Psalms 136:22

Psa 136:22 [Even] an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy [endureth] for ever.

Ver. 22. And gave] Psa 135:12 Jos 12:7, he paid them well for their pains, after that he had made use of their sword and service against those sinners against their own souls.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Psa 136:22-25. A heritage unto Israel his servant — He speaks of all that people as of one man, because they were united together in one body, in the worship of one and the same God. Thus God calleth them all his firstborn, Exo 4:22. Who giveth food to all flesh — To all living creatures. For which God deserves great praises, which the palmist, by his example, teacheth us to render for them, because those who are most concerned either cannot or do not perform this duty. Observe, reader, “the same bounty, which in the natural world provides proper nutriment for every creature, hath also provided for the spirits of all flesh the bread of eternal life. In either sense, Jehovah openeth his hand and filleth all things living with plenteousness. Be therefore his praise as universal and lasting as his mercy.”

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

22. (Psa 136:22) A heritage to Israel his servant—for unto eternity (is) his mercy. This is the latter half of Psa 135:12, divided from the first half by the theme or chorus.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

22. Israel his servant] Cp. Isa_41:8; &c.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Even an heritage unto Israel his servant,.... The land of those that served idols, the Lord took and gave to Israel for an inheritance, who served him, the true God. Thus the Lord rewards his servants in a way of grace and mercy, though not as of debt; for it follows,

for his mercy endureth for ever; Aben Ezra and Kimchi make the mercy to lie in this peculiarly, that the lands of these kings were not in the covenant with Abraham; only the seven nations or kingdoms of Canaan, which are not here mentioned, as in Psa 135:11; but the Amorites were given in the covenant, Gen 15:21; and the one as the other were given as an inheritance to Israel, and equally owing to the mercy of God; see Psa 135:11. And thus the heavenly glory, of which Canaan was a type, is an inheritance owing to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, Jde 1:21.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Israel his servant; he speaks of all that people as of one man, because they were united together in one body, in the worship of one and the same God. Thus God calleth them all his first-born, Exo 4:22.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ver. 22. Even an heritage unto Israel his servant. Repetitions are effective in poetry, and the more so if there be some little variation in them, bringing out into fuller light some point which else had not been noticed. The lands of the heathen kings were given to "Israel", the name by which the chosen seed is here mentioned for the third time in the Psalm, with the addition of the words, "his servant." The leasehold of Canaan to Israel after the flesh was made dependent upon suit and service rendered to the Lord of the manor by whom the lease was granted. It was a country worth singing about, richly justifying the two stanzas devoted to it. The division of the country by lot, and the laws by which the portions of ground were reserved to the owners and their descendants for a perpetual inheritance were fit subjects for song. Had other nations enjoyed land laws which ensured to every family a plot of ground for cultivation, much of the present discontent would never have arisen, beggary would soon have become uncommon, and poverty itself would have been rare.

For his mercy endureth for ever. Yes, mercy fights for the land, mercy divides the spoil among its favoured ones, and mercy secures each man in his inheritance. Glory be to God the faithful One.

"For his mercy full and free.

Wins us full felicity."

Ver. 22. Israel his servant. He speaks of all that people as of one man, because they were united together in one body, in the worship of one and the same God. Thus God calleth them all his "firstborn": Ex 4:22. Matthew Pool.

Psalms 136:23*

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Israel - He speaks of all that people as of one man, because they were united together in one body in the worship of God.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.