Psalm 136:8 kjv
The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Psalm 136:8 nkjv
The sun to rule by day, For His mercy endures forever;
Psalm 136:8 niv
the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever.
Psalm 136:8 esv
the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever;
Psalm 136:8 nlt
the sun to rule the day,
? His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 136 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 1:16 | "And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day..." | God ordained the sun's purpose. |
| Gen 8:22 | "While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease." | God's continuing ordinance for the earth. |
| Deut 4:19 | "...lest you lift up your eyes to the heavens, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars...be drawn away and worship them..." | Warns against worshipping celestial bodies, affirming God as the sole creator. |
| Ps 19:4b-6 | "...In them He has set a tent for the sun...nothing is hidden from its heat." | The sun testifies to God's glory and power. |
| Ps 74:16 | "The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun." | God's ownership and establishment of day/night. |
| Ps 104:19 | "He made the moon for appointed seasons; the sun knows its going down." | God established the cycles and functions of celestial bodies. |
| Jer 31:35 | "Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for a light by day, the ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night..." | God's fixed, eternal order over creation. |
| Ps 89:2 | "For I have said, 'Mercy shall be built up forever; Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens.'" | God's hesed is eternal and sure. |
| Ps 89:36 | "His offspring shall endure forever, His throne as long as the sun before Me." | The sun as a metaphor for God's lasting faithfulness. |
| Isa 40:26 | "Lift up your eyes on high, and see Who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number..." | Challenges other "gods," asserting God as Creator of all heavenly bodies. |
| Job 38:12 | "Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place?" | God's exclusive control over the sun's arising. |
| Mal 4:2 | "But to you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings..." | Prophetic imagery of God's coming (Christ) as a source of light and healing. |
| 1 Tim 6:16 | "who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see..." | God as the source of all light, dwelling in perfect light. |
| Jas 1:17 | "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights..." | God is the ultimate source of light and all good gifts. |
| Col 1:16-17 | "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth...and in Him all things consist." | Christ as the agent and sustainer of all creation. |
| Heb 1:3 | "who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power..." | Christ's continuous upholding of creation by divine power. |
| Lam 3:22-23 | "Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning..." | God's mercies (forms of hesed) are consistently new with each day's dawn. |
| Ps 107:1 | "Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever." | A recurring theme in the Psalms regarding God's enduring hesed. |
| Ps 118:1 | "Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever." | Another declaration of God's unending hesed. |
| Ps 130:7 | "O Israel, hope in the LORD; For with the LORD there is mercy, And with Him is abundant redemption." | Connects God's hesed with His redemptive acts. |
| Joel 2:10 | "The earth quakes before them, The heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark, And the stars diminish their brightness." | Even celestial bodies, ordained by God, are subject to His judgments and power. |
| Acts 17:28 | "for in Him we live and move and have our being..." | God's immanent sustainment of all existence. |
| Rev 21:23 | "The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it..." | In the new creation, God Himself is the ultimate light source, surpassing the sun. |
Psalm 136 verses
Psalm 136 8 Meaning
Psalm 136:8 declares that God appointed the sun to govern the day, emphasizing His sovereignty over creation. This act of establishing an ordered universe is not random but flows from His enduring, steadfast love, which is the foundational truth repeated throughout the psalm. It signifies God's dependable provision and active sustainment of His world.
Psalm 136 8 Context
Psalm 136 is a Hallel (praise) psalm, characterized by its repetitive litany "For His steadfast love endures forever." It is structured as a communal hymn, likely sung antiphonally, with a leader reciting God's acts and the congregation responding with the refrain. The psalm recounts the major acts of God in creation and Israel's redemptive history, starting with the very first act of creating the cosmos. Verse 8 fits into the creation segment, highlighting God's power in establishing the fundamental order of day and night. Historically, this hymn would have reinforced monotheism for the Israelite community, especially given the pervasive polytheism of surrounding cultures that deified celestial bodies like the sun and moon. The psalm firmly attributes their existence and function to Yahweh's design, directly challenging any notion of them being independent deities.
Psalm 136 8 Word analysis
- the sun (שֶׁ֣מֶשׁ - shemesh): Refers to the physical star. In ancient cultures, the sun was often deified (e.g., Ra in Egypt, Shamash in Mesopotamia). The use of "the sun" here, without any divine epithet, directly undermines pagan sun worship by presenting it as merely a created object under God's control. It is a thing made, not a god to be feared or revered.
- to rule (לְמֶמְשֶׁ֣לֶת - le-memashelet): From the root mashal, meaning "to rule, reign, govern, have dominion." This term signifies established authority and control. The sun does not have inherent power or will; its "rule" is a delegated function, a divinely ordained dominion within the cosmos. This stresses the meticulous order God built into His creation, demonstrating His supreme power and organization.
- by day (בַּיּ֑וֹם - bayom): Specifies the sun's assigned sphere of influence, distinguishing its role from that of the moon and stars which "rule by night" (Ps 136:9). This precise demarcation highlights God's orderly design, where everything has its designated place and purpose.
- the sun to rule by day: This phrase together describes God's deliberate act of bringing order out of potential chaos, giving a reliable and consistent pattern to life. It speaks to God's foresight and providence, providing light and warmth necessary for life on Earth. This regularity signifies God's trustworthiness and His continuous care for creation.
- for His steadfast love endures forever (כִּ֣י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ - ki le'olam chasdo):
- for (כִּ֣י - ki): Connects the specific act of God (creating the sun to rule) to His fundamental attribute, indicating that this act springs from or is motivated by His steadfast love.
- His steadfast love (חַסְדּֽוֹ - chasdo): Hesed (often translated as loyal love, covenant love, lovingkindness, mercy) is a deep and profound theological term. It describes God's committed, faithful, and loyal love, especially within the context of a covenant relationship. It encompasses not just affection but also action—God's active goodness and benevolent concern for His creation and people. Every aspect of His creative and redemptive work is rooted in this unchanging hesed.
- endures forever (לְעוֹלָ֣ם - le'olam): Implies eternal, perpetual, unceasing, never-failing. It signifies the reliability and constancy of God's character and actions. This phrase provides ultimate assurance, as God's love is not subject to change or cessation, guaranteeing His continued provision and care.
- The whole phrase "for His steadfast love endures forever": This refrain, the bedrock of Psalm 136, grounds all of God's mighty acts in His unchanging, relational goodness. It turns creation, an act of sheer power, into an expression of infinite divine love, ensuring that everything from the sun's daily rising to Israel's redemption is a manifestation of His profound and faithful hesed.
Psalm 136 8 Bonus section
The repetitive nature of the refrain in Psalm 136 acts as a profound teaching device. Each mention reinforces that every specific divine act, from the grand cosmic scale (sun ruling) to personal deliverance, is permeated by the same underlying attribute of God's unending hesed. This verse, therefore, transforms the mundane daily cycle of day into a continuous sermon on God's benevolent character, encouraging ceaseless praise and trust. The emphasis on the sun being appointed by God for rule served as a powerful polemic against the polytheistic worship of celestial bodies common in ancient Near Eastern religions, definitively stating that the sun is a mere instrument in God's hand, not a deity itself.
Psalm 136 8 Commentary
Psalm 136:8 concisely declares God's sovereignty over the cosmos. By establishing "the sun to rule by day," God not only demonstrates His immeasurable power as Creator but also asserts His supreme authority over every perceived natural force or deity. The regular, predictable function of the sun, vital for life and order, serves as an undeniable testimony to God's meticulously designed and sustained creation. The essential core of this verse, and the entire psalm, is found in its concluding refrain: "for His steadfast love endures forever." This foundational truth reveals that even the very act of structuring the universe, down to the sun's daily course, is an outflow of God's faithful, covenantal love. It signifies that His provision for His creation is not arbitrary but flows from His unchanging character, offering constant reassurance of His benevolent presence and reliable care.Example: Just as we can depend on the sun rising each morning to bring light and warmth, we can equally depend on God's steadfast love, which provides for us faithfully and reliably every single day.