Psalm 136:17
New International Version
to him who struck down great kings, His love endures forever.

New Living Translation
Give thanks to him who struck down mighty kings. His faithful love endures forever.

English Standard Version
to him who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;

Berean Standard Bible
He struck down great kings His loving devotion endures forever.

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

New King James Version
To Him who struck down great kings, For His mercy endures forever;

New American Standard Bible
To Him who struck great kings, For His faithfulness is everlasting,

NASB 1995
To Him who smote great kings, For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

NASB 1977
To Him who smote great kings, For His lovingkindness is everlasting,

Legacy Standard Bible
To Him who struck great kings, For His lovingkindness endures forever,

Amplified Bible
To Him who struck down great kings, For His lovingkindness endures forever;

Christian Standard Bible
He struck down great kings His faithful love endures forever.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He struck down great kings His love is eternal.

American Standard Version
To him that smote great kings; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;

Contemporary English Version
Our God defeated mighty kings. God's love never fails.

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

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Give thanks to the one who defeated powerful kings- because his mercy endures forever.

Good News Translation
He killed powerful kings; his love is eternal;

International Standard Version
to the one who struck down great kings, for his gracious love is everlasting—

Majority Standard Bible
He struck down great kings His loving devotion endures forever.

NET Bible
to the one who struck down great kings, for his loyal love endures,

New Heart English Bible
To him who struck great kings; for his loving kindness endures forever;

Webster's Bible Translation
To him who smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:

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

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

Smith's Literal Translation
To him striking great kings: for his mercy is forever.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Catholic Public Domain Version
He has struck great kings, for his mercy is eternal.

New American Bible
Who struck down great kings, for his mercy endures forever;

New Revised Standard Version
who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
To him who smote great kings; for his mercy endures for ever;

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

Brenton Septuagint Translation
To him who smote great kings: for his mercy endures for ever:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
His Loving Faithfulness Endures Forever
16He led His people through the wilderness. His loving devotion endures forever. 17He struck down great kings His loving devotion endures forever. 18and slaughtered mighty kings—His loving devotion endures forever.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 7:1-2
When the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to possess, and He drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you— / and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.

Joshua 12:7-24
And these are the kings of the land that Joshua and the Israelites conquered beyond the Jordan to the west, from Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir (according to the allotments to the tribes of Israel, Joshua gave them as an inheritance / the hill country, the foothills, the Arabah, the slopes, the wilderness, and the Negev—the lands of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites): / the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is near Bethel, one; ...

Judges 1:1-4
After the death of Joshua, the Israelites inquired of the LORD, “Who will be the first to go up and fight for us against the Canaanites?” / “Judah shall go up,” answered the LORD. “Indeed, I have delivered the land into their hands.” / Then the men of Judah said to their brothers the Simeonites, “Come up with us to our allotted territory, and let us fight against the Canaanites. And we likewise will go with you to your territory.” So the Simeonites went with them. ...

1 Samuel 17:45-47
But David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. / This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand. This day I will strike you down, cut off your head, and give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the creatures of the earth. Then the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. / And all those assembled here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give all of you into our hands.”

2 Samuel 5:18-25
Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. / So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?” “Go up,” replied the LORD, “for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hand.” / So David went to Baal-perazim, where he defeated the Philistines and said, “Like a bursting flood, the LORD has burst out against my enemies before me.” So he called that place Baal-perazim. ...

1 Kings 20:28-30
Then the man of God approached the king of Israel and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because the Arameans have said that the LORD is a god of the hills and not of the valleys, I will deliver all this great army into your hand. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’” / For seven days the armies camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle ensued, and the Israelites struck down the Arameans—a hundred thousand foot soldiers in one day. / The rest of them fled into the city of Aphek, where the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the remaining men. Ben-hadad also fled to the city and hid in an inner room.

2 Kings 19:35-37
And that very night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies! / So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. / One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer put him to the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esar-haddon reigned in his place.

1 Chronicles 18:1-6
Some time later, David defeated the Philistines, subdued them, and took Gath and its villages from the hand of the Philistines. / David also defeated the Moabites, and they became subject to David and brought him tribute. / As far as Hamath, David also defeated King Hadadezer of Zobah, who had marched out to establish his dominion along the Euphrates River. ...

Nehemiah 9:24-25
So their descendants went in and possessed the land; You subdued before them the Canaanites dwelling in the land. You delivered into their hands the kings and peoples of the land, to do with them as they wished. / They captured fortified cities and fertile land and took houses full of all goods, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled; they grew fat and delighted in Your great goodness.

Isaiah 37:36-38
Then the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 men in the camp of the Assyrians. When the people got up the next morning, there were all the dead bodies! / So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there. / One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer put him to the sword and escaped to the land of Ararat. And his son Esar-haddon reigned in his place.

Jeremiah 25:9-11
behold, I will summon all the families of the north, declares the LORD, and I will send for My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, whom I will bring against this land, against its residents, and against all the surrounding nations. So I will devote them to destruction and make them an object of horror and contempt, an everlasting desolation. / Moreover, I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of the bride and bridegroom, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the lamp. / And this whole land will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.

Ezekiel 25:14
I will take My vengeance on Edom by the hand of My people Israel, and they will deal with Edom according to My anger and wrath. Then they will know My vengeance, declares the Lord GOD.’

Daniel 2:21
He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

Romans 8:37
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

1 Corinthians 15:57
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!


Treasury of Scripture

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

Psalm 135:10,11
Who smote great nations, and slew mighty kings; …

Joshua 12:1
Now these are the kings of the land, which the children of Israel smote, and possessed their land on the other side Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the river Arnon unto mount Hermon, and all the plain on the east:

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














He struck down
The phrase "He struck down" is a powerful depiction of God's active intervention in the history of Israel. The Hebrew root for "struck down" is "נָכָה" (nakah), which conveys the idea of smiting or defeating. This action underscores God's sovereignty and might, emphasizing His role as a divine warrior who fights on behalf of His people. Throughout the Old Testament, God is portrayed as a protector and deliverer, who intervenes in human affairs to fulfill His covenant promises. This phrase reminds believers of God's ability to overcome formidable obstacles and adversaries, reinforcing the theme of divine justice and protection.

great kings
The term "great kings" refers to the powerful rulers who opposed Israel during their journey to the Promised Land. Historically, these kings could include figures like Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, as mentioned in other parts of the Psalms and the Pentateuch. The Hebrew word for "great" is "גָּדוֹל" (gadol), which signifies not only physical size or strength but also importance and influence. By striking down these "great kings," God demonstrated His supremacy over earthly powers, no matter how formidable they appeared. This serves as a reminder to believers that no earthly authority can withstand the will and power of God. It also highlights the theme of God's faithfulness to His covenant people, as He clears the path for them to inherit the land He promised to their ancestors. This phrase encourages Christians to trust in God's ultimate authority and His ability to bring about His purposes, even when faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges.

Verse 17. - To him which smote great kings (see the comment on Psalm 135:10). For his mercy, etc.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He struck down
לְ֭מַכֵּה (lə·mak·kêh)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5221: To strike

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

kings
מְלָכִ֣ים (mə·lā·ḵîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4428: A king

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 136:17 To him who struck great kings (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 136:16
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