Last night, as I sat down to do my daily Bible Reading, I read the 136th Psalm once again and I just couldn’t get it out of my mind. Over and over I read “for his loving kindness endures forever”. The emphasis of the repetition was inescapable and a little troubling. Why, I asked myself was this phrase repeated again and again and yet tied to so many different thoughts???
Then, the answer, yet another question: How do I know God? The answer I found came from the text in a generic way and I listed the thoughts as they came to me.
Read the Psalm for yourself and you decide...
Psalm 136 (World English Bible)
note: emboldened for emphasis
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.
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.
Then, I did a little comparison between versions and lastly, a reference from Strong’s for the King James version’s translation of mercy.
| [Ps 136:1] |
| [WEB] Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good; for his loving kindness endures forever. |
| [LITV] O give thanks to Jehovah, for He is good; for His mercy endures forever. |
| [Webster] O give thanks to the LORD; for [he is] good: for his mercy [endureth] for ever. |
| [KJV] O give thanks<03034> unto the Lord<03068>; for he is good<02896>: for his mercy<02617>endureth for ever<05769>. |
| [YLT] Give ye thanks to Jehovah, For good, for to the age is His kindness. |
Strongs: 02617
2617 checed kheh'-sed from 2616; kindness; by implication (towards God) piety: rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) beauty:--favour, good deed(-liness, -ness), kindly,(loving-)kindness, merciful (kindness) (emphasis added) , mercy, pity, reproach, wicked thing. see HEBREW for 02616
Do you know God? Think of all you see, what has transpired in your life and I think you will see the hand of God in everything! More than JUST THAT, you will realize that you are loved and that God has been very kind and merciful in and through it all!!!
How do I know this- in a word- JESUS!!!
Enough said.
Your friend,
Gary
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