Psalm 136 (135):22Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

There are two forms of kindness: the victory over adversaries and the ascendance to authority over their realms. Truly, it was an act of immense strength that they not only expelled the inhabitants but also managed to seize and maintain control of the foreign territory.

Give praise to the Lord, for He is good; His steadfast love lasts forever (Psalm 135:1). This Psalm is a hymn of adoration, with each verse concluding on the same note. While it extensively extols God, His mercy is particularly worthy of commendation, as without this acknowledgment, the psalmist inspired by the Holy Spirit could not complete a single line. At the final judgment when the living and the deceased are assessed, the righteous will be granted eternal life, while the unrighteous will face everlasting torment (Matthew 25:46). In that day, God's eternal mercy will be shown to those He chooses; it is understood as the perpetual grace afforded to His saints and faithful ones, not because they will remain in sorrow eternally and require His mercy forever, but because the blessedness He graciously confers upon the suffering will lead them to joy with no end, indicating that His mercy is everlasting. Our righteousness, wholeness, life, immortality, and happiness arise solely from His mercy. What we become will last for eternity, thus His mercy is eternal. Therefore, let us give thanks to the Lord; and through this acknowledgment, you will receive not just temporary blessings, for His mercy endures forever; rather, the good He grants you will be everlasting.

Next, we read: Give thanks to the God of gods, for His mercy lasts forever (Psalm 135:2). Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His mercy is everlasting (Psalm 134:3). It prompts curiosity regarding the "gods" and "lords" to whom the One true God is sovereign. In another psalm, it states that even human beings 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). Not due to their inherent goodness, but as a word from God labeling them as gods; if they were all truly good, there would be no need to differentiate among them. He asserts: He judges among the gods. Following this, “How long will you judge unjustly?” reflects a distinction made, as not all are judged equally; He distinguishes among the gods.

However, one may wonder: if those whom God addressed are referred to as gods, can angels also be considered gods given that the greatest reward offered to the righteous and holy is to be likened to angels? While it may be difficult to find instances in the Scriptures where angels are explicitly called gods, it is noted that the Lord God is declared to be “more awesome than all gods,” and for clarification, it is stated that the gods of the nations are demons, indicating that the assertion made by the Jews is that the gods of the Gentiles are idols, or rather, demons dwelling within those idols. These images, known as idols in Greek, are referred to in Latin with the same name; they have eyes but do not see, and are addressed in other ways, reflecting their total lack of sense. Thus, they cannot be frightened; anything devoid of sense cannot experience fear. But how can it be asserted of the Lord that “He is more awful than all gods” if these images do not encompass the demons who can indeed be terrified? Therefore, the Apostle states: We know that an idol is nothing (1 Corinthians 8:4), referring to their earthly, meaningless composition. Yet, to clarify any notion that there is no living, sentient being interacting with the pagan sacrifices, he adds: What the Gentiles offer, they offer to demons, not to God; I do not want you to have fellowship with demons (1 Corinthians 10:20). Thus, if the Scriptures do not designate holy angels as gods, it is likely because such a label may not compel individuals to perform acts of worship and religious service (in Greek, λειτουργία or λατρία) toward holy angels; such honor must be reserved for the One true God, who is their God as well as ours. Thus, it is more fitting to refer to them as Angels, which translates to Nuntii in Latin, emphasizing their role in communicating the message of God whom they proclaim. The Apostle summarizes this aspect when he states: For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and "lords"), yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom all things come, and we exist for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom all things come, and through whom we exist (1 Corinthians 8:5-6).

Therefore, let us express our gratitude to the God of gods and Lord of lords for His enduring mercy… He alone performs wonders (Psalm 134:4). As at the end of each verse, we see the affirmation “For His mercy endures forever,” we should also recognize that the primary intention of each verse is gratitude, even if not stated explicitly in every case. This truth is quite evident in Greek - and could be in Latin, if our translators had chosen to articulate it that way in this verse. They could have noted, "To Him who performs miracles." Wherever the text states τῷ ποιήσαντι, one must naturally infer the sentiment of giving thanks. It would have been beneficial had they included the pronoun, stating “to Him who created” or “to Him who accomplished,” as it would communicate clearly the call to give thanks. As it stands, the phrasing can appear ambiguous, leading one unfamiliar with the Greek text to misconstrue that the declaration of creation made was solely predicated on His enduring mercy. Yet, those whom He saves from affliction truly are recipients of His Mercy. We aren’t to imagine that God creates the heavens, the earth, and the luminaries just for His mercy; rather, they are manifestations of His goodness, which crafted all things to be very good (Genesis 1:31). God created everything for its existence (Wisdom 1:14), but it is through His mercy that we are cleansed from our sins and liberated from eternal despair. Hence, the Psalm beckons us: Give thanks to the God of gods, give thanks to the Lord of lords. Give thanks to Him who alone performs great wonders; give thanks to Him who, through His wisdom, established the heavens; give thanks to Him who stretched the earth over the waters; give thanks to Him who alone created the great lights. The rationale for our praise is repeated at the conclusion of all verses: for His mercy lasts forever.

Yet, what does it mean that He alone performs great wonders? Does it not suggest that He has accomplished many marvelous deeds through angels and men? There are indeed certain wonders which God alone undertakes, and the psalmist lists them: He who, by His wisdom, made the heavens (Psalm 135:5), who spread the earth over the waters (Psalm 135:6), and who alone fashioned the great lights (Psalm 135:7). The singular focus on God's act in this verse suggests that the other miracles the psalm will recount were achieved through human agency. Upon declaring: “He who alone created the great lights,” the psalmist clarifies what those lights are: the sun to govern the day (Psalm 134:8), and the moon and stars to govern the night (Psalm 135:9). He then recounts the miracles He performed through the agency of angels and humanity, such as striking Egypt with its firstborn (Psalm 135:10), and so on. Clearly, God fashioned the entire creation not through any creature, but by His singular will, highlighting some prominent features of that creation to guide our contemplation towards the whole; we perceive the heavens and can hear the earth. Just as we acknowledge the existence of the visible heavens, His mention of the celestial bodies directs us to regard the entirety of the heavenly realm as crafted by Him.

However, whether the statement about creating the heavens carries an implication of understanding, or as others interpret, through reason, raises a question about whether it refers to the heavens we comprehend or asserts that He, in His wisdom (as indicated elsewhere, “By wisdom, You created them all”), created the heavens through the Word. But if this understanding holds, why is this idea confined to the heavens while it is equally true that God created everything through the same wisdom? This may not have been necessary to articulate in writing, as it could be understood implicitly. Then how can it be singular if the concept is understood through His wisdom, which is to say, through the Word? Is it that since the Trinity represents not three Gods but one God, the affirmation that God created all these things alone signifies that no creature was involved in the act of creation?

Who then has set the earth above the waters? This poses a complex question since the earth seems heavier, leading us to believe it is not held aloft by the waters but rather supported by them. To address these inquiries without opposing the claims of Scripture regarding those who invent principles contrary to understanding, another interpretation suggests that the earth inhabited by humanity, containing the living creatures, stands above the waters, as it rises above the encircling waters. In speaking of a city on a sea raised over the waters, we do not mean that the sea lies beneath it as does water below cave chambers or beneath ships, but rather it is said to be above the sea because it rises superior to the sea that surrounds it.

If we consider that these words may signify something more pertinent, God, through His wisdom, has made the heavens—spiritual beings, the saints bestowed with not only faith but also insight into divine matters. Those not yet able to grasp this, holding only to their faith, are referred to as earthbound. Since they maintain steadfast faith through their baptism, it is said, He has set the earth above the waters. Moreover, since it is noted about our Lord Jesus Christ that in Him are hidden all treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3), and recognizing that these two, wisdom and knowledge, represent different concepts, this distinction is acknowledged in other Scriptures. Particularly the words of St. Job illustrate this—wisdom is understood as knowing and valuing Him who is eternal and unchanging, namely God. For where it is stated that godliness equates to wisdom, the Greek term is θεοσ-βεια (the worship of God), and turning away from evil—which he calls knowledge—is tantamount to avoiding the pitfalls of a wicked generation (Philippians 2:15), as if navigating through the world's darkness, enabling one to remain free from iniquity while residing in the light of their divine gift.

He who bestowed a heritage upon them shall endure; His mercy is everlasting. In the inheritance of Israel, His servant, His mercy is forever. The clarification of this can be found in the preceding Psalm, where further explanation is provided.

In these passages, the Prophet extols God for His providential actions, particularly concerning the Israelites. The events recounted here are drawn from the book of Exodus and the previous psalm, and thus require further elaboration. However, one might wonder why the defeat of Egypt, the death of the firstborn, and the judgment upon kings and princes are categorized as acts of mercy, given that they appear to indicate justice rather than compassion. Our response is that, for the wicked who faced divine punishment, these acts indeed exemplify justice. Conversely, for God's chosen people, these instances are viewed as manifestations of mercy. Since God’s primary aim was the liberation of the Israelites, these actions are fundamentally linked to His merciful nature.

The Jews refer to this psalm as the great hallelujah, while Psalms 112-117 is known simply as ‘hallelujah.’ The psalmist, similar to the preceding psalm, invites the faithful to extol the good in verse 1, the highest in verses 2-3, and the all-powerful God in verse 4, who is the Creator of the universe as described in verses 5-9. He is also depicted as the merciful Redeemer in verses 10-15, the Shepherd in verses 16-20, and the Sovereign in verses 21-23 of Israel, whom He graciously rescued from distress during the Babylonian captivity as noted in verses 23-24, and He is the provider of sustenance for all living beings in verse 25. Such a Lord is worthy of praise as mentioned in verse 26. Each verse likely featured the entire assembly singing the recurring refrain, while the first half of each verse was probably proclaimed by a choir of priests and Levites or a soloist.