Psalm 136 (135):21Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Two facets of generosity: their triumph over adversaries and their ascension to dominion over their territories. Truly, it was an act of immense strength that they not only expelled the inhabitants but also succeeded in possessing and maintaining control over the foreign lands.

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever (Psalm 135:1). This psalm is a declaration of praise to God, where each verse concludes with this reminder of His enduring mercy. Therefore, despite the numerous expressions of admiration for God contained within, His mercy holds a place of utmost significance; so much so that without this acknowledgment, the psalmist, inspired by the Holy Spirit, would not have been able to complete even a single line. At the final judgment, when the living and the dead will be assessed, the righteous will inherit eternal life, and the unrighteous eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46). After this judgment, there will be no additional recipients of divine mercy; however, it can be rightly understood as God's eternal mercy that He grants to His saints and faithful ones. This mercy is not because they will eternally suffer and thus require continual mercy, but rather because the blessedness He graciously offers transforms their misery into joy—a joy that is everlasting. It is through His mercy that we will be made just from unjust, whole from broken, alive from dead, immortal from mortal, and joyful from sorrowful. What we shall become will be eternal, and thus His mercy is everlasting. Therefore, offer thanksgiving to the Lord; from this confession, you may expect not merely temporary blessings, for His mercy endures forever, signifying that the good He bestows upon you will be eternal.

Next comes, Give thanks to the God of gods, for His mercy endures forever (Psalm 135:2). Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His mercy lasts eternally (Psalm 134:3). We might wonder who these gods and lords are, to whom the true God is identified as God and Lord. One psalm indicates that even humans are referred to as gods. The Lord acknowledges this in the Gospel, stating, ‘Is it not written in your law, Ye are gods?’ (John 10:34). This designation is not because they are inherently good, but because they were called gods by God’s word. If they were all righteous, such a distinction would not be necessary. The Lord states, He judges among the gods, and questions, ‘How long will you judge unjustly?’—a statement directed not at all but to some, highlighting the distinction He makes among them.

It raises a question: since those who were spoken to by the Lord are referred to as gods, could angels also carry this title? While it may be challenging to explicitly find in Scripture that angels are called gods, it is noted of the Lord God, ‘He is more awesome than all gods,’ adding that the gods of the nations are worthless idols. This indicates that the idolatry of the Gentiles is rooted in the demonic, and these idols symbolize nothing of true divinity. For the idols, which are known as images, have eyes but do not see, expressing their utter lack of understanding; thus, they cannot be terrified, as nothing devoid of sentience can experience fear. How can it be said of the Lord that He surpasses all gods because the gods of the nations are merely idols, unless these images do not embody the demons that can be scared? Hence, the Apostle states clearly that we understand that an idol is nothing (1 Corinthians 8:4). This refers to the mere matter devoid of meaning. Yet, lest we think that these lifeless forms do not possess some living and sentient essence that partakes in the offerings of the nations, he adds, the sacrifices the Gentiles offer are made to demons, not to God; I would not have you share in communion with demons (1 Corinthians 10:20). Therefore, if the holy angels are not referred to as gods in sacred Scripture, it seems plausible that this is because the name might mislead people from rendering the service and worship due only to God. Thus, it is more appropriate to call them Angels, from the Latin word for messengers, so that through the title of their role and not their essence, it becomes clear they intend for us to honor the Lord they declare. The Apostle condenses this idea when stating, For though there are those who are called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, as there are many gods and many lords, yet we have one God, the Father, from whom are all things, and we exist through Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we through Him (1 Corinthians 8:5–6).

Let us then express our gratitude to the God of gods and the Lord of lords for His mercy, etc. He alone accomplishes wonders (Psalm 134:4). Just as the end of each verse affirms, For His mercy endures forever, it is understood that the beginning of each verse invites us to give thanks even when it does not state it explicitly. This invitation to gratitude is particularly clear in Greek. It would also be apparent in Latin, had our translators chosen the right phrasing. They could have added ‘to him who works wonders’ to clarify that we are called to give thanks. It is evident where the text states “to Him who did” or “to Him who does” or “to Him who created”; thus, the call to thankfulness would be unmistakable. As it stands, those unfamiliar with or unwilling to consult the original Greek may mistakenly interpret it as though God created the heavens, the earth, and the stars solely because His mercy endures forever; when in fact, those He liberates from suffering belong to His mercy—not that we should believe His creation was made contingent upon His mercy; rather, they are manifestations of His goodness, which created all things very good (Genesis 1:31). Indeed, He created all things to exist (Wisdom 1:14), but it is through His mercy that we are cleansed from sin and saved from eternal despair. Hence, the psalm calls us: Give thanks to the God of gods, give thanks to the Lord of lords. Thank Him who alone performs great wonders; thank Him who, by His wisdom, made the heavens; thank Him who spread the earth over the waters; thank Him who alone created the great lights. The reason for our praise is reiterated at the close of every verse: for His mercy endures forever.

But what does it signify that He alone performs marvelous works? Is it not that He has accomplished many wondrous deeds through His angels and through human agents? There are certain magnificent things solely performed by God. He describes them thus: Who, by His wisdom, made the heavens (Psalm 135:5), Who spread the earth over the waters (Psalm 135:6), Who alone created the great lights (Psalm 135:7). He emphasizes ‘alone’ in this instance because the subsequent miracles He describes were achieved through human agency. After proclaiming, ‘He who alone created the great luminaries,’ He specifies what they are: the sun to govern the day (Psalm 134:8), the moon and stars to govern the night (Psalm 135:9); then He begins to recount the wonders He performed through angels and men: who struck down Egypt’s firstborn (Psalm 135:10), and so on. Thus, God evidently created the entirety of creation, not through any creature, but through One, mentioning significant components to draw our attention to the whole: we can comprehend the heavens, and we can observe the earth. As there exist visible skies, so too, mentioning the luminaries, He directs our gaze toward the entirety of the celestial realm as created by Him.

The meaning behind stating that He created the heavens by His understanding, or in reason as translated by some, could raise questions regarding whether it refers to the heavens we grasp or whether it signals that He, in His understanding or reason—His wisdom—created the heavens (as stated elsewhere, In wisdom Thou didst create them all). If God brings forth the heavens by His wisdom, why then does He reference this only for the heavens, when He has crafted all things through the same wisdom? This may be articulated solely to ensure it is expressly comprehensible without being inscribed. How can it be singular if it implies that His wisdom or understanding—that is, by the only-begotten Word—was engaged in creation? Might it be asserted, since the Trinity is One God, not three separate Gods, that He affirms that God created all things alone because creation was not brought forth through any creature?

And who established the earth over the waters? This poses a complex inquiry since the earth appears to be denser, leading one to believe it is not suspended by the waters but rather supported by them. To avoid conflict with the assertions of Scripture against those positing theories on foundational principles, we may interpret that the earthly realm, inhabited by people and creatures, is set above the surrounding waters, as it rises over the depths below. When we define a city at sea as being above the waters, we do not imply the sea is beneath it analogous to the waters underneath a cave or beneath vessels; rather, the term signifies it rises above the sea that lies below.

Alternatively, if this phrase suggests a deeper meaning relevant to us, the understanding could be that God, in His wisdom, has formed the saints—the spiritual individuals—to whom He imparts both faith and comprehension of spiritual truths; those unable to reach this understanding yet steadfastly hold onto their faith are symbolically termed ‘earth’. Since they steadfastly cling to the faith bestowed through baptism, it is expressed: He has placed the earth above the waters. Moreover, it is documented regarding our Lord Jesus Christ that in Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3); and that these two, wisdom and knowledge, hold distinctions affirmed by other scriptural passages. Especially noted in the words of Job where both are defined in distinct manners: it is reasonable to interpret that wisdom encompasses the knowledge and love of the eternal, unchanging God. For when he states that godliness is wisdom, in Greek it translates as θεοσ-βεια, which could be rendered in Latin as the worship of God. To depart from evil, labeled as knowledge, signifies deliberately avoiding the corrupt and sinful nature of this world (Philippians 2:15)—navigating through a perilous existence marked by darkness, and allowing each individual to preserve themselves from the evils inherent in society while shining the light of their God-given gift.

He granted them a legacy in their land; His mercy endures forever. In the inheritance of His servant Israel; His mercy lasts forever. All of this is clarified in the previous Psalm, where one can find its interpretation.

Throughout these passages, the Prophet exalts God for His Providential acts, particularly concerning the Israelites. The accounts referenced derive from the book of Exodus and the preceding psalm, which leaves them somewhat unexplained. One might wonder why the downfall of Egypt, the death of the firstborn, and the defeat of kings and princes are classified among acts of mercy when they appear to align more closely with justice. The response is that these events, while they served as justice against the wicked who faced judgment, were acts of mercy toward God's chosen people. The primary aim of God was to liberate the Israelites, which positions these occurrences within the realm of His mercy.

The Jewish tradition refers to this psalm as the great hallelujah, while Psalms 112-17 is known simply as hallelujah. In this psalm, similar to the previous one, the psalmist exhorts the faithful to offer praise to the good (v.1), the Most High (vv.2-3), the omnipotent (v.4) God, the Creator of all (vv.5-9), the compassionate Savior (vv.10-15), the Shepherd (vv.16-20) and the Sovereign (vv.21-23) of Israel, who has graciously rescued His people from their recent distress during the Babylonian captivity (vv.23-24), and who provides sustenance for every living creature (v.25). Such a Sovereign deserves our adoration (v.26). It is likely that the refrain, which appears in each verse, was sung collectively by the congregation, while the initial part of each verse was performed by a choir of priests and Levites or by a soloist.