To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Parallel translations
- WEB To him who struck great kings; for his loving kindness endures forever;
- BSB He struck down great kings His loving devotion endures forever.
- NKJV To Him who struck down great kings, For His mercy endures forever;
- NASB To Him who struck great kings, For His faithfulness is everlasting,
- NLT Give thanks to him who struck down mighty kings. His faithful love endures forever.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God struck great kings, and His love endures forever.
Overview
The psalm recalls God's victories over the powerful kings who stood between Israel and their inheritance. No earthly might could resist His purpose for His people. These conquests assure believers that no power can ultimately stand against the King who reigns in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- Ps 135:10–12Who smote great nations, and slew mighty kings;
- Josh 12:1–24Now these are the kings of the land, which the children of Israel smote, and possessed their land on the other side Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the river Arnon unto mount Hermon, and all the plain on the east:
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 136:17 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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