A Psalm of Thanksgiving to God
Photo by David Jackson on Unsplash
This is the blog version of podcast episode 004 by the same title.
If you’re reading this blog post on the day it is posted, tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the US. Giving thanks to God shouldn’t be limited just one day a year! We have so many reasons to be thankful every day of the year.
Many psalms that include gratefulness and praise to God, but Psalm 136, sometimes called “The Psalm of Thanksgiving,” is unlike any other. Some scholars say it was sung every day in the temple.
We’ll look at what it meant to ancient Hebrews and what it means to us today. Let’s start with some context:
Who wrote the book of Psalms?
For most of my life, I thought David wrote all of the Psalms. The Psalms name many other authors including Moses, Asaph, Solomon, Ezra, and the sons of Korah. More than fifty Psalms are not attributed to an author.
David wrote 73 of the 150 Psalms, more than anyone else. He was skilled at playing the lyre, an ancient harp-like instrument. 1 Samuel tells us that when David played for Saul, the evil spirit left him. (I Samuel 16:16-23)
When were the Psalms written?
Because the Psalms are collected in one book of our Bible, it’s hard to imagine that they were written over the course of more than 1000 years. The earliest Psalm was written by Moses around 1500 BC, and the latest Psalm was written by Ezra around 450 BC.
More about Psalms
With 150 chapters, Psalms is the longest book in the Bible. Unlike Genesis and other books of the Bible that tell a story, the chapters in Psalms are independent of each other and not assembled chronologically. It is divided into five sections that each have an overall theme.
The word Psalms comes from the Hebrew word for psalm, mizmor (miz MORE) [H4210], which refers to songs in general and to poems that are sung accompanied by stringed instruments.
Psalms were part of the life of worship for God’s people in the Old Testament, but Ephesians (Ephesians 5:19) and Colossians (Colossians 3:16) mention Psalms were used in the New Testament church.
The Book of Psalms seems like personal journal entries filled with strong emotions and thoughts in process, but they were the hymnal of ancient Israel.
We don’t know if every Psalm was sung in public, but 55 are notated “To the Chief Musician,” sometimes translated “Choirmaster.” Scholars believe Hebrews used these psalms in public temple worship.
We often read the Psalms because they are relatable, and they offer us words of hope and encouragement for the most discouraging moments in life. Surprisingly, Psalms also includes 68 prophecies about Jesus the Messiah.
Unique but Familiar
No author is named, but scholars believe it was written by David. It is one of several Psalms written as an acrostic; each verse begins with a successive letter of the 22-letter Hebrew alphabet, which makes it easier to memorize the song.
Psalm 136 is also unique because it is the only Psalm that repeats a single phrase throughout the chapter. It was likely used in temple worship as a call and response, with the Levites or priests singing the first part of the verse and the people responding with the repeated phrase, “His love endures forever.”
This phrase may sound familiar because it occurs in the Bible 41 times:
• Psalm 107:1 mirrors Psalm 136:1.
• It is repeated in Psalm 118:1-4 and 29.
• In Chronicles, David introduces this song for worship in the tabernacle (I Chronicles 16:36, 41).
• When the Ark of the Covenant is returned during the dedication of Solomon’s temple, it is sung (2 Chronicles 5:13-14).
• In Ezra, Psalm 136 was sung when the builders laid the foundation to rebuild Solomon’s temple destroyed 70+ years earlier (Ezra 3:11).
• In 2 Chronicles, Jehoshaphat’s army this powerful weapon of worship defeated Israel’s enemies (2 Chronicles 20:21).
• In Jeremiah, it is a promise to God’s people that He will restore all that is lost, including celebrations of worship (Jeremiah 33:10-11).
Poetry and Praise
In Jewish tradition, Psalm 136 has been called “The Great Hallel,” or Great Psalm of Praise.
It was sung at supper on the first night of Passover and at other joyful celebrations. While the original tune has been lost, you can hear this Psalm being read in Hebrew with English subtitles, so you can follow along.
The lyrics are written as poetry, so listen for rhyming words and sounds, alliteration (consecutive words that begin with the same sound) and onomatopoeia (words like “buzz” and “hiss” that sound like what they mean).
Hebrew Names of God
The first three verses of Psalm 136 use three different names for who God is:
Verse 1: Give thanks to Yahweh (yeh-ho-VAW)[H3068], the personal name of the God of the Hebrews.
Verse 2: Give thanks to Elohim (el-o-HEEM) [H430] of all elohim. The one true capital G God, above all lowercase g gods. It is the same word from Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (BSB)
Verse 3: Give thanks to Adonai of all Adon [H113], the lord and master who has sovereign authority over all who have power.
The remaining verses in the chapter don’t use a specific name of God, but most verses say, “who did this…” or “him who did this.”
The remaining verses in the chapter don’t use a specific name of God, but most verses say, “who did this…” or “him who did this.”
I believe that these first three verses lay out the lens that we should use when we read the rest of the chapter.
God, the personal, relational God of Israel,
the one true God above all others that are worshiped,
and the sovereign authority over all those who have power,
He alone is the One who is worthy of all praise.
Give Thanks to the LORD for He Is Good
Psalm 136:1 reads:, “Give thanks to the LORD (aka Yahweh, for He is good . . .” Give thanks is a single Hebrew word, yadah (yawDAH) [H3034], which means to throw or cast, like throwing praise to God. It also means to worship Him with open hands extended toward Him.
Good is an empty, filler word in English. We ask, “How are you doing?” and people respond, “I’m good.” Or when something goes wrong, people say, “It’s all good.”
For He Is Good
The Hebrew word for good, towb (tobe) [H2896], means so much more than the opposite of bad and reveals so many dimensions of who God is.
Towb means:
Happy, like a good heart, a special occasion, or a holiday
Beautiful to the senses, like a something that is visually beautiful, tastes delicious, and smells sweet. This reminds me of Psalm 34:8, “Taste and see that the LORD is good.”(BSB)
When you taste even a bite of something extraordinarily delicious, you want more. I immediately thought of a food court in the mall where people offer samples from their restaurant. They offer just a bite knowing that it will make people want more.
I believe that’s how we should share our faith, offering pre-Christians a sample of God through our words and actions. When they taste a little bit of who He is, God is so good that they will want more.
Superior quality, like good fruit in the garden of Eden or pure gold from the land of Havilah in Genesis 2:12.
Moral goodness, like the noble character of Boaz, or a good name.
The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament says, “The concept of God as “good” is rich with the overtones of all possible meanings of the term “good.” All of the definitions apply to God.
Our God is multi-dimensional: he is happy, beautiful to our sense, most excellent, and righteous. He is spiritually sustaining and soul satisfying. God is the standard of goodness.
His Love Endures Forever
This phrase is the second part of each verse in Psalm 136, the response of the people confirming the description of God’s goodness spoken in the first part of each verse.
The Hebrew word for love is hesed [H2617], which means favor, goodness, mercy, and kindness.
Because it means all of those things, versions of the Bible translate the word differently—His mercy endures forever, His faithful love endures forever, His steadfast love, His faithfulness, His lovingkindness endures forever.
Lovingkindness is more than just an emotional feeling. It is tenderness and thinking of others from outward and not self-seeking motivation. It is love in action for one in need.
That’s how God loves us.
He loves us with loyal, unfailing mercy
and compassion.
“This is how we know what love is; Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” 1 John 3:16 (NIV) God sets the example so we know how to love others.
The History of God’s Faithfulness
Earlier, we reviewed the first three verses and the names of God. The remaining verses of Psalm 136 document events from the first five books of the Bible in chronological order. The following sections reflect a summary of the passage based on the meanings of original Hebrew words.
Verses 4-9 summarize God’s role in creation.
Praise to him who is the only one who does what is extraordinary
Who by wisdom, which also means understanding, made the heavens
Who spread out the earth over the waters.
He who is light, spoke light into existence
And created the sun, moon, and stars.
In these verses, I see God as Creator.
He intentionally and systematically created this beautiful world. I think of what David writes in Ps. 19:1, reading in the NIV, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”
Commentator Alexander MacLaren wrote, “Creation is an act of Divine love.” God created this world because He loves us.
Verses 10-15 tell of God’s faithful love to Hebrew slaves in Egypt.
Praise to him who killed the oldest males in Egypt,
But rescued his people from the angel of death who passed over them,
Who severed all Egyptian control and delivered the people of Israel
With His strong and mighty arm extended toward them.
He divided the Red Sea into two pieces,
And the people passed between the parts.
God shook Pharaoh and his army like leaves from a tree,
stripping them of their possessions, God’s chosen people.
In these verses, I see God as Deliverer, one who rescues and saves those who can’t help themselves. He passed over the the firstborn in Israel and preserved their lives. He delivered His people from slavery, and rescued them as they stood trapped between the Red Sea in front of them and an approaching Egyptian army behind them.
God rescued his people then and He still rescues us today. When we are hemmed in on all sides and powerless to change our circumstances, we can run to God our Deliverer.
Verses 16-22 focus on God’s loyal love in the wilderness years.
The God of compassion led and sustained His rebellious people.
He conquered kings who were large in stature, mighty in power, and famous in reputation,
Like Amorite King Sihon, Bashan King Og, and others unmentioned who ruled in the land of Canaan.
God took their land and gave it to His people, Israel, as their inheritance.
I see God as Provider of food, shelter, protection, and an inheritance of land that He reappropriated from evil kings to the people of Israel who were still learning how to be whole-hearted servants of Yahweh.
In Genesis 17:1, God revealed Himself to Abram as “the Almighty God,” El Shaddai in Hebrew, which means “the all-sufficient one,” or “the God who is more than enough.” The faithful God who provided for manna in the wilderness provides all we need today.
Verses 23-26 summarize Psalm 136.
David changes his perspective. Up to this point, he has spoken about what God has done for them. But in these last few verses, he speaks about what God has done for us, making it more current and personal.
It’s what God has done for 21st century us, too.
He remembered us when we were at our lowest,
A reminder that God didn’t forget us or write us off.
And He rescued us. In Hebrew, He tore us away and delivered us from our enemies, the ones who put us in a tight place of distress.
He didn’t just think about us. He took action. That’s what heced love does.
He provided food, not just to Israel but to all flesh,
Generously giving to those who don’t yet recognize or know Him.
The final verse of Psalm 136 begins with “Give thanks to the God of heaven!” (BSB)
The God of Israel is the God of Heaven, but God is more than Yahweh, the personal name connected to His covenant with Israel. He is the God of Heaven, the Creator, Deliverer, and Provider for ALL people.
And you know the final statement of Psalm 136: “His love endures forever.” His love, his loyal, steadfast love and mercy continue constantly and perpetually without end.
Spurgeon who sums it up well: “He is good beyond all others; indeed, he alone is good in the highest sense; he is the source of good, the good of all good, the sustainer of good, the perfecter of good, and the rewarder of good. For this he deserves the constant gratitude of his people.”
Think about it . . .
When you talk to God, do you praise Him? Thank Him for who He is or what He does?
How can you incorporate singing and speaking praise into your daily life?
Explore more . . .
If you haven’t yet accepted God’s offer of love to you, click here for more information or email me with questions.
Video Overview of the Book of Psalms
Themes of the Sections of Psalms
List of every Psalm and Approximate Year Written
Chart of references to Messianic Prophecies in Psalms and Fulfillment in Jesus
Video of Psalm 136 Read in Hebrew with English Subtitles
Video Lesson How to Say Psalm 136:1 in Hebrew
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Sources:
THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV© Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Guzik, David “Study Guide for Psalm 136” on blueletterbible.org
Harris, R. Laird "Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament" Volume 1 and 2 (Chicago: Moody Press, 1980) (TWOT 793a, 847)
Maclaren, Alexander "The Psalms" Volume 3 (Psalms 90-150) (New York: A.C. Armstrong and Son, 1903)
Spurgeon, Charles Haddon "The Treasury of David: Volume 3" (Psalms 111-150) (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson, 1988)
Stedman, Ray C. “Adventuring through the Bible” (Grand Rapids, MI: Discovery House Publishers, 1997)
