Psalm 136 23

Psalm 136:23 kjv

Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:

Psalm 136:23 nkjv

Who remembered us in our lowly state, For His mercy endures forever;

Psalm 136:23 niv

He remembered us in our low estate His love endures forever.

Psalm 136:23 esv

It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever;

Psalm 136:23 nlt

He remembered us in our weakness.
? His faithful love endures forever.

Psalm 136 verses

Psalm 136 23 Meaning

This verse proclaims God's compassionate intervention on behalf of His people when they were in a state of deep humility, oppression, or powerlessness. It emphasizes that God's actions are not random but stem from His unchanging, faithful covenant love and mercy (hesed), which is eternal. It is a testament to God's care for the vulnerable and His active remembrance of their plight, offering reassurance that even in moments of weakness, God's steadfast love remains constant.

Psalm 136 23 Context

Psalm 136 is a communal psalm of thanksgiving, likely sung antiphonally, with the refrain "For His mercy endures forever" (כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ, ki l'olam chasdo) following each declaration of God's attributes or acts. The psalm recounts God's creative power, His judgments against Egypt, His miraculous deliverance of Israel from slavery, His guidance through the wilderness, His conquest of mighty kings on their behalf, and His giving of the promised land. Verse 23, appearing toward the end of this litany of specific national salvations, shifts the focus from grand, public historical events to a more personal and general statement of God's ongoing care. It suggests that God's unwavering faithfulness extends not just to major, epoch-making deliverances, but also to the recurrent times of weakness, humility, or distress experienced by His people throughout their history, emphasizing that even after glorious victories, Israel would continue to find itself in need of divine intervention for its survival and well-being.

Psalm 136 23 Word analysis

• He remembered: (Hebrew: זָכַר, zakhar). This term is more than passive recollection. In a biblical context, zakhar signifies an active, purposeful remembrance that leads to responsive action. It underscores God's unwavering covenant faithfulness—His commitment to His promises and His people, which compels Him to intervene on their behalf. God's "remembering" is always effective, resulting in divine intervention.
• us: (Hebrew: לָנוּ, lanu). This refers to the people of Israel collectively. While the preceding verses highlight grand national historical acts, this phrase brings the focus to the ongoing, communal experience of God's people in their vulnerabilities. It acknowledges that even after great deliverances, they periodically found themselves in need of God's intervention due to various "low estates."
• in our low estate: (Hebrew: בְּשִׁפְלֵנוּ, b'shiflénu). The root שׁפל (shâphel) signifies humility, humiliation, abasement, or being brought low. This describes a condition of weakness, vulnerability, distress, oppression, or a deprived state where one lacks power or standing. It could refer to physical, social, or spiritual lowliness, encompassing situations like slavery in Egypt, periods of foreign domination, or deep personal despair. It underscores humanity's dependence on God in times of dire need.
• For His mercy: (Hebrew: כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ, ki l'olam chasdo). This is the iconic, repeating refrain of the psalm.
  • mercy: (Hebrew: חֶסֶד, ḥesed). This is a pivotal theological term denoting God's steadfast love, loyal love, lovingkindness, covenant loyalty, and unfailing goodness. It's an active, enduring, and faithful love that motivates God's saving actions toward His covenant people. It is an expression of deep, faithful commitment, not merely an emotion.
  • endures forever: (Hebrew: לְעוֹלָם, l'olam). This emphasizes the eternal, unceasing, and constant nature of God's ḥesed. It assures the audience that God's faithful love is not temporary or conditional upon human performance but rooted in His immutable character, thereby assuring His people of His unchanging faithfulness across all generations and circumstances.
• Words-group: "He remembered us in our low estate": This phrase makes a profound theological statement about God's particular attention to the afflicted and the vulnerable. It signifies divine care that extends specifically to those who are suffering, humiliated, or powerless, demonstrating God's preferential concern for the humble and His active compassion in their distress.
• Words-group: "For His mercy endures forever": This iconic refrain serves as the fundamental theological ground and motivation for all of God's actions, including His remembering and delivering His people from their low estate. It is the core truth sustaining faith and enabling praise, affirming God's unfailing goodness and unchanging ḥesed as the perpetual source of all blessings, deliverances, and hope recounted throughout the psalm.

Psalm 136 23 Bonus section

The recurrent refrain "For His mercy endures forever" (כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ) served not only as a theological anchor but also as a powerful liturgical and pedagogical tool in ancient Israel. Its consistent repetition would have deeply ingrained the fundamental truth of God's unceasing ḥesed into the communal memory of the worshippers, thereby reinforcing a robust theology of hope and unwavering dependence on a faithful God, rather than on fleeting human strength or temporary prosperity. The specific placement of verse 23 in the psalm, following specific acts of military triumph and land allocation, subtly reflects an understanding that even when the Israelites had the land and seemed "established," periods of "low estate" would inevitably recur—whether through idolatry, internal strife, or foreign subjugation. Thus, the enduring need for God's constant and active mercy was a continuous reality throughout Israel's history, highlighting that even after great blessings or victories, humanity's absolute dependence on God's grace persists.

Psalm 136 23 Commentary

Psalm 136:23 beautifully encapsulates God's compassionate and proactive faithfulness towards His people. Following a grand narrative of historical interventions, the psalmist distills the essence of God's relationship: He intervenes not merely due to a covenant established in the past, but because of an ever-present, active remembrance of their current distress. "In our low estate" speaks to the perennial human condition of vulnerability, oppression, or even deep sinfulness. God's unwavering response to this is ḥesed—His unfailing, covenantal, steadfast love that perpetually moves Him to rescue, sustain, and restore. This verse reassures believers that even in their deepest valleys—be it affliction, humiliation, or spiritual barrenness—God, who is boundlessly merciful, actively remembers their plight and is eternally faithful to deliver them, encouraging unwavering dependence on His immutable character.