Psalms 136:7 (KJV)

What does Psalms 136:7 mean?

Psalms 136:7 gives thanks to God as the maker of the great lights in the sky. The verse joins that act of creation to God’s enduring mercy, presenting the lights as part of the reason the worshippers praise him.

After speaking of the earth in verse 6, the psalm turns the reader’s attention upward. The next two verses identify the lights as the sun, moon, and stars, and describe their places in the rhythm of day and night.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 136:7

• “lights” — אוֹר (ʾor): This word can mean light or a source of light. Here, “great lights” points to the heavenly bodies named in the following verses, rather than to brightness alone.
• “mercy” — חֶסֶד (ḥesed): The word can carry the sense of loyal love or lasting kindness. The KJV’s “mercy” describes God’s enduring kindness alongside his power as maker.
• “ever” — עוֹלָם (ʿolam): The word can express a very long or lasting span of time. In the repeated phrase “for his mercy endureth for ever,” it gives the praise a sense of continuing without end.

Why Psalms 136:7 matters

• The verse brings the visible sky into a song of thanks. “To him that made great lights” names the maker as the one being praised.
• The repeated line gives each act of praise a shared answer. “For his mercy endureth for ever” follows every verse of the psalm, linking the making of the lights with the other reasons for thanks.