Limitless Word

Psalms 136:1

WEBKJVBSBESVNKJVNASBNLT
O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psalms 136:1 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good; for his loving kindness endures forever.
  • BSB Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good. His loving devotion endures forever.
  • NKJV Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
  • NASB Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, For His faithfulness is everlasting.
  • NLT Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! 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

Give thanks to Yahweh because He is good and His covenant love endures forever.

Overview

This opening line sets the theme of the entire psalm, a litany in which every verse ends with the refrain of God's enduring loving kindness. His goodness is not occasional but constant, the basis for unending gratitude. The steadfast love celebrated here is poured out fully and finally in Jesus Christ, the supreme proof that God is good.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 15

  • 1 Chr 16:34O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
  • Ps 118:1O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.
  • 1 Chr 16:41And with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest that were chosen, who were expressed by name, to give thanks to the LORD, because his mercy endureth for ever;
  • Ps 107:1O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
  • Ps 106:1Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
  • 2 Chr 20:21And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.
  • Ezra 3:11And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.
  • 2 Chr 7:3And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
  • Luke 1:50And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
  • Jer 33:11The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD.
  • Ps 105:1O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
  • 2 Chr 7:6And the priests waited on their offices: the Levites also with instruments of musick of the LORD, which David the king had made to praise the LORD, because his mercy endureth for ever, when David praised by their ministry; and the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood.
  • Ps 119:68Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.
  • Ps 103:17But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;
  • Jude 1:21Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)
PRAISETHANKFULNESS

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Psalms videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Psalms 136:1YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on PsalmsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 136:1 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

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.

O give thanksיָדָהunto the LORDיְהֹוָהfor he is goodטוֹבfor his mercyחֵסֵדendureth for everעוֹלָם
Whole chapterPsalms 136:2 →