There are prayers that teach us to ask, and prayers that teach us to repent — and there is a prayer that teaches the hardest and the most healing thing of all: to give thanks. And among all the thanksgivings of the Bible, one refrain sounds more often than any other — the phrase repeated twenty-six times in a row within a single psalm and echoing through the whole sacred history, from the bringing of the ark in David’s day to the dedication of Solomon’s temple and to the choirs of King Jehoshaphat that marched in front of his army: “Give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy endures forever!” In this article we will explore where these words came from, what the mysterious Hebrew word “hesed” means, why Psalm 136 is called the “Great Hallel”, — and, above all, how to pray this prayer today, when giving thanks is hardest of all.
1. The Refrain That Holds an Entire Psalm Together
Psalm 136 is built like no other: it is 26 verses, and every single one ends with the same refrain — “for His mercy endures forever” (“for His steadfast love endures forever”). The first half of each verse recounts a particular work of God, and the second half invariably answers with thanksgiving. Here is how it reads:
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, — for His mercy endures forever!
Give thanks to the God of gods, — for His mercy endures forever!
Give thanks to the Lord of lords, — for His mercy endures forever!
To Him who alone does great wonders, — for His mercy endures forever!
To Him who by wisdom made the heavens, — for His mercy endures forever!
To Him who spread out the earth above the waters, — for His mercy endures forever!
To Him who made the great lights, — for His mercy endures forever!
The sun to rule over the day, — for His mercy endures forever!
The moon and stars to rule over the night, — for His mercy endures forever!
To Him who struck Egypt in its firstborn, — for His mercy endures forever!
And brought Israel out from among them, — for His mercy endures forever!
With a strong hand and an outstretched arm, — for His mercy endures forever!
To Him who divided the Red Sea in two, — for His mercy endures forever!
And made Israel pass through its midst, — for His mercy endures forever!
But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the sea, — for His mercy endures forever!
To Him who led His people through the wilderness, — for His mercy endures forever!
To Him who struck down great kings, — for His mercy endures forever!
And killed mighty kings: Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, — for His mercy endures forever!
And gave their land as a heritage, — for His mercy endures forever!
To Him who remembered us in our low estate, — for His mercy endures forever!
And rescued us from our foes, — for His mercy endures forever!
To Him who gives food to all flesh, — for His mercy endures forever!
Give thanks to the God of heaven, — for His mercy endures forever!
Notice the movement: the psalm goes from Creation (heavens, earth, lights) through the Exodus (Egypt, the Red Sea, the wilderness) and the conquest of the Land to the most personal verse of all — “He remembered us in our low estate”. The psalmist does not merely list great events of the past: he ends where every reader finds himself — God remembers me in my low estate, and that remembrance too is mercy that endures forever.
2. “Mercy Endures Forever”: What Stands Behind the Word “Hesed”
The key word of the refrain is the Hebrew חֶסֶד (hesed), one of the most important words of the Old Testament. It is translated variously: mercy, steadfast love, lovingkindness, grace, goodness. No translation exhausts its meaning, because hesed is not an emotion and not a one-time favour, but faithful, covenantal love: love that has bound itself by promise and does not withdraw even when the other side is unfaithful.
The difference is essential. “His mercy endures forever” does not mean “God is occasionally kind”. It means: His goodness rests not on our merits but on His own faithfulness. The people grumbled in the wilderness, kings betrayed, allies turned away — yet the refrain remained unchanging, because its source was not the state of people but the character of God. That is precisely why the psalm can be sung in any age: in years of glory — as a hymn; in years of defeat — as a confession of faith: even when we see no good, His mercy has not ceased.
3. Where Else This Prayer Sounds in Scripture
- Psalms 106, 107, 118 and 136 — four psalms open with this refrain.
- 1 Chronicles 16:34 — David brings the ark to Jerusalem and commands the Levites to give thanks to the Lord with these very words. From this moment the refrain becomes liturgical.
- 2 Chronicles 5:13 — the dedication of Solomon’s temple: the Levite singers raise this refrain in one voice — and in that very moment “the glory of the Lord filled the house”.
- 2 Chronicles 7:3 — when fire comes down from heaven and the glory fills the temple, all the people fall on their faces and repeat: “for He is good, for His mercy endures forever!”
- 2 Chronicles 20:21 — King Jehoshaphat places a choir singing this song in front of his army as it marches against three armies (read more in our article “2 Chronicles 20: Singers in Front of the Army”).
- Ezra 3:11 — after the Babylonian exile, when the foundation of the second temple is laid, the priests and Levites again raise the same refrain.
- Jeremiah 33:11 — amid the ruins of Jerusalem the prophet promises that in this city the voice will again be heard of those who say: “Give thanks to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good, for His mercy endures forever!”
The picture is striking: these words sound at every turning point in the history of God’s people — the ark in Jerusalem, the first temple, its dedication by fire, the return from exile, the laying of the new temple, the prayer before an impossible battle. It is the “national anthem” of God’s faithfulness — and at the same time a deeply personal prayer of everyone who has passed through their own Red Sea.
4. The “Great Hallel”: Psalm 136 in Worship
In Jewish tradition Psalm 136 received a special name — the “Great Hallel” (the Great Praise), as distinct from the “Egyptian Hallel” (Psalms 113–118). It is recited at the most joyful moments of the liturgical year: at Passover it belongs to the Seder meal, and it is sung at the Feast of Tabernacles. In ancient performance the psalm was antiphonal: a Levite or leader proclaimed the first half of a verse, and the whole congregation answered with the refrain “for His mercy endures forever!” — exactly as described in 1 and 2 Chronicles. This structure makes the psalm an ideal prayer of community: one recalls God’s deeds — all respond with thanksgiving.
For Christians the psalm has yet another dimension: the Hallel hymns concluded the Passover meal, and it was “after they had sung a hymn” that Christ went out with His disciples to the Mount of Olives after the Last Supper (Mt. 26:30). The words that sounded at the Jordan, in the temple and before battles also sounded on the threshold of Gethsemane. In Christian tradition the refrain lives in thanksgiving prayers after Communion, in morning prayers, and in liturgical acclamations when the congregation responds to the proclamation of grace.
5. Why This Prayer Changes the Heart
- It restores memory. The great trouble of a person in distress is short memory for good. Psalm 136 forcibly unfolds before the heart the whole list of God’s works: from the creation of the world to “He remembered us in our low estate”. To give thanks means to remember.
- It shifts focus from lack to the Faithful One. The repetitive refrain does what every mantra of the heart does: it prevents thought from freezing in anxiety. When you say “His mercy endures forever” twenty-six times in a row, the heart gradually entrusts itself to this rhythm.
- It is honest about darkness. The psalm does not silence Egypt, the wilderness or the “low estate”. It confesses: it was hard — and precisely there God’s faithfulness shone brightest. This is not a rose-coloured prayer but the prayer of the rescued.
- It makes thanksgiving communal. The antiphonal structure (“one recalls — all respond”) teaches that gratitude is not a private matter: it builds community. No wonder the strongest moments in this history are the choir before Jehoshaphat’s army and all the people on their faces in the temple.
- It proclaims “forever” in the midst of the temporary. Everything that frightens us is temporary; the refrain reminds us that something outlasts the crisis: His mercy is “forever”. This is not a denial of pain but a change of scale.
6. How to Pray “Give Thanks to the Lord, for His Mercy Endures Forever”
- Morning thanksgiving. On waking, say the refrain three times — for the past day, for sleep and awakening, for the day beginning. Then add one concrete reason: “I thank You for… — for His mercy endures forever!”
- Read Psalm 136 aloud. Once a week read the psalm slowly, pausing on every refrain. In family or parish read it antiphonally: one reads the first half of the verse, all respond with the refrain.
- A personal version of the psalm. Try to compose your own list following the structure of Psalm 136: “To Him who brought me out of… — for His mercy endures forever! To Him who set me on… — for His mercy endures forever! To Him who remembered me in my low estate — for His mercy endures forever!” This is one of the deepest spiritual exercises: to see one’s own history as a history of salvation.
- Prayer in crisis. When thanksgiving seems impossible, begin with the smallest thing — thanks for the very ability to breathe — and add the refrain. Jehoshaphat’s choir sang before the victory, not after; according to Scripture, it is precisely such thanksgiving that launches God’s action.
- Thanksgiving before meals. The verse “He gives food to all flesh” was made for the table: the family can say the refrain together before eating.
- Evening summary. Before sleep, name three of God’s works of the day — even the smallest — and finish with the refrain. In a few weeks this habit changes the very way one looks at the day.
7. A Short Prayer Based on Psalm 136
O Lord my God! I give thanks to You, for You are good — for Your mercy endures forever! I thank You for the created world that sustains me; for the people You have set upon my path; for every day I have lived and did not deserve. Remember me in my low estate, as You remembered Your people — and rescue me from my enemies, visible and invisible. Give me a heart that knows how to give thanks not only in joy but also in trial; and make my whole life — from my creation to my last day — one great “for Your mercy endures forever!” Amen.
8. A Living Testimony: the Psalm in a Hospital Corridor
Parish chronicles and home testimonies preserve many stories about the power of this refrain. Oksana from Poltava tells one of them. When her son received a grave diagnosis and months of treatment turned into an endless corridor between wards and tests, she caught herself reducing her prayer to a single request repeated a thousand times — and her heart had dried up. Then her grandmother advised a simple thing: every morning in the hospital corridor, quietly read one passage of Psalm 136, adding her own line to each verse: “To Him who sustains my son — for His mercy endures forever!”
“At first it felt almost indecent — giving thanks where it hurts,” Oksana recalls. “But after a few weeks I understood: the psalm does not demand that I rejoice; it simply teaches me to see. I began to notice the people God placed beside us: a nurse who prayed with us, a stranger who paid for part of the treatment, a doctor who called even on weekends. The treatment was long and hard, but my son recovered. And above all — I carried out of that corridor not only healing but a new heart: now, whatever happens, inside me sounds a refrain that does not depend on circumstances: for His mercy endures forever!”
9. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Where does the prayer “Give thanks to the Lord, for His mercy endures forever” come from?
It is the main refrain of Psalm 136, repeated in each of its 26 verses. The same refrain appears in Psalms 106, 107 and 118, and in the historical books: 1 Chronicles 16:34 (bringing of the ark), 2 Chronicles 5:13 and 7:3 (dedication of the temple), 2 Chronicles 20:21 (Jehoshaphat’s choir), Ezra 3:11 (foundation of the second temple) and Jeremiah 33:11.
What does the word “mercy” (hesed) mean in this refrain?
The Hebrew hesed means God’s faithful, covenantal love: love that holds not to our merits but to His own promise. Therefore “His mercy endures forever” is not “God is kind sometimes”, but a confession that His goodness never ceases, even when we do not feel it.
Why is Psalm 136 called the “Great Hallel”?
“Hallel” means “praise”. In Jewish liturgy Psalm 136 received the name “Great Hallel” as distinct from Psalms 113–118; it is recited at the most joyful moments of the year, especially at Passover. The psalm was performed antiphonally: a leader proclaimed the first half of a verse, and the people responded with the refrain.
When is it best to pray this prayer?
Always, but especially: in the morning as a beginning of the day with thanksgiving; before meals (the verse “He gives food to all flesh”); in times of crisis as a prayer of faith before the victory, not after; and in the evening as a summary of the day with three named works of God.
Who is the author of Psalm 136?
The psalm bears no author’s name in the Psalter. Jewish and Christian tradition connect it with the Levitical worship of David’s era — it was David who entrusted this refrain to the Levites at the bringing of the ark (1 Chr. 16:7-34), and the structure of the psalm corresponds to liturgical, antiphonal performance.
10. Sources
1. Psalm 136: text, structure, the “Great Hallel” and liturgical use — Wikipedia article: en.wikipedia.org (Psalm 136).
2. Hallel: the Passover hymns of Jewish tradition — Wikipedia article: en.wikipedia.org (Hallel).
3. Commentaries on Psalm 136: from the Church Fathers to classic interpreters — BibleHub: biblehub.com (Psalm 136:1).
4. 2 Chronicles 20: Jehoshaphat’s choir with the refrain “for His mercy endures forever” — Our article: pray.ee (2 Chronicles 20).
5. Псалом 136 (135) — Ukrainian-language version of this article: pray.ee (Псалом 136).