To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Parallel translations
- WEB To him who spread out the earth above the waters; for his loving kindness endures forever:
- BSB He spread out the earth upon the waters. His loving devotion endures forever.
- NKJV To Him who laid out the earth above the waters, For His mercy endures forever;
- NASB To Him who spread out the earth above the waters, For His faithfulness is everlasting;
- NLT Give thanks to him who placed the earth among the waters. 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 spread out the earth above the waters, and His love endures forever.
Overview
Echoing Genesis, the psalmist celebrates God establishing dry land amid the waters, making the earth habitable for His creatures. This ordering of creation reflects His care and design. The Creator who prepared the earth for life is the same Lord who prepares an eternal home for His people through Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Ps 24:2For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.
- Jer 10:12He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.
- Gen 1:9And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
- Isa 44:24Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;
- Job 26:7He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.
- Ps 104:2–3Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:
- Isa 42:5Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:
- Zech 12:1The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.
- 2 Pet 3:5–7For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
- Job 37:18Hast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass?
- Isa 40:22It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
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 136:6 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.