Psalms 136:25
in Psalms 136He gives food to every creature. His loving devotion endures forever.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Who giveth food to all flesh; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
KJV
Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.
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This verse in Psalms 136
Commentary
11 notes on this verseWho gives food to all flesh. Consider for me the elephant, the camel, the ox, the stag, and these great four-footed beasts, how each one has on its face eyes, nostrils, mouth, feet. But consider also the tiny creatures, that is, the fly, the ant, the flea and the rest, and in these tiny ones consider also the eyes, and the nostrils, and the mouth, and the feet, and all things in like manner as in the greater ones, and glorify the Lord: and to all these he furnishes food.
This site's exposition
He remembered us in our low estate
on Psalms 136:23-26
The recital turns to the singers themselves, remembered in their low estate and freed from their enemies. Verse 25 reaches past Israel to every creature, and Spurgeon weighed that feeding beside God's special favour to Israel as equally worth praise. The psalm ends where it began, at give thanks.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"Who giveth food to all flesh" [Psalm 136:25], that is, to the whole race of mankind, not Israelites only, but Gentiles too; and of this Food is said, "My Flesh is meat indeed."
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
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.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
): 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.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Food - To all living creatures. For which God deserves great praises, which the psalmist teaches us to render to God for them, because those who are most concerned, either cannot, or do not perform this duty.
Who giveth food to all flesh,.... To all creatures; the beasts of the field, and fowls of the air, the young ravens that cry, Psa 145:
4 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
Who giveth food to all flesh. Common providence, which cares for all living things, deserves our most devout thanks. If we think of heavenly food, by which all saints are supplied, our praises rise to a still greater height; but meanwhile the universal goodness of God in feeding all his creatures is as worthy of praise as his special favours to the elect nation. Because the Lord feeds all life therefore we expect him to take special care of his own family. For his mercy endureth for ever.
Who giveth food to all flesh. Common providence, which cares for all living things, deserves our most devout thanks. If we think of heavenly food, by which all saints are supplied, our praises rise to a still greater height; but meanwhile the universal goodness of God in feeding all his creatures is as worthy of praise as his special favours to the elect nation. Because the Lord feeds all life therefore we expect him to take special care of his own family. For his mercy endureth for ever. Reaching downward even to beasts and reptiles, it is, indeed, a boundless mercy, which knows no limit because of the meanness of its object.
Giveth food to all flesh - By whose universal providence every intellectual and animal being is supported and preserved. The appointing every living thing food, and that sort of food which is suited to its nature, (and the nature and habits of animals are endlessly diversified), is an overwhelming proof of the wondrous providence, wisdom, and goodness of God. The Vulgate, Arabic, and Anglo-Saxon, add a twenty-seventh verse, by repeating here Psa 136:3 very unnecessarily.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Who giveth food to all flesh - To all living things: all in the air, on the earth, in the waters. See the notes at Psa 104:27-28; compare Psa 115:16. For his mercy ... - All this is a proof of his benignity and kindness. To see this, it would be necessary to have a view of what is done every day in the providence of God to meet the needs of the countless multitudes thus dependent on him. Let it be remembered, also, that the needs of each insect, fowl, animal; fish, is to be provided for as an individual - and who can take in a full view of the care, the wisdom, the benevolence of what is done every day by the Father of all in providing for their needs? Let it be remembered, also, that this has been continned without ceasing from the foundation of the world, and will be demanded until its close, and then let us try to imagine what is necessary to be done to provide for the needs of all the dwellers in distant worlds - and who, in this view, can form any proper estimate of the wisdom and the goodness of God?
The words behind it
7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| נֹתֵ֣ן | noten | [he is] giving | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לֶ֭חֶם | lechem | food | H3899 → | 298 times |
| לְכָל־ | lekhol | to all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| בָּשָׂ֑ר | basar | flesh | H1320 → | 270 times |
| כִּ֖י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לְעוֹלָ֣ם | leolam | [is] for ever | H5769 → | 438 times |
| חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ | chasdo | covenant loyalty his | H2617 → | 247 times |
נֹתֵ֣ן[he is] giving
notenH5414 →2011 times
לֶ֭חֶםfood
lechemH3899 →298 times
לְכָל־to all
lekholH3605 →5413 times
בָּשָׂ֑רflesh
basarH1320 →270 times
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
8 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
Psalms 147:9He provides food for the animals, and for the young ravens when they call.
it leads to
- Job 38:41
Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God as they wander about for lack of food?
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns—and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 104:27–28
All creatures look to You to give them their food in due season.
- Psalms 145:15–16
The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in season.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Job 38:41
Through
Psalms 145:15The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in season.
it leads to
- Psalms 104:27
All creatures look to You to give them their food in due season.
- Luke 12:24
Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storehouse or barn; yet God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than the birds!
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Acts 17:25
Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.
- Psalms 104:27
Through
Psalms 104:27All creatures look to You to give them their food in due season.
it leads to
- Psalms 147:9
He provides food for the animals, and for the young ravens when they call.
- Psalms 147:9
About Psalms
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 136; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 7; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; Jerome, Homily 47, on Psalm 135; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.