Psalm 136:7
New International Version
who made the great lights— His love endures forever.

New Living Translation
Give thanks to him who made the heavenly lights— His faithful love endures forever.

English Standard Version
to him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever;

Berean Standard Bible
He made the great lights—His loving devotion endures forever.

King James Bible
To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:

New King James Version
To Him who made great lights, For His mercy endures forever—

New American Standard Bible
To Him who made the great lights, For His faithfulness is everlasting:

NASB 1995
To Him who made the great lights, For His lovingkindness is everlasting:

NASB 1977
To Him who made the great lights, For His lovingkindness is everlasting:

Legacy Standard Bible
To Him who made the great lights, For His lovingkindness endures forever:

Amplified Bible
To Him who made the great lights, For His lovingkindness endures forever;

Christian Standard Bible
He made the great lights: His faithful love endures forever.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He made the great lights: His love is eternal.

American Standard Version
To him that made great lights; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:

Contemporary English Version
He made the bright lights in the sky. God's love never fails.

English Revised Version
To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
to the one who made the great lights- because his mercy endures forever.

Good News Translation
He made the sun and the moon; his love is eternal;

International Standard Version
to the one who made the great lights, for his gracious love is everlasting—

Majority Standard Bible
He made the great lights?His loving devotion endures forever.

NET Bible
to the one who made the great lights, for his loyal love endures,

New Heart English Bible
To him who made the great lights; for his loving kindness endures forever:

Webster's Bible Translation
To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:

World English Bible
to him who made the great lights, for his loving kindness endures forever;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
To Him making great lights, "" For His kindness [is] for all time.

Young's Literal Translation
To Him making great lights, For to the age is His kindness.

Smith's Literal Translation
To him making great lights: for his mercy is forever.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who made the great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Catholic Public Domain Version
He made the great lights, for his mercy is eternal:

New American Bible
Who made the great lights, for his mercy endures forever;

New Revised Standard Version
who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
To him who made great lights; for his mercy endures for ever;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
To him who made great lights, for his mercies are to eternity.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
To Him that made great lights, For His mercy endureth for ever;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
To him who alone made great lights; for his mercy endures for ever.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
His Loving Faithfulness Endures Forever
6He spread out the earth upon the waters. His loving devotion endures forever. 7He made the great lights— His loving devotion endures forever. 8the sun to rule the day, His loving devotion endures forever.…

Cross References
Genesis 1:14-18
And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to distinguish between the day and the night, and let them be signs to mark the seasons and days and years. / And let them serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to shine upon the earth.” And it was so. / God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night. And He made the stars as well. ...

Jeremiah 31:35
Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day, who sets in order the moon and stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the LORD of Hosts is His name:

Job 9:9
He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, of the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.

Job 38:31-33
Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loosen the belt of Orion? / Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons or lead out the Bear and her cubs? / Do you know the laws of the heavens? Can you set their dominion over the earth?

Isaiah 40:26
Lift up your eyes on high: Who created all these? He leads forth the starry host by number; He calls each one by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

Isaiah 45:7
I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.

Deuteronomy 4:19
When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.

Nehemiah 9:6
You alone are the LORD. You created the heavens, the highest heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all things, and the host of heaven worships You.

Psalm 8:3
When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place—

Psalm 19:1-6
For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. / Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. / Without speech or language, without a sound to be heard, ...

Psalm 104:19
He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows when to set.

Psalm 148:3
Praise Him, O sun and moon; praise Him, all you shining stars.

1 Corinthians 15:41
The sun has one degree of splendor, the moon another, and the stars another; and star differs from star in splendor.

Revelation 21:23
And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, because the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its lamp.

Revelation 22:5
There will be no more night in the city, and they will have no need for the light of a lamp or of the sun. For the Lord God will shine on them, and they will reign forever and ever.


Treasury of Scripture

To him that made great lights: for his mercy endures for ever:

Psalm 74:16,17
The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun…

Psalm 104:19
He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.

Genesis 1:14-19
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: …

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Psalm 136
1. An exhortation to give thanks to God for particular mercies.














He made the great lights
This phrase acknowledges God's sovereignty and creative power. The Hebrew word for "made" is "עָשָׂה" (asah), which implies not just creation but also craftsmanship and purpose. The "great lights" refer to the sun and the moon, which are essential for life on Earth. In the ancient Near Eastern context, celestial bodies were often deified, but this verse emphasizes that they are creations of the one true God, not deities themselves. This underscores the biblical theme of monotheism and God's ultimate authority over all creation.

His loving devotion endures forever
The phrase "His loving devotion" is translated from the Hebrew word "חֶסֶד" (chesed), which is rich in meaning, encompassing love, mercy, kindness, and covenant faithfulness. This word is central to understanding God's relationship with His people, highlighting His unwavering commitment and grace. The repetition of "endures forever" throughout Psalm 136 serves as a refrain, reinforcing the eternal and unchanging nature of God's love. This assurance of God's perpetual faithfulness provides comfort and hope, encouraging believers to trust in His promises regardless of their circumstances.

(7) Lights.--An unusual word, meaning light itself, and not luminaries. But possibly the poet wished in one phrase to combine Genesis 1:3; Genesis 1:14-15.

Verse 7. - To him that made great lights (see Genesis 1:14-16). For his mercy, etc. Ver. 8 - The sun to rule by day (comp. Genesis 1:16). For his mercy, etc.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He made
לְ֭עֹשֵׂה (lə·‘ō·śêh)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6213: To do, make

the great
גְּדֹלִ֑ים (gə·ḏō·lîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent

lights—
אוֹרִ֣ים (’ō·w·rîm)
Noun - common plural
Strong's 216: Illumination, luminary

His loving devotion
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ (ḥas·dōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2617: Kindness, piety, reproof, beauty

endures forever.
לְעוֹלָ֣ם (lə·‘ō·w·lām)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5769: Concealed, eternity, frequentatively, always


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OT Poetry: Psalm 136:7 To him who made the great lights (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 136:6
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