Psalm 136:16
WEB
to him who led his people through the wilderness, for his loving kindness endures forever;
BSB
He led His people through the wilderness. His loving devotion endures forever.
KJV
To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Matthew Henry
Hebrew interlinear
H3212
v — walk, carry
Derivation: a primitive root (compare 1980);
to walk (literally or figuratively); causatively, to carry (in various senses)
KJV: × again, away, bear, bring, carry (away), come (away), depart, flow, follow(-ing), get (away, hence, him), (cause to, made) go (away, -ing, -ne, one's way, out), grow, lead (forth), let down, march, prosper, pursue, cause to run, spread, take away (-journey), vanish, (cause to) walk(-ing), wax, × be weak.
vb — go
הָלַךְ 1546 vb. go, come, walk
Qal Impf. usually (629 t.) as if from ילך
I. lit.
1. of persons
2. Also of animals, in similar meanings and combinations
3. in like manner of inanimate things
4. The inf. abs. is often used
a. as in other vbs., quite independently
b. to intensify meaning of finite form
c. most noteworthy is the joining of the Inf. abs.
(1). with a following Inf. abs. denoting a simutaneous action or process, and so emphasizing duration or continuance
(2). with a foll. vb. fin. c. ו consec. (rare)
(3). in cases where vb. fin. is foll. by Inf. abs. adj. denoting progress, advance
(4). twice, where vb. fin. is not הלך, but another vb. denoting motion
(5). quite by itself
(6). 13 t. the Inf. abs. = Imv. & is followed by Pf. consec.
d. akin to the use of Inf. abs. are some instances of Pt.
5. In combination with other verbal forms
II. Fig.; the most common uses follow; in most the origin in a literal meaning is evident:
1. pass away, die
2. live (‘walk’), in general
3. of moral and religious life
4. other fig. uses
Pi. (chiefly poet. and late)
1. walk in or with a throng
2. also of walking about = living
3. depart, go entirely away
4. fig. of mode of life, action, etc.
Hithp. walk, walk about, move to and fro
Hiph.
1. lead, bring
2. lead away
3. carry, bring
4. fig. of influence on character
5.
a. cause to walk, go
b. cause to flow, run
c. cause to depart, retire, go back
H5971
n-m — people, tribe, troops, attendants, flock
Derivation: from 6004;
a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
KJV: folk, men, nation, people.
n.[m.] — kinsman
[עַם] n.[m.] kinsman (on father's side)
n.m — people
עַם, עָם 1810 n.m. people
1. a people, nation
2. = smaller units
3. = common people
4. people in gen., persons
5. phrases
H4057
n-m — pasture, desert, speech
Derivation: from 1696 in the sense of driving;
a pasture (i.e. open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert; also speech (including its organs)
KJV: desert, south, speech, wilderness.
n.m — wilderness
מִדְבָר 270 n.m. wilderness
1. tracts of land, used for the pasturage of flocks and herds
2. uninhabited land
3. large tracts of such land bearing various names, in certain districts of which there might be towns and cities
4. fig.
H3588
conj — relative conjunction
Derivation: a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent;
(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed
KJV: and, (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), but, certainly, doubtless, else, even, except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, (al-) though, till, truly, until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.
conj — that
כִּי conj. that, for, when
1. that
2.
a. Of time, when, of the past
b. elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם
c. when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though
3. Because, since
relative conjunction
כִּי אם־
1. each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:
a. that if
b. for if
2. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—
a. limiting the prec. clause, except
b. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but
c. after an oath, surely
forasmuch as
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
H5769
n-m — concealed, vanishing, out of mind, eternity, always
Derivation: or עֹלָם; from 5956;
properly, concealed, i.e. the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial (especially with prepositional prefix) always
KJV: alway(-s), ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for, (n-)) ever(-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of) old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world ( without end). Compare 5331, 5703.
n.m — long duration
עוֹלָם 439 n.m. long duration, antiquity, futurity
H2617
n-m — kindness, piety, reproof, beauty
Derivation: from 2616;
kindness; by implication (towards God) piety; rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) beauty
KJV: favour, good deed(-liness, -ness), kindly, (loving-) kindness, merciful (kindness), mercy, pity, reproach, wicked thing.
n.m — shame
חֶ֫סֶד n.m. shame, reproach
n.m — goodness
חֶ֫סֶד 247 n.m. goodness, kindness
I. of man:
1. kindness of men toward men, in doing favours and benefits
2. kindness (especially as extended to the lowly, needy and miserable), mercy
3. (rarely) affection of Isr. to י׳, love to God, piety
4. lovely appearance
II. of God: kindness, lovingkindness in condescending to the needs of his creatures.
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Verses 10–22
Psalms 136:10–22
The great things God for Israel, when he first formed them into a people, and set up his kingdom among them, are here mentioned, as often elsewhere in the psalms, as instances both of the power of God and of the particular kindness he had for Israel. See Psa 135:8, etc. 1. He brought them out of Egypt, Psa 136:10-12. That was a mercy which endured long to them, and our redemption by Christ, which was typified by that, does indeed endure for ever, for it is an eternal redemption. Of all the plagues of Egypt, none is mentioned but the death of the first-born, because that was the conquering plague; by that God, who in all the plagues distinguished the Israelites from the Egyptians, brought them at last from among them, not by a wile, but with a strong hand and an arm stretched out to reach far and do great things. These miracles of mercy, as they proved Moses's commission to give law to Israel, so they laid Israel under lasting obligations to obey that law, Exo 20:2. 2. He forced them a way through the Red Sea, which obstructed them at their first setting out. By the power he has to control the common course of nature he divided the sea into two parts, between which he opened a path, and made Israel to pass between the parts, now that they were to enter into covenant with him; see Jer 34:18. He not only divided the sea, but gave his people courage to go through it when it was divided, which was an instance of God's power over men's hearts, as the former of his power over the waters. And, to make it a miracle of justice as well as mercy, the same Red Sea that was a lane to the Israelites was a grave to their pursuers. There he shook off Pharaoh and his host. 3. He conducted them through a vast howling wilderness (Psa 136:16); there he led them and fed them. Their camp was victualled and fortified by a constant series of miracles for forty years; though they loitered and wandered there, they were not lost. And in this the mercy of God, and the constancy of that mercy, were the more observable because they often provoked him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert. 4. He destroyed kings before them, to make room for them (Psa 136:17, Psa 136:18), not deposed and banished them, but smote and slew them, in which appeared his wrath against them, but his mercy, his never-failing mercy, to Israel. And that which magnified it was that they were great kings and famous kings, yet God subdued them as easily as if they had been the least, and weakest, and meanest, of the children of men. They were wicked kings, and then their grandeur and lustre would not secure them from the justice of God. The more great and famous they were the more did God's mercy to Israel appear in giving such kings for them. Sihon and Og are particularly mentioned, because they were the first two that were conquered on the other side Jordan, Psa 136:19, Psa 136:20. It is good to enter into the detail of God's favours and not to view them in the gross, and in each instance to observe, and own, that God's mercy endureth for ever. 5. He put them in possession of a good land, Psa 136:21, Psa 136:22. He whose the earth is, and the fulness thereof, the world and those that dwell therein, took land from one people and gave it to another, as pleased him. The iniquity of the Amorites was now full, and therefore it was taken from them. Israel was his servant, and, though they had been provoking in the wilderness, yet he intended to have some service out of them, for to them pertained the service of God. As he said to the Egyptians, Let my people go, so to the Canaanites, Let my people in, that they may serve me. In this God's mercy to them endureth for ever, because it was a figure of the heavenly Canaan, the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Cross-references: Ps 135:8 · Ps 136:10 · Exod 20:2 · Jer 34:18 · Ps 136:16 · Ps 136:17 · Ps 136:18 · Ps 136:19 · Ps 136:20 · Ps 136:21 · Ps 136:22