Limitless Word
To him who by understanding made the heavens; for his loving kindness endures forever:
Psalms 136:5 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.
  • BSB By His insight He made the heavens. His loving devotion endures forever.
  • NKJV To Him who by wisdom made the heavens, For His mercy endures forever;
  • NASB To Him who made the heavens with skill, For His faithfulness is everlasting;
  • NLT Give thanks to him who made the heavens so skillfully. 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

By His wisdom God made the heavens, and His love endures forever.

Overview

The psalm turns to creation, praising the understanding by which God fashioned the skies. The heavens display not random force but the wisdom of their Maker. That same creative wisdom is embodied in Christ, through whom all things were made and in whom God's purposes are revealed.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 7

  • Gen 1:1In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
  • Ps 104:24Yahweh, how many are your works! In wisdom have you made them all. The earth is full of your riches.
  • Jer 51:15“He has made the earth by his power. He has established the world by his wisdom. By his understanding he has stretched out the heavens.
  • Ps 33:6By Yahweh’s word, the heavens were made; all their army by the breath of his mouth.
  • Prov 3:19–20By wisdom Yahweh founded the earth. By understanding, he established the heavens.
  • Jer 10:12He 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.
  • Prov 8:22–29“Yahweh possessed me in the beginning of his work, before his deeds of old.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

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 136:5YouTube · 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 136:5 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.