who gives food to every creature; for his loving kindness endures forever.
Parallel Translations
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who gives food to every creature; for his loving kindness endures forever.
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Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.
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Who giveth food to all flesh, for His mercy endureth for ever.
Cross-references (3)
Passages linked to Psalms 136:25 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Psalms 104:27 These all wait for you, that you may give them their food in due season.
- Psalms 145:15 The eyes of all wait for you. You give them their food in due season.
- Psalms 147:9 He provides food for the livestock, and for the young ravens when they call.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (13 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Seeing that God provideth even for the beasts, much…
Seeing that God provideth even for the beasts, much more hath he care over his.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Psa 136:25 Who giveth food to all flesh: for…
Psa 136:25 Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy [endureth] for ever.
Ver. 25. Who giveth food to all flesh] Food agreeable to their several appetites and temperaments, suitable and seasonable.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain To all flesh; either to all mankind, or to…
To all flesh; either to all mankind, or to all living creatures. For which God deserves great praises, which the psalmist by his example teacheth us to render to God for them, because those who are most concerned either cannot or do not perform this duty.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Who giveth food to all flesh,.... To all creatures;…
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 145:15. To all men their daily food; to Jews and Gentiles, good men and bad men, Mat 6:11; and spiritual food to all that belong to Christ, who are flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone; even himself, the bread of life, the wholesome truths of the Gospel, and its refreshing ordinances;
for his mercy endureth for ever; he continues to have compassion on his creatures, and opens his hand of providence, and supplies their wants; he is ever mindful of his covenant of grace and mercy, and therefore gives meat to them that fear him, Psa 111:5.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Food - To all living creatures. For which God…
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.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 25. Giveth food to all flesh] By whose…
Verse 25. 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 Ps 136:3 very unnecessarily.
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ANALYSIS OF THE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SIXTH PSALM
This Psalm has the same argument with the preceding. It is divided into three parts: -
I. A general exhortation to praise God for his goodness and majesty, Ps 136:1-3.
II. A declaration of that goodness and majesty in their effects, Ps 136:4-10.
III. A conclusion fit for the exordium, Ps 136:26.
1. Of his creation, Ps 136:4-10.
2. Of his providence in preserving the Church, and punishing her enemies, Ps 136:10-25.
3. That his providence extends to all his creatures, Ps 136:25.
I. In the three first verses the prophet invites us to praise God for his mercy and goodness. And in these three verses expositors find the Trinity: -
1. Jehovah. God the Father, who is the Fountain of being.
2. God the Son. Who is God of gods, and over all.
3. The Holy Ghost. Who is Lord of lords.
The psalmist's reasons for calling upon us thus to praise him are, "for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever."
The prophet now begins to praise God for his wonderful works, and which he alone was able to do.
1. "Who hath done wonderful things." Such as the work of creation.
2. "For his mercy endureth for ever." In sustaining and preserving all things.
"To him give thanks" for the wisdom manifested in the heavens; for, contemplate them as we may, they appear full of beauty, order, and splendour.
Praise him for the formation of the earth, as the mansion of man.
Give thanks "to him that stretched out," c. Naturally this could not be, because the earth is heavier than water: but God hath made furrows for the waters to flow into, that man and beast might live on the earth.
"For his mercy endureth for ever." In this there was a threefold mercy: -
1. In reference to the earth. To make it something of nothing.
2. As respects the water. To prepare for it a settled place.
3. In regard to man. To whom he gave the earth uncovered from water, and yet plentifully supplied with rivers and fruits.
The third instance is the two great luminaries and the stars, in the three following verses. These do astonishingly adorn the heaven, and profit the earth. The sun and moon illuminate the earth, and comfort us. Perhaps the prophet instances these because they are alike blessings bestowed upon and shared by all the world.
II. From the wonderful works of the creation the prophet descends to those of his providence, in the preservation of the Church and instances it in the redemption of his people Israel from the land of Egypt, c., dwelling at large upon it, Ps 136:10-22.
In these verses the prophet records how God performed to Israel all the offices of a good Captain, Guide, Leader, and even Father for he fed them with bread from heaven, gave them water out of the rock, caused that their clothes wore not out, cured their sick, defended them from their enemies, c.
All this God did for them before they entered Canaan. And then the prophet reminds them how they rebelled against God, and he humbled them by bringing the Philistines and the Babylonian kings against them, who conquered and subjected them: but when they cried to him, he turned their captivity for "he remembered us when we were in our low estate," c. "and hath redeemed us from our enemies," c.
Lastly, that his goodness is not only extended over his people, but his creatures to all flesh, which word signifies every thing that hath life.
III. He concludes as he began, "O give thanks unto the God of heaven," c. The prophet calls him the God of heaven, because he alone made the heavens, and has his throne there, having the whole world under him and by his wisdom and providence he preserves, moderates, and governs all things.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Who giveth food to all flesh - To all…
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?
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 25. Food—Naturally this thought comes to them in the…
25. Food—Naturally this thought comes to them in the pressure and want of their newly restored condition and imperfectly cultivated fields and vineyards.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 25. Cp. Psa_104:27 f.; Psa_145:15; Psa_147:9. All flesh includes…
25. Cp. Psa_104:27 f.; Psa_145:15; Psa_147:9. All flesh includes all living things. Cp. Gen_6:13. The mention of the universal Providence of God follows somewhat abruptly on the celebration of His care for Israel, and it is possible that there has been some corruption or dislocation of the text.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (25) All flesh.—Here apparently the word mercy takes a…
(25) All flesh.—Here apparently the word mercy takes a wider image and applies to all men. But only apparently so. Israel could think of Jehovah providing for the bodily wants of all as He was the creator of all, but the covenant grace was for them alone.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Who giveth food to all flesh. Has a care,…
Who giveth food to all flesh. Has a care, i.e., not only for man, but also for animals. (comp. Psa_104:27 Psa_145:15 Psa_147:9 Jon_4:11) For his mercy, etc.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Charles H. Spurgeon 1885 · Public Domain Ver. 25. Who giveth food to all flesh. Common…
Ver. 25. 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.
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"All things living he doth feed,
His full hand supplies their need;
For his mercy shall endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure."
Ver. 25. Who giveth food to all flesh, etc. The very air we breathe in, the bread we eat, our common blessings, be they never so mean, we have them all from grace, and all from the tender mercy of the Lord. Ps 136:25, you have there the story of the notable effects of God's mercy, and he concludes it thus: "Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever." Mark, the Psalmist doth not only ascribe those mighty victories, those glorious instances of his love and power, to his unchangeable mercy, but he traces our daily bread to the same cause. In eminent deliverances of the church we will acknowledge mercy; yea, but we should do it in every bit of meat we eat; for the same reason is rendered all along. What is the reason his people smote Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og the king of Bashan, and that they were rescued so often out of danger? "For his mercy endureth for ever." And what is the reason he giveth food to all flesh? "For his mercy endureth for ever." It is not only mercy which gives us Christ, and salvation by Christ, and all those glorious deliverances and triumphs over the enemies of the church; but it is mercy which furnishes our tables, it is mercy that we taste with our mouths and wear at our backs. It is notable, our Lord Jesus, when there were but five barley loaves and two fishes (Joh 6:11), "He lift up his eyes and gave thanks." Though our provision be never so homely and slender, yet God's grace and mercy must be acknowledged. Thomas Manton.
Ver. 25. Who giveth food to all flesh. We might fancy that they who have so much to sing of in regard to themselves, so much done for their own souls, would have little care for others. We might fear that they would be found selfish. But not so; the love of God felt by a man makes the man feel as God does toward men; and as God's love is ever going forth to others, so is the heart of the man of God. We see how it is even as to patriotisma man's most intense patriotic feelings do not necessarily make him indifferent to the good of other countries, but rather make him wish all countries to be like his own; so it is, much more certainly and truly, with the Lord's people in their enjoyment of blessing. Their heart expands towards others; they would fain have all men share in what they enjoy. They therefore cannot close their song without having this other clausePraise him who is the giver of bread to all flesh. Not to Israel only does he give blessing. Israel had their manna; but, at the same time, the earth at large has its food. So in spiritual things. Israel's God is he who giveth Himself as the Bread of Life to the world. Perhaps at this point the Psalmist's eye may be supposed to see earth in its state of blessedness, after Israel is for the last time redeemed from all enemies, and become "life from the dead" to the worldwhen Christ reigns and dispenses the bread of life to the New Earth, as widely as he gave common food"the feast of fat things to all nations", (Isa 25:6); for his mercy will not rest till this is accomplished. Andrew A. Bonar.
Ver. 25. Who giveth food to all flesh. In the close the Psalmist speaks of the paternal providence of God as extending not only to all mankind, but to every living creature, suggesting that we have no reason to feel surprise at his sustaining the character of a kind and provident father to his own people, when he condescends to care for the cattle, and the asses of the field, and the crow, and the sparrow. Men are much better than brute beasts, and there is a great difference between some men and others, though not in merit, yet as regards the privilege of the divine adoption, and the Psalmist is to be considered as reasoning from the less to the greater and enhancing the incomparably superior mercy which God shows to his own children. John Calvin.
Ver. 25. Who giveth food to all flesh. Of Edward Taylor, better known as "Father Taylor", the Sailor Preacher of Boston, it is said that his prayers were more like the utterances of an Oriental, abounding in imagery, than a son of these colder western climes. The Sunday before he was to sail for Europe, he was entreating the Lord to care well for his church during his absence. All at once he stopped and ejaculated, "What have I done? Distrust the providence of heaven! A God that gives a whale a ton of herrings for a breakfast, will he not care for my children?" and then went on, closing his prayer in a more confiding strain. C.H. Spurgeon, in "Eccentric Preachers", 1880.
Ver. 25. Divine housekeeping.
1. The Royal Commissariat.
2. Its spiritual counterpart: God's august providing for our immortal nature.
3. The queenly grace that hath the keeping of the keys: "for his mercy", etc.
W.B.H.
Psalms 136:26*
Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 136:25 The Lord provides for all of his creatures.
136:25 The Lord provides for all of his creatures.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.