Commentary - Psalm 136:10-15

Bird's-eye view

Psalm 136 is a great litany of thanksgiving, a responsive reading for the congregation of Israel, designed to teach them the bedrock foundation of all reality: God's covenant loyalty. The entire psalm is structured around the relentless, repeating refrain, "For His lovingkindness endures forever." This is not a vain repetition; it is a foundational confession. The Hebrew word is hesed, a rich term that encompasses covenant faithfulness, steadfast love, mercy, and loyalty. Every act of God, from creation to redemption, is an expression of this eternal hesed. The specific section before us, verses 10-15, zooms in on the central saving event of the Old Testament: the Exodus. Here, the psalmist recounts God's mighty acts of judgment and salvation, not as separate categories, but as two sides of the same coin of His everlasting hesed. He judges Egypt because of His love for Israel, and He saves Israel because of that same love. This passage teaches us that God's mercy is not a sentimental, squishy thing; it is a fierce, warrior-like loyalty to His chosen people that necessarily involves the overthrow of His enemies. It is a song of grateful remembrance, designed to shape the worldview of God's people so that they see everything in light of His unwavering covenant love.

This is history set to music, theology for the heart. The psalmist is not just listing facts; he is leading worship. By rehearsing these specific, historical acts of deliverance, the people of God are reminded that their God is not an abstract philosophical principle but a God who acts decisively in time and space. He gets His hands dirty. He strikes, He brings out, He divides, He overthrows. And every single one of these actions is a fresh demonstration that His hesed is forever. The Exodus becomes the paradigm for all of God's future saving acts, culminating in the greater Exodus accomplished by Jesus Christ, who delivers His people not from a mere human pharaoh, but from the tyranny of sin, death, and the devil.

Outline

Context In Psalms

Psalm 136 is part of the "Great Hallel," a collection of psalms (120-136) traditionally sung at the major Jewish festivals, particularly Passover. This context is crucial. As families gathered to celebrate their deliverance from Egypt, they would sing this very psalm, with its explicit references to the Exodus. It is a liturgical psalm, meant for corporate worship, where a leader would likely sing the first line of each verse, and the congregation would respond with the refrain, "For His lovingkindness endures forever." It follows Psalm 135, which also recounts God's mighty acts in creation and redemption, but Psalm 136 distinguishes itself with its constant, anchoring refrain. This psalm functions as a grand summary of Israel's faith, grounding their identity not in their own strength or righteousness, but in the historical acts of their covenant-keeping God and His unending hesed.

Key Issues

His Hesed Forever

The central pillar of this psalm, and indeed of the entire Old Testament faith, is the refrain, "For His lovingkindness endures forever." The word, as we've noted, is hesed. It is one of the most important words in the Bible, and no single English word can capture its full meaning. It is not just kindness, but kindness rooted in a covenant promise. It is not just love, but a loyal, steadfast love that will not let go. It is not just mercy, but mercy that is faithful and true. When God revealed His name to Moses, He described Himself as "abounding in hesed" (Ex. 34:6). This is who He is.

The structure of this psalm hammers this truth into our souls. Every act of God is traced back to this one attribute. Why did God make the sun? For His hesed is forever. Why did He divide the Red Sea? For His hesed is forever. Why did He strike down kings? For His hesed is forever. This is a profoundly God-centered worldview. The universe and all of history revolves around the display of God's covenant faithfulness. And notice the jarring juxtapositions. He strikes the firstborn of Egypt, for His hesed endures forever. He overthrows Pharaoh, for His hesed endures forever. Our modern, sentimental age wants a God whose mercy is like a soft pillow, offered to all indiscriminately. The Bible presents a God whose mercy is like a sharp sword, defending His people and destroying their enemies. God's hesed takes sides. It is a covenantal reality, and you are either inside that covenant or outside of it. For those inside, it is the greatest comfort imaginable. For those outside, it is a terrifying reality.

Verse by Verse Commentary

10 To Him who struck the Egyptians through their firstborn, For His lovingkindness endures forever,

The psalm pivots from God's work in creation (vv. 4-9) to His work in redemption, and it begins with an act of devastating judgment. The tenth plague was the climax of God's war against the gods of Egypt. It was a precise, targeted strike against the pinnacle of Egyptian society and the object of their worship, Pharaoh's heir. This was not random violence; it was retributive justice. Pharaoh had commanded the murder of Israel's sons (Ex. 1:22), and now God requires the life of Egypt's sons. And why did God do this? The refrain gives the shocking reason: "For His lovingkindness endures forever." His loyal love for His oppressed people, Israel, demanded that He act to break the power of their oppressor. God's love for His own is a holy and fierce thing, and it necessarily brings judgment upon those who harm them. To love the lamb is to hate the wolf.

11 Then brought Israel out from their midst, For His lovingkindness endures forever,

Judgment clears the way for salvation. The striking of the firstborn was the act that finally broke Pharaoh's will and compelled him to let Israel go. God did not just weaken their enemies; He extracted His people from the midst of them. This was a supernatural jailbreak. They were a nation of slaves, powerless and propertyless, and God marched them out of the heart of the ancient world's superpower. This is the pattern of redemption: God does not just improve our situation in bondage; He brings us out of bondage altogether. And this great act of liberation was a direct result of His eternal hesed. He had made a promise to Abraham centuries before, and now He was making good on it. His love is a love that acts, a love that delivers.

12 With a strong hand and an outstretched arm, For His lovingkindness endures forever.

This phrase is classic Exodus language, used repeatedly to describe God's power in redemption (e.g., Deut. 4:34). It paints a picture of divine, muscular intervention. This was no quiet, subtle deliverance. This was God rolling up His sleeves and displaying His omnipotence for all to see. The "strong hand" speaks of His might, His ability to crush all opposition. The "outstretched arm" speaks of His reach, His ability to project that power into the heart of the enemy's camp and pull His people to safety. Israel did not deliver themselves. They did not win their freedom through negotiation or rebellion. They were saved by the raw, sovereign power of God. And this display of power was not for its own sake; it was the instrument of His unending covenant love.

13 To Him who divided the Red Sea in two, For His lovingkindness endures forever,

Here we come to the pinnacle of the Exodus event. With Pharaoh's army at their back and the sea before them, Israel was trapped. From a human perspective, all was lost. This is where God loves to work, in the face of utter impossibility. He did not build them a bridge or provide them with boats. He did something only God could do: He split the sea in two, creating a dry path right through the middle of the deep. The Hebrew word for "in two" (gezarim) is literally "into pieces," suggesting a violent, powerful tearing apart. This was a de-creation and re-creation event. God, who separated the waters in the beginning (Gen. 1:6-7), now does it again for the salvation of His people. The reason? His hesed is forever.

14 And made Israel pass through the midst of it, For His lovingkindness endures forever,

It was not enough to part the waters; God had to lead His people through. He opened the way, and then He ensured their safe passage. They walked on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left. This was their baptism, as Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10. They passed through the waters of judgment and came out the other side as a new nation, consecrated to God. This miracle was not just a display of power, but a tender act of pastoral care. He made them pass through. He led them every step of the way. This is the nature of His covenant love; it is both mighty and personal.

15 But He overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, For His lovingkindness endures forever.

The same waters that were a means of salvation for Israel became the means of destruction for Egypt. The Hebrew for "overthrew" is literally "shook off," as one would shake off a pesky insect. God contemptuously disposed of the mightiest army on earth. The path of salvation for the believer is the path of damnation for the unbeliever. The cross of Christ is life to us, but it is foolishness and a stumbling block to the world. God's salvation is always a salvation from something, and it is accomplished by the defeat of His enemies. The finality of this victory is another expression of His covenant faithfulness. He did not just defeat Pharaoh; He annihilated him and his army, ensuring they would never trouble Israel again. This decisive, final judgment was the ultimate proof that His lovingkindness to His people endures forever.

Application

This psalm is a call to remember. Our faith is not a feeling or a philosophy; it is rooted in the mighty acts of God in history. Just as Israel was called to remember the Exodus, we are called to remember the cross and the empty tomb. The Exodus from Egypt was a grand foreshadowing, a magnificent type, of the greater Exodus accomplished by Jesus Christ. He is the true Passover Lamb, whose blood turns aside the wrath of God. He is the one who leads us out of our bondage to sin, a slavery far worse than anything Israel experienced in Egypt. He is the one who, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, defeated our ultimate Pharaoh, the devil himself.

The Red Sea crossing finds its fulfillment in our baptism. In Christ, we pass through the waters of judgment safely, while our old life of sin is drowned and left behind. The cross is the place where God divided the sea. For Jesus, it was a place of judgment, where the waters of God's wrath washed over Him. But because He passed through that judgment for us, it has become for us the path to life and freedom. The same event that was destruction for the Son of God is salvation for all who are in Him.

Therefore, when we face our own Red Sea moments, when we feel trapped with no way out, this psalm teaches us where to look. We are to look back at what God has already done. We are to sing, "To Him who struck our sin in His own Son, for His lovingkindness endures forever. To Him who raised Jesus from the dead, for His lovingkindness endures forever. To Him who divided the sea of death and brought us through to new life, for His lovingkindness endures forever." Our confidence is not in our circumstances, but in the character of our God, whose hesed has been proven at the cross and is, therefore, forever.