Tehillim 136 | “His Loving-Kindness Is Forever”

A – “His Loving-Kindness Is Forever”: Psalm 136 was likely recited responsively between the cantor and the congregation. The psalm consists of 26 verses, each with two parts: the first is a call to praise God, and the second is a congregational refrain: “His loving-kindness is forever.” The first three verses explicitly begin with the word “Thank the Lord,” calling the audience to respond. Even the verses that follow — though abbreviated — should be read the same way. For example, the line “Who made the heavens with wisdom” should be understood as: “Thank the Lord who made the heavens with wisdom,” followed by the congregational response: “His loving-kindness is forever.” This phrase was a familiar and widely used formula of thanksgiving, appearing multiple times throughout Tanakh — not just in Tehillim. See, for example: Yirmiyahu 33:11; Ezra 3:11; Divrei HaYamim I 16:41; Divrei HaYamim II 7:6.

B – The Content of the Praise: Following the psalm verse by verse, we find that it presents a sweeping view of the Torah’s narrative: beginning with the creation of the world, proceeding through the Exodus from Egypt, and ending with the conquest of Sichon and Og and the entry into the Land of Israel. Many of the phrases mirror those from the previous psalm, Psalm 135, with the refrain “His loving-kindness is forever” added. For instance, “He struck down the firstborn of Egypt” (135:8) parallels “Who struck Egypt through their firstborn  – His loving-kindness is forever” (136:10). Likewise, “And He gave their land as a heritage, a heritage for His people Israel” (135:12) corresponds to “And gave their land as a heritage – His loving-kindness is forever” (136:21) — and many more.

C – Praise and Thanksgiving: We’ve previously distinguished between praise and thanksgiving: praise (הלל) is a general expression of awe for God’s greatness, without necessarily referencing a personal connection. Thanksgiving (הודאה), by contrast, is a personal response to what God has done for the individual or nation. Psalm 135 can be understood as a song of praise recounting creation and the Exodus—a prelude to the thanksgiving of Psalm 136, where each event is individually acknowledged and responded to with thanks.

D – Unique Additions: Beyond the overlap with the previous psalm, Psalm 136 concludes with a few distinct elements. After describing the entry into the land, Psalm 135 turned to a request for God to judge idolaters. But our psalm adds a further note of praise: “Who remembered us in our lowly state … and rescued us from our tormentors.” Perhaps it continues the story of Israel already dwelling in the land—sometimes facing hardship, but ultimately delivered by God. It may even be a direct response to the prayer at the end of Psalm 135. It’s also noteworthy that although most of Psalm 136 focuses on the personal story of Israel, it concludes with a universal note of praise: “Who gives food to all flesh – His loving-kindness is forever. Give thanks to the God of heaven – His loving-kindness is forever” (136:25–26). For further insights on this theme, see the comments of Dr. Haggai Misgav here: https://did.li/1FP5q.