Psalms 136:19
in Psalms 136Sihon king of the Amorites His loving devotion endures forever.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Sihon king of the Amorites; For his lovingkindness endureth forever;
KJV
Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever:
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This verse in Psalms 136
Commentary
8 notes on this verseSihon king of the Amorites. Let the name be mentioned that the mercy may be the better remembered. Sihon smote Moab, but he could not smite Israel, for the Lord smote him. He was valiant and powerful, so as to be both great and famous; but as he wilfully refused to give a peaceful passage to the Israelites, and fought against them in malice, there was no choice for it but to let him run into that destruction which he courted.
This site's exposition
He led His people through the wilderness
on Psalms 136:16-22
The whole wilderness takes one line. Of the conquest the psalm names two kings, Sihon of the Amorites and Og of Bashan, whom Israel met east of the Jordan in Numbers 21. Their land is given to Israel as an inheritance and a heritage.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"Sehon king of the Amorites" [Psalm 136:19], an "useless shoot," or "fiery temptation," for so is Sehon interpreted: the king of "them who cause bitterness," for such is the meaning of Amorites.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
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.
Sihon king of the Amorites,.... A strong and warlike people, and their king a great and mighty one; see Psa 135:11; for his mercy endureth for ever; since this king would not suffer Israel to go through his borders, but came out and fought against them; and had not the Lord smote him, they must have fallen a prey into his hands, Num 21:23.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
THESE six verses iterate and reiterate the same fact. They rehearse and repeat the same reflection. Is the tautology tedious? Do the chimes weary you with their monotony? No. And this is a veritable charm in poetry. When the poet touches upon some important theme which illuminates his soul and kindles his nobler passions to a flame, he is very apt to dwell upon it with enthusiasm, inclined to pursue it with eagerness, to follow it up with feeling and echo it over and over again with strong and yet stronger emotion.
Sihon king of the Amorites. Let the name be mentioned that the mercy may be the better remembered. Sihon smote Moab, but he could not smite Israel, for the Lord smote him. He was valiant and powerful, so as to be both great and famous; but as he wilfully refused to give a peaceful passage to the Israelites, and fought against them in malice, there was no choice for it but to let him run into that destruction which he courted. His fall was speedy and final, and the chosen people were so struck with it that they sung of his overthrow in their national songs. For his mercy endureth for ever. His mercy is no respecter of persons, and neither the greatness nor the fame of Sihon could protect him after he had dared to attack Israel. The Lord will not forsake his people because Sihon blusters.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
THESE six verses iterate and reiterate the same fact. They rehearse and repeat the same reflection. Is the tautology tedious? Do the chimes weary you with their monotony? No. And this is a veritable charm in poetry. When the poet touches upon some important theme which illuminates his soul and kindles his nobler passions to a flame, he is very apt to dwell upon it with enthusiasm, inclined to pursue it with eagerness, to follow it up with feeling and echo it over and over again with strong and yet stronger emotion. Nobody feels that repetition is out of place in poetry, because in weal or woe, with pleasure or with pathos, we dwell on the theme which awakens our sympathy. This Psalm, of which the refrain is always the same—"His mercy endures forever," has in it several instances of this repetition. "To Him that made great lights," is followed by, "The sun to rule by day," and by the next, "The moon and stars to rule by night: for His mercy endures forever." The repetition is natural and secures attention. The words are musical as they strike on our ears and the style is not only allowable, but acceptable as a beautiful license of the poetic school. For my part, I like a repetition in the tune of a Psalm as well as in its language. There has sprung up a fashion in music, now, to quibble at repeats. I must confess, I do not feel of the same mind as some who, when the Psalm or hymn is given out, seem to say, "Now, let us go through it as quickly as ever we can, from beginning to end." I prefer to chew some of the words—to have them come over again—to get the flavor of them in my mouth, or rather, in my soul.
The words behind it
6 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לְ֭סִיחוֹן | lesichon | to Sihon | H5511 → | |
| מֶ֣לֶךְ | melekh | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| הָאֱמֹרִ֑י | haemori | the Amorites | H567 → | |
| כִּ֖י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לְעוֹלָ֣ם | leolam | [is] for ever | H5769 → | 438 times |
| חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ | chasdo | covenant loyalty his | H2617 → | 247 times |
לְ֭סִיחוֹןto Sihon
lesichonH5511 →
מֶ֣לֶךְ[the] king of
melekhH4428 →2525 times
הָאֱמֹרִ֑יthe Amorites
haemoriH567 →
כִּ֖יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
לְעוֹלָ֣ם[is] for ever
leolamH5769 →438 times
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃covenant loyalty his
chasdoH2617 →247 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 29:7When you reached this place, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan came out against us in battle, but we defeated them.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 2:24
“Arise, set out, and cross the Arnon Valley. See, I have delivered into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to take possession of it and engage him in…
- Numbers 21:21–35
Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,
- Numbers 32:33–42
So Moses gave to the Gadites, to the Reubenites, and to the half-tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan—the…
- Psalms 135:10–12
He struck down many nations and slaughtered mighty kings:
- Psalms 136:17–22
He struck down great kings His loving devotion endures forever.
- Deuteronomy 2:24
About Psalms
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Psalms; Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 136; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 7; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1285: “Sihon and Og, or Mercies in Detail” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.