Psalm 136 (135):2Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Give praise to the Lord, for He is good; His steadfast love lasts eternally (Psalm 135:1). This psalm is rich in adulation towards God, with each verse culminating in this affirmation. Although this text is filled with proclamations of God's greatness, it is His mercy that rightly merits the utmost commendation; without this essential acknowledgment, the psalmist, guided by the Holy Spirit, could not have completed a single line. After the final judgment of the living and the dead at the world’s end, the just shall be granted eternal life, while the unjust shall face eternal damnation (Matt. 25:46). In the age to come, those who benefit from God's mercy will not merely reflect His eternal nature, but rather reveal the mercy He extends to His saints and faithful followers—not because they suffer endlessly and thus continually require His mercy, but because His gracious gift transforms their wretchedness into joy, a joy that knows no end, hence His mercy is everlasting. Our state of being just from unjust, whole from broken, alive from dead, immortal from mortal, and happy from sorrowful is solely by His mercy. Our transformation will endure for eternity; therefore, His mercy is infinite. Thus, let us give thanks to the Lord, for in this act of confession, you shall not receive merely temporal blessings, as His mercy is eternal.

Following this, let us praise the God of gods, for His steadfast love is eternal (Psalm 135:2). Let us also laud the Lord of lords, for His mercy is everlasting (Psalm 134:3). We might rightly question who these "gods" and "lords" are, to whom the true God is both Lord and God. In another psalm, even humanity is referred to as gods. The Lord confirms this in the Gospel, stating, "Is it not written in your law, Ye are gods?" (John 10:34). They are called gods not due to their inherent goodness, but because of the divine decree that designated them as such. Were they wholly good, such differentiation would be unnecessary. He declares: He judges among the gods. He then asks: "How long will you judge unjustly?" This instruction is directed not to all, but to some, as He distinguishes among these gods.

Yet, one might ask: if humans, addressed by God, are labeled as gods, could angels also bear this title, especially as the ultimate promise to the righteous and holy is to be likened to angels? It is uncertain, and perhaps rare within sacred texts, to find angels explicitly referred to as gods. However, when it is declared regarding the Lord God, "He is more awesome than all gods," it is clarified that "the gods of the nations are demons," to help us understand the sentiment expressed among the Jews that these so-called gods are but idols, that is, demons residing within idols. Concerning the images termed idols (which derive their name from the Greek), they possess eyes yet do not see, and are subject to all manner of descriptions emphasizing their total lack of perception; thus, they cannot experience fear, as nothing devoid of sense can feel terror. How then is it proclaimed that the Lord is "more fearsome than all gods," if these images do not encapsulate demons capable of inducing fear? This leads us to the Apostle's assertion: "We know that an idol is nothing" (1 Corinthians 8:4). This reference pertains to the lifeless, empty material its made of. However, to counter any notion that no living entity partakes in earthly sacrifices, he adds, "And the offerings of the Gentiles are made to demons, not to God; I do not want you to have communion with demons" (1 Corinthians 10:20). Therefore, since we do not encounter divine scriptures referring to holy angels as gods, it seems more fitting to refer to them as angels (Latin: Nuntii), directing our understanding towards their role rather than their essence, so we may grasp they are tasked to lead us to worship the one true God whom they reveal.

In summation, as the Apostle states, "For although there are those who are called gods, whether in heaven or on earth—just as there are many gods and many lords—yet for us there is one God the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we exist through Him" (1 Corinthians 8:5-6).

Let us then express gratitude to the supreme God and Lord for His mercy. He alone performs wonders (Psalm 134:4). Just as each verse concludes with "For His mercy endures forever," it implies at the start of every verse a call to "give thanks," clear in the Greek language. Such clarity could be maintained in Latin if our translators could convey it adequately. They could have phrased it directly, “To Him who performs miracles.” The phrase "to Him who does" or "to Him who ensures" would aid in conveying the encouragement to give thanks. However, as it stands, the translation lacks clarity, leading one unfamiliar with the original Greek or averse to examining the manuscript to wonder whether it refers to the creation of the heavens, earth, and stars as directly resulting from His mercy, rather than recognizing that His creations illustrate His goodness, as He made everything good (Genesis 1:31). He created all things so they could thrive (Wisdom 1:14). The true work of His mercy lies in purifying us from sin and rescuing us from eternal anguish. Thus, the psalm calls us: Give thanks to the God of gods, give thanks to the Lord of lords. Give thanks to Him, the one who alone performs great deeds; give thanks to Him who wisely created the heavens; give thanks to Him who established the earth over the waters; give thanks to Him who alone fashioned the great luminaries. He emphasizes the reason for our praise at the conclusion of each verse: for His mercy is everlasting.

What does it mean that He alone performs great wonders? Is it not because He has accomplished many miraculous acts through angels and men? There are, indeed, marvels that only God Himself can achieve, as highlighted: "Who by His wisdom created the heavens" (Psalm 135:5), "Who established the earth upon the waters" (Psalm 135:6), "Who alone created the great lights" (Psalm 135:7). Thus, only a singular miracle is attributed to Him in this instance because the subsequent wonders to be described were realized through humans. After asserting, "He alone made the great luminaries," the psalm outlines what these are: "the sun to govern the day" (Psalm 134:8), "the moon and stars to rule the night" (Psalm 135:9), then it recounts the miracles He performed via angels and men: "who struck Egypt’s firstborn" (Psalm 135:10), and so on. The entire creation was manifestly enacted not through any intermediary but singularly; and within this creation, He delineates notable features to invoke contemplation of the whole: the heavens are grasped, the earth is witnessed. Just as there are visible heavens, after introducing the celestial bodies, He urges us to perceive the entire heavenly realm as a creation of His.

Did He mean, when stating that He "who created the heavens in wisdom," to imply that it is His wisdom through which we comprehend the heavens (as affirmed elsewhere, "In wisdom Thou didst create all things")? If so, why specify this wisdom only regarding the heavens while He equally created all else through divine wisdom? This nuance may indicate a specific connotation requiring expression, as it might otherwise be understood independently of textual explanation. How could it stand solitary if clarity about His wisdom refers to His only begotten Word? The emphasis is that the Trinity represents not a plurality of gods, but one God; thus, affirming that God alone accomplished all creation without recourse to any created being.

Who indeed placed the earth above the waters? This inquiry poses a challenge since the earth appears to weigh more, suggesting it is not suspended by the waters but carried upon them. To reconcile this with the assertions of scripture against those subscribing to various philosophies, we may propose an alternative view: the earth—home to humanity—rises above the surrounding waters. When speaking of a city hovering over the sea, we do not imply the sea lies directly beneath it like a cavern or the decks of a ship; rather, it is described as "above" as it stands elevated over the waters below.

Yet, if these words signify something of closer relevance to us, God, in His wisdom, created the heavens, denoting the saints, those spiritual individuals endowed not only with faith but insight into divine matters, while those who have yet to attain such understanding—holding tightly to their belief—are likened to the earth. Those who steadfastly abide in the faith communicated through their baptism can be seen as “the earth above the waters.” Furthermore, since scripture avows that within Christ reside all treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3), the understanding that wisdom and knowledge, while distinct, can be demonstrated in various scriptural references is notable. Particularly in the words of Job, it becomes evident that wisdom is rooted in knowing and loving the unchanging God. He indicates that reverence for God equates to wisdom, while avoiding evil—termed as knowledge—amounts to consciously navigating a wicked and corrupt generation (Philippians 2:15) in a manner akin to traversing through the darkness of this world, where maintaining oneself free from sin allows one to remain illuminated by the light given from God’s grace.