Psalms 136:17

To him who struck great kings; for his loving kindness endures forever;

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

to him who struck great kings, for his loving kindness endures forever;

BSB

He struck down great kings His loving devotion endures forever.

KJV

To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:

ASV

To him that smote great kings; For his lovingkindness [endureth] for ever;

BBE

To him who overcame great kings: for his mercy is unchanging for ever:

Original Hebrew

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The early church

"Who smote great kings" [Psalm 136:17], "and slew famous kings" [Psalm 136:18]. From us too He smites and slays the deadly powers of the devil.
Augustine of Hippo · d. 430Expositions on the Psalms

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 10–22

The great things God did for Israel, when he brought them out of Egypt, were mercies which endured long to them; and our redemption by Christ, which was typified thereby, endures for ever. It is good to enter into the history of God's favours, and in each to observe, and own, that his mercy endureth for ever. He put them in possession of a good land; it was a figure of the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Read Matthew Henry on Psalm 136 →

Spurgeon · Verse 17

To him which smote great kings. Within sight of their inheritance Israel had to face powerful enemies. Kings judged to be great because of the armies at their back blocked up their road. This difficulty soon disappeared, for the Lord smote their adversaries, and a single stroke sufficed for their destruction. He who had subdued the really mighty ruler of Egypt made short work of these petty sovereigns, great though they were in the esteem of neighbouring princes. For his mercy endureth for ever. Mercy, which had brought the chosen tribes so far, would not be balked by the opposition of boastful foes. The Lord who smote Pharaoh at the beginning of the wilderness march, smote Sihon and Og at the close of it. How could these kings hope to succeed when even mercy itself was in arms against them.

Evermore his mercy stands

Saving from the foe man's hands.

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Cross-references

2

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.