20 And Og H5747 the king H4428 of Bashan: H1316 for his mercy H2617 endureth for ever: H5769
Then we turned, H6437 and went up H5927 the way H1870 to Bashan: H1316 and Og H5747 the king H4428 of Bashan H1316 came out H3318 against H7125 us, he and all his people, H5971 to battle H4421 at Edrei. H154 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto me, Fear H3372 him not: for I will deliver H5414 him, and all his people, H5971 and his land, H776 into thy hand; H3027 and thou shalt do H6213 unto him as thou didst H6213 unto Sihon H5511 king H4428 of the Amorites, H567 which dwelt H3427 at Heshbon. H2809 So the LORD H3068 our God H430 delivered H5414 into our hands H3027 Og H5747 also, the king H4428 of Bashan, H1316 and all his people: H5971 and we smote H5221 him until none was left H7604 to him remaining. H8300 And we took H3920 all his cities H5892 at that time, H6256 there was not a city H7151 which we took H3947 not from them, threescore H8346 cities, H5892 all the region H2256 of Argob, H709 the kingdom H4467 of Og H5747 in Bashan. H1316 All these cities H5892 were fenced H1219 with high H1364 walls, H2346 gates, H1817 and bars; H1280 beside unwalled H6521 towns H5892 a great H3966 many. H7235 And we utterly destroyed H2763 them, as we did H6213 unto Sihon H5511 king H4428 of Heshbon, H2809 utterly destroying H2763 the men, H4962 women, H802 and children, H2945 of every city. H5892 But all the cattle, H929 and the spoil H7998 of the cities, H5892 we took for a prey H962 to ourselves. And we took H3947 at that time H6256 out H3947 of the hand H3027 of the two H8147 kings H4428 of the Amorites H567 the land H776 that was on this side H5676 Jordan, H3383 from the river H5158 of Arnon H769 unto mount H2022 Hermon; H2768 (Which Hermon H2768 the Sidonians H6722 call H7121 Sirion; H8303 and the Amorites H567 call H7121 it Shenir;) H8149 All the cities H5892 of the plain, H4334 and all Gilead, H1568 and all Bashan, H1316 unto Salchah H5548 and Edrei, H154 cities H5892 of the kingdom H4467 of Og H5747 in Bashan. H1316 For only Og H5747 king H4428 of Bashan H1316 remained H7604 of the remnant H3499 of giants; H7497 behold, his bedstead H6210 was a bedstead H6210 of iron; H1270 is it not H3808 in Rabbath H7237 of the children H1121 of Ammon? H5983 nine H8672 cubits H520 was the length H753 thereof, and four H702 cubits H520 the breadth H7341 of it, after the cubit H520 of a man. H376 And this land, H776 which we possessed H3423 at that time, H6256 from Aroer, H6177 which is by the river H5158 Arnon, H769 and half H2677 mount H2022 Gilead, H1568 and the cities H5892 thereof, gave H5414 I unto the Reubenites H7206 and to the Gadites. H1425 And the rest H3499 of Gilead, H1568 and all Bashan, H1316 being the kingdom H4467 of Og, H5747 gave H5414 I unto the half H2677 tribe H7626 of Manasseh; H4519 all the region H2256 of Argob, H709 with all Bashan, H1316 which H1931 was called H7121 the land H776 of giants. H7497 Jair H2971 the son H1121 of Manasseh H4519 took H3947 all the country H2256 of Argob H709 unto the coasts H1366 of Geshuri H1651 and Maachathi; H4602 and called H7121 them after his own name, H8034 Bashanhavothjair, H1316 H2334 unto this day. H3117 And I gave H5414 Gilead H1568 unto Machir. H4353 And unto the Reubenites H7206 and unto the Gadites H1425 I gave H5414 from Gilead H1568 even unto the river H5158 Arnon H769 half H8432 the valley, H5158 and the border H1366 even unto the river H5158 Jabbok, H2999 which is the border H1366 of the children H1121 of Ammon; H5983 The plain H6160 also, and Jordan, H3383 and the coast H1366 thereof, from Chinnereth H3672 even unto the sea H3220 of the plain, H6160 even the salt H4417 sea, H3220 under Ashdothpisgah H798 H794 eastward. H4217 And I commanded H6680 you at that time, H6256 saying, H559 The LORD H3068 your God H430 hath given H5414 you this land H776 to possess H3423 it: ye shall pass over H5674 armed H2502 before H6440 your brethren H251 the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 all that are meet H1121 for the war. H2428 But your wives, H802 and your little ones, H2945 and your cattle, H4735 (for I know H3045 that ye have much H7227 cattle,) H4735 shall abide H3427 in your cities H5892 which I have given H5414 you; Until the LORD H3068 have given rest H5117 unto your brethren, H251 as well as unto you, and until they also possess H3423 the land H776 which the LORD H3068 your God H430 hath given H5414 them beyond H5676 Jordan: H3383 and then shall ye return H7725 every man H376 unto his possession, H3425 which I have given H5414 you. And I commanded H6680 Joshua H3091 at that time, H6256 saying, H559 Thine eyes H5869 have seen H7200 all that the LORD H3068 your God H430 hath done H6213 unto these two H8147 kings: H4428 so shall the LORD H3068 do H6213 unto all the kingdoms H4467 whither thou passest. H5674 Ye shall not fear H3372 them: for the LORD H3068 your God H430 he shall fight H3898 for you. And I besought H2603 the LORD H3068 at that time, H6256 saying, H559 O Lord H136 GOD, H3069 thou hast begun H2490 to shew H7200 thy servant H5650 thy greatness, H1433 and thy mighty H2389 hand: H3027 for what God H410 is there in heaven H8064 or in earth, H776 that can do H6213 according to thy works, H4639 and according to thy might? H1369 I pray thee, let me go over, H5674 and see H7200 the good H2896 land H776 that is beyond H5676 Jordan, H3383 that goodly H2896 mountain, H2022 and Lebanon. H3844 But the LORD H3068 was wroth H5674 with me for your sakes, and would not hear H8085 me: and the LORD H3068 said H559 unto me, Let it suffice H7227 thee; speak H1696 no more H3254 unto me of this matter. H1697 Get thee up H5927 into the top H7218 of Pisgah, H6449 and lift up H5375 thine eyes H5869 westward, H3220 and northward, H6828 and southward, H8486 and eastward, H4217 and behold H7200 it with thine eyes: H5869 for thou shalt not go over H5674 this Jordan. H3383 But charge H6680 Joshua, H3091 and encourage H2388 him, and strengthen H553 him: for he shall go over H5674 before H6440 this people, H5971 and he shall cause them to inherit H5157 the land H776 which thou shalt see. H7200 So we abode H3427 in the valley H1516 over against H4136 Bethpeor. H1047
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 136
Commentary on Psalms 136 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
O Give Thanks unto the Lord, for He Is Good
The cry Psalms 135:3, Praise ye Jāh , for good is Jahve , is here followed by a Hodu , the last of the collection, with “for His goodness endureth for ever” repeated twenty-six times as a versus intercalaris . In the liturgical language this Psalm is called par excellence the great Hallel, for according to its broadest compass the great Hallel comprehends Ps 120-136,
(Note: There are three opinions in the Talmud and Midrash concerning the compass of the “Great Hallel,” viz., (1) Ps 136, (2) Ps. 135:4-136:26, (3) Ps 120-136.)
whilst the Hallel which is absolutely so called extends from Psalms 113:1-9 to Ps 118. Down to Psalms 136:18 the song and counter-song organize themselves into hexastichic groups or strophes, which, however, from Psalms 136:19 (and therefore from the point where the dependence on Ps 135, already begun with Psalms 136:17, becomes a borrowing, onwards) pass over into octastichs. In Heidenheim's Psalter the Psalm appears (after Norzi) in two columns (like Deut. 32), which it is true has neither tradition (vid., Ps 18) nor MSS precedent in its favour, but really corresponds to its structure.
Like the preceding Psalm, this Psalm allies itself to the Book of Deuteronomy. Psalms 136:2 and Psalms 136:3 ( God of gods and Lord of lords ) are taken from Deuteronomy 10:17; Psalms 136:12 ( with a strong hand and stretched-out arm ) from Deuteronomy 4:34; Deuteronomy 5:15, and frequently (cf. Jeremiah 32:21); Psalms 136:16 like Deuteronomy 8:15 (cf. Jeremiah 2:6). With reference to the Deuteronomic colouring of Psalms 136:19-22, vid., on Psalms 135:10-12; also the expression “Israel His servant” recalls Deuteronomy 32:36 (cf. Psalms 135:14; Psalms 90:13), and still more Isaiah 40:1, where the comprehension of Israel under the unity of this notion has its own proper place. In other respects, too, the Psalm is an echo of earlier model passages. Who alone doeth great wonders sounds like Psalms 72:18 (Psalms 86:10); and the adjective “great” that is added to “wonders” shows that the poet found the formula already in existence. In connection with Psalms 136:5 he has Proverbs 3:19 or Jeremiah 10:12 in his mind; תּבוּנה , like חכמה , is the demiurgic wisdom. Psalms 136:6 calls to mind Isaiah 42:5; Isaiah 44:24; the expression is “above the waters,” as in Psalms 34:2 “upon the seas,” because the water is partly visible and partly invisible מתּחת לארץ (Exodus 20:4). The plural אורים , luces , instead of מארות , lumina (cf. Ezekiel 32:8, מאורי אור ), is without precedent. It is a controverted point whether אורת in Isaiah 26:19 signifies lights (cf. אורה , Psalms 139:12) or herbs (2 Kings 4:39). The plural ממשׁלות is also rare (occurring only besides in Psalms 114:2): it here denotes the dominion of the moon on the one hand, and (going beyond Genesis 1:16) of the stars on the other. בּלּילה , like בּיּום , is the second member of the stat. construct .
Up to this point it is God the absolute in general, the Creator of all things, to the celebration of whose praise they are summoned; and from this point onwards the God of the history of salvation. In Psalms 136:13 גּזר (instead of בּקע , Psalms 78:13; Exodus 14:21; Nehemiah 9:11) of the dividing of the Red Sea is peculiar; גּזרים (Genesis 15:17, side by side with בּתרים ) are the pieces or parts of a thing that is cut up into pieces. נער is a favourite word taken from Exodus 14:27. With reference to the name of the Egyptian ruler Pharaoh (Herodotus also, ii. 111, calls the Pharaoh of the Exodus the son of Sesostris-Rameses Miumun, not Μενόφθας , as he is properly called, but absolutely Φερῶν ), vid., on Psalms 73:22. After the God to whom the praise is to be ascribed has been introduced with ל by always fresh attributes, the ל before the names of Sihon and of Og is perplexing. The words are taken over, as are the six lines of Psalms 136:17-22 in the main, from Psalms 135:10-12, with only a slight alteration in the expression. In Psalms 136:23 the continued influence of the construction הודוּ ל is at an end. The connection by means of שׁ (cf. Psalms 135:8, Psalms 135:10) therefore has reference to the preceding “for His goodness endureth for ever.” The language here has the stamp of the latest period. It is true זכר with Lamed of the object is used even in the earliest Hebrew, but שׁפל is only authenticated by Ecclesiastes 10:6, and פּרק , to break loose = to rescue (the customary Aramaic word for redemption), by Lamentations 5:8, just as in the closing verse, which recurs to the beginning, “God of heaven” is a name for God belonging to the latest literature, Nehemiah 1:4; Nehemiah 2:4. In Psalms 136:23 the praise changes suddenly to that which has been experienced very recently. The attribute in Psalms 136:25 (cf. Psalms 147:9; Psalms 145:15) leads one to look back to a time in which famine befell them together with slavery.