136:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his loyal love endures.
The author of this song is unknown. It is known as “The Great Hallel.” It is believed that this song was sung antiphonally in worship. Perhaps one part of the congregation made the statement and the other part of the congregation responded with the refrain.
Thanks God, for He is good. His love is loyal, meaning that He loves His children under all conditions. No sin by a believer can cause God to quit loving Him.
136:2 Give thanks to the God of gods, for his loyal love endures.
The Hebrew for “God of gods” is לֵֽאלֹהֵ֣י הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים (la-elohi elohim), meaning “Give thanks to the single-God-the-triune God.” The psalmist brought out the triunity of God,
136:3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his loyal love endures,
The Hebrew for “Lord of lords” is לַאֲדֹנֵ֣י הָאֲדֹנִ֑ים (la-adonai ha-adonim), meaning “give thanks to the-single-master-the-triune-masters.” The psalmist once again brought out attributes of the triunity of God.
136:4 to the one who performs magnificent, amazing deeds all by himself, for his loyal love endures,
God performs miracles that no other being can perform.
136:5 to the one who used wisdom to make the heavens, for his loyal love endures,
God’s wisdom created the intricacies of the heavens.
136:6 to the one who spread out the earth over the water, for his loyal love endures,
God spread out both the land and the sea.
136:7 to the one who made the great lights, for his loyal love endures,
God made both the sun and the moon. The sun shines light. The moon reflects light. Both luminaries give light, but in different ways,
136:8 the sun to rule by day, for his loyal love endures,
The sun rules the day. It brings light to all of God’s creation.
136:9 the moon and stars to rule by night, for his loyal love endures,
God made the moon and the stars to rule the night. They also give testimony to the vastness and beauty of God’s creation.
136:10 to the one who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, for his loyal love endures,
Egypt violated the Abrahamic Covenant, so God slew their firstborn. It is possible that God saved these first-born from eternal death, because they may have died before the age of accountability.
136:11 and led Israel out from their midst, for his loyal love endures, 136:12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his loyal love endures,
God vomited out the Canaanites and gave their land to Israel.
136:13 to the one who divided the Red Sea in two, for his loyal love endures, 136:14 and led Israel through its midst, for his loyal love endures, 136:15 and tossed Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea, for his loyal love endures,
Egypt violated the Abrahamic Covenant, so God drowned them in the Red Sea. Notice that Pharaoh drowned in the Red Sea as well.
136:16 to the one who led his people through the wilderness, for his loyal love endures,
God led Israel through the wilderness and into the Promised Land. He fed and clothed over two million of them in the desert for forty years.
136:17 to the one who struck down great kings, for his loyal love endures, 136:18 and killed powerful kings, for his loyal love endures,
There were many powerful kings who violated the Abrahamic Covenant and attacked Israel. God removed these kings from the earth.
136:19 Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his loyal love endures, 136:20 Og, king of Bashan, for his loyal love endures, 136:21 and gave their land as an inheritance, for his loyal love endures, 136:22 as an inheritance to Israel his servant, for his loyal love endures,
God eliminated King Sihon and King Bashan from the earth and gave their land to Israel.
136:23 to the one who remembered us when we were down, for his loyal love endures, 136:24 and snatched us away from our enemies, for his loyal love endures,
God remembered Israel while they were living in Egyptian slavery.
136:25 to the one who gives food to all living things, for his loyal love endures.
God feeds His entire creation.
136:26 Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his loyal love endures!
God is the Creator of heaven and earth.