
'Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT. 'LORD OF LORDS' (adonei ha'adonim / kyriō tōn kyriōn). Revelation 17:14, 19:16 ('King of kings and Lord of lords' applied to Christ) extend Christologically.
To the one who alone does great wonders, for His faithful love endures forever.
'To him who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT. CREATION section begins (vv. 4–9).
To the one who made the heavens with understanding, for His faithful love endures forever.
'To him who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT.
To the one who spread out the earth upon the waters, for His faithful love endures forever.
'To him who spread out the earth above the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT.
To the one who made the great lights, for His faithful love endures forever.
'To him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT.
The sun to rule the day, for His faithful love endures forever.
'The sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT.
The moon and stars to rule the night, for His faithful love endures forever.
'The moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT. Genesis-1 creation-sequence completed.
To the one who struck Egypt through their firstborn, for His faithful love endures forever.
'To him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, for his steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT. EXODUS section begins (vv. 10–15). // Ps 135:8.
And brought Israel out from among them, for His faithful love endures forever.
'And brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT.
With a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for His faithful love endures forever.
'With a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT. STRONG-HAND / OUTSTRETCHED-ARM — Deuteronomic Exodus-formula (Deut 4:34, 5:15, 7:19, 11:2).
To the one who split the Sea of Reeds into sections, for His faithful love endures forever.
'To him who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT.
And made Israel pass through the middle of it, for His faithful love endures forever.
'And made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT.
And shook off Pharaoh and his army into the Sea of Reeds, for His faithful love endures forever.
'But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT.
To the one who led His people through the wilderness, for His faithful love endures forever.
'To him who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT. WILDERNESS-CONQUEST section begins (vv. 16–22).
To the one who struck down great kings, for His faithful love endures forever.
'To him who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT.
And killed mighty kings, for His faithful love endures forever.
'And killed mighty kings, for his steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT.
Sihon, king of the Amorites, for His faithful love endures forever.
'Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT.
And Og, king of Bashan, for His faithful love endures forever.
'And Og, king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT.
And gave their land as an inheritance, for His faithful love endures forever.
'And gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT.
An inheritance for Israel His servant, for His faithful love endures forever.
'A heritage to Israel his servant, for his steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT.
Who remembered us in our lowliness, for His faithful love endures forever.
'It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT. UNIVERSAL-PRESENT section begins (vv. 23–26). The shift from past-history to present-experience.
And tore us free from our enemies, for His faithful love endures forever.
'And rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT.
The one who gives food to all living things, for His faithful love endures forever.
'He who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT. FOOD-TO-ALL-FLESH universal-providence. Acts 14:17 ('satisfying your hearts with food and gladness') extends.
Give thanks to the God of heaven, for His faithful love endures forever.
'Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever' tracks MT. TWENTY-SIXTH REFRAIN — the psalm closes as it opened. 'God of heaven' (el hashamayim / theos tou ouranou) — a divine-title associated with the post-exilic and Second Temple period, heavily used in Ezra-Nehemiah, Daniel, and the Apocrypha.