5 To him who by understanding made the heavens; For his loving kindness endures forever:
In the beginning God{After "God," the Hebrew has the two letters "Aleph Tav" (the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet) as a grammatical marker.} created the heavens and the earth.
He has made the earth by his power, he has established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding has he stretched out the heavens:
By Yahweh's word the heavens were made; All their host by the breath of his mouth.
By wisdom Yahweh founded the earth. By understanding, he established the heavens. By his knowledge, the depths were broken up, And the skies drop down the dew.
"Yahweh possessed me in the beginning of his work, Before his deeds of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, Before the earth existed. When there were no depths, I was brought forth, When there were no springs abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled in place, Before the hills, I was brought forth; While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, Nor the beginning of the dust of the world. When he established the heavens, I was there; When he set a circle on the surface of the deep, When he established the clouds above, When the springs of the deep became strong, When he gave to the sea its boundary, That the waters should not violate his commandment, When he marked out the foundations of the earth;
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 136
Commentary on Psalms 136 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 136
Ps 136:1-26. The theme is the same as that of Psalm 135. God should be praised for His works of creation and providence, His deliverance and care of His people, and judgments on their enemies, and His goodness to all. The chorus to every verse is in terms of that of Ps 106:1; 118:1-4, and was perhaps used as the Amen by the people, in worship (compare 1Ch 16:36; Ps 105:45).
1-3. The divine titles denote supremacy.
4. alone—excluding all help.
5, 6. by wisdom—or, "in wisdom" (Ps 104:24).
made—literally, "maker of."
above the waters—or, "higher than the waters" (Ps 24:2).
12. Compare similar expressions (Ex 3:20; De 4:34, &c.).
15. overthrew—literally, "shook off," as in Ex 14:27, as a contemptuous rejection of a reptile.
23. remembered us—or, "for us" (Ps 132:1).
our low estate—that is, captivity.
24. And hath redeemed us—or, literally, "snatched us"—alluding to the sudden deliverance effected by the overthrow of Babylon.
25. To the special favors to His people is added the record of God's goodness to all His creatures (compare Mt 6:30).
26. God of heaven—occurs but once (Jon 1:9) before the captivity. It is used by the later writers as specially distinguishing God from idols.