Chapter commentary
Psalms Chapter 136
서론
Untitled
繁體中文
English original
The scope of this psalm is the same with that of the Ps 135:1-21, but there is something very singular in the composition of it; for the latter half of each verse is the same, repeated throughout the psalm, "for his mercy endureth for ever," and yet no vain repetition. It is allowed that such burdens, or "keepings," as we call them, add very much to the beauty of a song, and help to make it moving and affecting; nor can any verse contain more weighty matter, or more worthy to be thus repeated, than this, that God's mercy endureth for ever; and the repetition of it here twenty-six times intimates, 1. That God's mercies to his people are thus repeated and drawn, as it were, with a continuando from the beginning to the end, with a progress and advance in infinitum. 2. That in every particular favour we ought to take notice of the mercy of God, and to take favour we ought to take notice of the mercy of God, and to take notice of it as enduring still, the same now that it has been, and enduring for ever, the same always that it is. 3. That the everlasting continuance of the mercy of God is very much his honour and that which he glories in, and very much the saints' comfort and that which they glory in. It is that which therefore our hearts should be full of and greatly affected with, so that the most frequent mention of it, instead of cloying us, should raise us the more, because it will be the subject of our praise to all eternity. This most excellent sentence, that God's mercy endureth for ever, is magnified above all the truths concerning God, not only by the repetition of it here, but by the signal tokens of divine acceptance with which God owned the singing of it, both in Solomon's time (2Ch 5:13, when they sang these words, "for his mercy endureth for ever," the house was filled with a cloud) and in Jehoshaphat's time (when they sang these words, God gave them victory, 2Ch 20:21,22), which should make us love to sing, "His mercies sure do still endure, eternally." We must praise God, I. As great and good in himself, Ps 136:1-3. II. As the Creator of the world, Ps 136:5-9. III. As Israel's God and Saviour, Ps 136:10-22. IV. As our Redeemer, Ps 136:23,24. V. As the great benefactor of the whole creation, and God over all, blessed for evermore, Ps 136:25,26.
1-9
Exhortations to Thanksgiving
繁體中文
勸人感恩
¹ 你們要稱謝耶和華，因祂本為善；祂的慈愛永遠長存。
² 你們要稱謝萬神之神，因祂的慈愛永遠長存。
³ 你們要稱謝萬主之主，因祂的慈愛永遠長存。
⁴ 稱謝那獨行大奇事的，因祂的慈愛永遠長存。
⁵ 稱謝那用智慧造天的，因祂的慈愛永遠長存。
⁶ 稱謝那鋪地在水以上的，因祂的慈愛永遠長存。
⁷ 稱謝那造成大光的，因祂的慈愛永遠長存——
⁸ 祂造大光管晝，因祂的慈愛永遠長存——
⁹ 祂造小光管夜，造星，因祂的慈愛永遠長存。
我們在此一次又一次被召去作的，乃是稱謝——常常獻上頌讚為祭，獻的不是地裡或畜群的果子，而是嘴唇的果子，藉著耶穌常常獻給神，那就是承認主名之人嘴唇的果子，來13:15。我們從未被如此懇切地召去禱告和悔改，像被召去稱謝那樣；因為神的旨意是要我們在宗教最令人愉快的操練中、也就是在天上的工作中最為豐盛。現在我們當注意，1. 我們當向誰稱謝——向我們從之領受一切美善的那一位，向耶和華——以色列的神（詩136:1），向萬神之神——為眾天使所敬拜、使一切掌權者從祂得權柄、又使一切假神被擊敗並終將被擊敗的神（詩136:2），向萬主之主——一切主的主、一切扶持者的扶持與依靠（詩136:3）。在我們一切的敬拜中，我們當仰望神超越的至善，以及祂那無可爭辯、無可攔阻的至高權能與統治。2. 我們當為何稱謝——不像那個法利賽人，他一切的感恩都歸結於自我誇耀（神啊，我感謝祢，因為我如此如此），而是將一切感恩都指向神的榮耀。(1) 我們當為神的良善和慈愛稱謝祂（詩136:1）：稱謝耶和華——不僅因為祂行善，更因為祂是善的（一切水流當追溯至源頭）；不僅因為祂向我們施憐憫，更因為祂的慈愛永遠長存，並要延伸到我們以後的人。我們當為神賜在今世此地交付我們的慈愛稱謝祂，也當為那在天上的榮耀與喜樂中將永遠長存的慈愛稱謝祂。(2) 我們當為神大能和智慧的諸般作為稱謝祂。概括地說（詩136:4），祂獨行大奇事。其設計奇妙，因是無限的智慧所定的；其施行也奇妙，因是無限的大能所成。惟獨祂行奇妙的事，除祂之外無人能行，並且祂行這些事不需任何人的幫助或謀略。更具體地說，[1] 祂造了諸天並將其鋪張，在其中我們不僅看見祂的智慧和權能，也藉其溫和的影響嘗到祂的慈愛；諸天長存之日，神的慈愛也在其中長存，詩136:5。[2] 祂使旱地露出時，將地從水中升起，使地適合作人的居所，在其中祂向人所施的慈愛仍長存（詩136:6）；因為祂將地賜給世人，並其中一切的出產。[3] 祂既造了天地，就使兩者之間建立交通，不論其相距多遠——祂造了日、月、星辰，安置在天上的穹蒼之中，將其光輝和影響傾注在地上，詩136:7-9。這些被稱為大光，是因它們在我們看來如此；否則天文學家可以告訴我們，月亮比許多星辰都小，但因它離地較近，所以看起來大得多。它們被說成是管——不僅因為它們支配四季，更因為它們對世界有用；施惠者就是最好的治理者，路22:25。但這權柄是分擔的：一個管晝，另一個（至少眾星）管夜，然而一切都服在神的調度和安排之下。因此，外邦人所拜為偶像的那些掌權者，不過是世界的僕役、神的臣民。日頭啊，你要停住；月亮啊，你也是。
English original
Exhortations to Thanksgiving
¹ O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
² O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.
³ O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.
⁴ To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.
⁵ To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.
⁶ To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.
⁷ To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:
⁸ The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:
⁹ The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.
The duty we are here again and again called to is to give thanks, to offer the sacrifice of praise continually, not the fruits of our ground or cattle, but the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name, Heb 13:15. We are never so earnestly called upon to pray and repent as to give thanks; for it is the will of God that we should abound most in the most pleasant exercises of religion, in that which is the work of heaven. Now here observe, 1. Whom we must give thanks to—to him that we receive all good from, to the Lord, Jehovah, Israel's God (Ps 136:1), the God of gods, the God whom angels adore, from whom magistrates derive their power, and by whom all pretended deities are and shall be conquered (Ps 136:2), to the Lord of lords, the Sovereign of all sovereigns, the stay and supporter of all supports; Ps 136:3. In all our adorations we must have an eye to God's excellency as transcendent, and to his power and dominion as incontestably and uncontrollably supreme. 2. What we must give thanks for, not as the Pharisee that made all his thanksgivings terminate in his own praise (God, I thank thee, that I am so and so), but directing them all to God's glory. (1.) We must give thanks to God for his goodness and mercy (Ps 136:1): Give thanks to the Lord, not only because he does good, but because he is good (all the streams must be traced up to the fountain), not only because he is merciful to us, but because his mercy endures for ever, and will be drawn out to those that shall come after us. We must give thanks to God, not only for that mercy which is now handed out to us here on earth, but for that which shall endure for ever in the glories and joys of heaven. (2.) We must give God thanks for the instances of his power and wisdom. In general (Ps 136:4), he alone does great wonders. The contrivance is wonderful, the design being laid by infinite wisdom; the performance is wonderful, being put in execution by infinite power. He alone does marvellous things; none besides can do such things, and he does them without the assistance or advice of any other. More particularly, [1.] He made the heavens, and stretched them out, and in them we not only see his wisdom and power, but we taste his mercy in their benign influences; as long as the heavens endure the mercy of God endures in them, Ps 136:5. [2.] He raised the earth out of the waters when he caused the dry land to appear, that it might be fit to be a habitation for man, and therein also his mercy to man still endures (Ps 136:6); for the earth hath he given to the children of men, and all its products. [3.] Having made both heaven and earth, he settled a correspondence between them, notwithstanding their distance, by making the sun, moon, and stars, which he placed in the firmament of heaven, to shed their light and influences upon this earth, Ps 136:7-9. These are called the great lights because they appear so to us, for otherwise astronomers could tell us that the moon is less than many of the stars, but, being nearer to the earth, it seems much greater. They are said to rule, not only because they govern the seasons of the year, but because they are useful to the world, and benefactors are the best rulers, Lu 22:25. But the empire is divided, one rules by day, the other by night (at least, the stars), and yet all are subject to God's direction and disposal. Those rulers, therefore, which the Gentiles idolized, are the world's servants and God's subjects. Sun, stand thou still, and thou moon.
10-22
Divine Mercy Celebrated
繁體中文
頌揚神的慈愛
¹⁰ 稱謝那擊殺埃及人長子的，因祂的慈愛永遠長存。 ¹¹ 稱謝那領以色列從他們中間出來的，因祂的慈愛永遠長存。 ¹² 祂用大能的手和伸出來的膀臂，領他們出來，因祂的慈愛永遠長存。 ¹³ 稱謝那把紅海分為兩半的，因祂的慈愛永遠長存。 ¹⁴ 稱謝那使以色列從其中經過的，因祂的慈愛永遠長存。 ¹⁵ 稱謝那把法老和他的軍兵推翻在紅海裏的，因祂的慈愛永遠長存。 ¹⁶ 稱謝那引導自己的百姓走過曠野的，因祂的慈愛永遠長存。 ¹⁷ 稱謝那擊殺大君王的，因祂的慈愛永遠長存。 ¹⁸ 稱謝那殺滅有名的君王的，因祂的慈愛永遠長存。 ¹⁹ 就是亞摩利王西宏，因祂的慈愛永遠長存。 ²⁰ 又是巴珊王噩，因祂的慈愛永遠長存。 ²¹ 稱謝那將他們的地賜給百姓為業的，因祂的慈愛永遠長存。 ²² 就是賜給祂的僕人以色列為業，因祂的慈愛永遠長存。
神在初將以色列造成一國、並在他們中間設立祂國度的時候，為他們所成就的大事，在這裏被一一記念，正如在詩篇其他地方常常那樣，作為神權能和祂對以色列特別恩慈的例證。見詩 135:8 等。1. 祂領他們出了埃及（詩 136:10-12）。這是一份長久存留的恩惠，而由這事所預表的我們藉著基督所得的救贖，確實存到永遠，因為它是永遠的救贖（來 9:12）。在埃及的一切災殃中，這裏只提及殺長子的事，因為那是決定性的災殃；藉著那災，神在一切災殃中將以色列人與埃及人分別出來，又終久把他們從其中領出來——不是用詭計，而是用大能的手和伸出來、能及遠處、能行大事的膀臂。這些恩典的奇事，一面證明了摩西受委任向以色列頒賜律法，一面又使以色列負有長久的順服那律法的義務（出 20:2）。2. 祂在他們初次啟程之時，為他們在紅海中強行開路，因為紅海攔阻了他們。祂憑著控制自然界常規的權能，「把紅海分為兩半」，在其中開出一條路，並使以色列在兩半之間經過——那時他們正要與祂立約；見耶 34:18。祂不僅分開了海，更在分開之後賜給祂百姓勇氣走過去，這是祂在人心中之權能的例證，正如前者是祂在水中之權能的例證。又為使這成為公義與慈悲的奇事，那為以色列人成為道路的紅海，卻成了追趕他們之人的墳墓。在那裏祂抖掉了法老和他的軍兵。3. 祂引導他們經過了廣大荒涼的曠野（詩 136:16）；在那裏祂引導他們，又餵養他們。他們的營盤藉著不斷的奇事系列得了糧食的供應和防禦，達四十年之久；雖然他們在那裏耽延流蕩，卻沒有滅沒。在這事上，神的慈愛，並那慈愛的恆常，越發顯而易見，因為他們常常在曠野惹祂發怒，在荒地使祂擔憂（詩 78:40）。4. 祂在他們面前毀滅了諸王，為他們開路（詩 136:17-18）——不是廢黜和放逐他們，而是擊殺和除滅他們；在其中顯明了祂對他們的烈怒，但對以色列卻顯明了祂的慈愛——祂那永不失效的慈愛。而使這更顯偉大的是，他們是大君王和有名的君王，然而神制服他們，如同制服人間最小、最弱、最卑賤的一樣容易。他們是邪惡的君王，那麼他們的偉大和光輝不能保護他們脫離神的公義。他們越偉大、越有名，神將這樣的君王交給以色列，就越發顯明神對以色列的慈愛。這裏特別提到西宏和噩，因為他們是在約但河東頭兩個被征服的（詩 136:19-20）。詳細記述神的恩惠是好的一件事，不要囫圇吞棗地看，並在每一個細節中觀察並承認，神的*「慈愛永遠長存」。5. 祂使他們得了一塊美地為業（詩 136:21-22）。地是屬祂的，連其中所充滿的，世界和住在其間的也都是屬祂的（詩 24:1）；祂從一個民族奪去這地，並照祂所喜悅的賜給另一個民族。那時「亞摩利人的罪孽已經滿了」（創 15:16），所以這地就從他們被奪去。以色列是祂的僕人*，雖然他們在曠野曾惹祂發怒，但祂仍要從他們得著一些事奉，因為事奉神的事是屬於他們的。正如祂對埃及人說：「容我的百姓去」，照樣對迦南人說：「讓我的百姓進來」，好叫他們事奉我。在這事上*「神的慈愛」對他們「永遠長存」，因為這是天上的迦南的預表，就是「我們主耶穌基督進入永生之憐憫」*（猶 21）。
English original
Divine Mercy Celebrated
¹⁰ To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever:
¹¹ And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever:
¹² With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever.
¹³ To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever:
¹⁴ And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever:
¹⁵ But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.
¹⁶ To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.
¹⁷ To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:
¹⁸ And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:
¹⁹ Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever:
²⁰ And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever:
²¹ And gave their land for a heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever:
²² Even a heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever.
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 Ps 135:8, etc. 1. He brought them out of Egypt, Ps 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, Ex 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 (Ps 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 (Ps 136:17,18), 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, Ps 136:19,20. 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, Ps 136:21,22. 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.
23-26
Divine Mercy Celebrated
繁體中文
頌讚神的憐憫
²³ 他顧念我們在卑微的地步，因他的慈愛永遠長存。
²⁴ 他救拔我們脫離敵人，因他的慈愛永遠長存。
²⁵ 他賜糧食給凡有血氣的，因他的慈愛永遠長存。
²⁶ 你們要稱謝天上的神，因他的慈愛永遠長存。
神永遠的慈愛在此被頌讚。一、在他救贖教會的事上，詩篇一三六23-24。猶太教會曾多次從欺壓他們的人手中蒙了拯救（在他們為奴的年日裏，他們的處境極其卑微，神卻顧念他們，為他們興起拯救者——士師們，末後又興起大衛，藉著他神使他們脫離一切仇敵得享安息）；但尤其是在普世教會那次極大的救贖上——這些拯救不過是那救贖的預表——我們大有理由說：他顧念我們，就是世人，在我們卑微的地步，在我們失喪的地步，因他的慈愛永遠長存；他差遣他的兒子救贖我們脫離罪、死亡、陰間，以及我們一切屬靈的仇敵，因他的慈愛永遠長存；他受差遣是為救贖我們，而不是救贖那些犯了罪的天使，因他的慈愛永遠長存。 二、在他為一切受造之物所作的供應上（詩篇一三六25）：他賜糧食給凡有血氣的。 這是神護理之工憐憫的明證：凡他所賜生命之處，他就賜與相宜而充足的糧食；他是一位好管家，為這麼龐大的家眷預備所需。三、在他一切榮耀和一切恩賜之中（詩篇一三六26）：你們要稱謝天上的神。 這表明他是榮耀的神，他憐憫的榮耀當在我們的讚美中被留意。他榮耀的豐盛 顯明在 他憐憫的器皿 上（羅九23）。這也表明他是那位至大的施恩者，因為各樣美善的恩賜、各樣全備的賞賜都是從上頭來的，從眾光之父、從 天上的神 那裏來；我們當追溯每一道水流，直到泉源。這一個那一個個別的憐憫或許只能維持一時，但在神裏面的憐憫 永遠長存；這是取之不盡的泉源。
English original
Divine Mercy Celebrated
²³ Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:
²⁴ And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.
²⁵ Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.
²⁶ O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.
God's everlasting mercy is here celebrated, 1. In the redemption of his church, Ps 136:23,24. In the many redemptions wrought for the Jewish church out of the hands of their oppressors (when, in the years of their servitude, their estate was very low, God remembered them, and raised them up saviours, the judges, and David, at length, by whom God gave them rest from all their enemies), but especially in the great redemption of the universal church, of which these were types, we have a great deal of reason to say, "He remembered us, the children of men, in our low estate, in our lost estate, for his mercy endureth for ever; he sent his Son to redeem us from sin, and death, and hell, and all our spiritual enemies, for his mercy endureth for ever; he was sent to redeem us, and not the angels that sinned, for his mercy endureth for ever." 2. In the provision he makes for all the creatures (Ps 136:25): He gives food to all flesh. It is an instance of the mercy of God's providence that wherever he has given life he gives food agreeable and sufficient; and he is a good housekeeper that provides for so large a family. 3. In all his glories, and all his gifts (Ps 136:26): Give thanks to the God of heaven. This denotes him to be a glorious God, and the glory of his mercy is to be taken notice of in our praises. The riches of his glory are displayed in the vessels of his mercy, Ro 9:23. It also denotes him to be the great benefactor, for every good and perfect gift is from above, from the Father of lights, the God of heaven; and we should trace every stream to the fountain. This and that particular mercy may perhaps endure but a while, but the mercy that is in God endures for ever; it is an inexhaustible fountain.
本篇的宗旨與詩 135:1-21 相同，但其結構頗為獨特；因每一節的後半句都相同，在全詩中反覆出現——「因他的慈愛永遠長存」——卻毫無虛浮的重複。誠然，這種副歌（或如我們所稱的「疊句」）大大增添詩歌之美，使之更動人、更能感人心弦；而沒有任何別的詩句比這一句——「神的慈愛永遠長存」——更為厚重，更配得如此反覆。此處二十六次的重複暗示：一、神對祂百姓的諸般恩惠正是這樣反覆傾注，彷彿帶著一個「綿延不斷」的記號，從始至終，並向著無窮進展；二、在每一項具體恩惠中，我們都當留意神的慈愛，並且當認定這慈愛仍舊長存——如今與從前一樣，並且永遠長存——始終如一；三、神慈愛的永遠長存，正是祂極大的榮耀，也是祂所誇口的，更是聖徒極大的安慰，是他們所誇口的。因此我們的心當充滿這真理，並大受感動，以致最頻繁的提及不但不會令我們厭膩，反倒更加激發我們，因為這必是我們永世讚美的主題。這句極美的話——「神的慈愛永遠長存」——比一切論及神的真理更被高舉，不僅因為此處的反覆，更因為神以顯著的悅納印證了對此詩的歌唱：在所羅門時代（代下 5:13，當他們唱「因他的慈愛永遠長存」時，殿中滿了雲彩），又在約沙法時代（當他們唱這話時，神使他們得勝，代下 20:21,22）。這一切都當使我們喜愛歌唱：「他的慈愛確實永存，直到永遠。」我們當讚美神：一、因祂本為大、本為善（詩 136:1-3）；二、因祂是世界的創造主（詩 136:5-9）；三、因祂是以色列的神與拯救者（詩 136:10-22）；四、因祂是我們的救贖主（詩 136:23,24）；五、因祂是全受造之物的厚賜恩者，是超乎萬有的神，永遠可稱頌（詩 136:25,26）。