Psalms 136 · Verse 9

Psalms 136:9

The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Psalms 136:9, King James Version

Psalms 136:9 in other translations

BSB	the moon and stars to govern the night. His loving devotion endures forever.
WEB	the moon and stars to rule by night, for his loving kindness endures forever;
ASV	The moon and stars to rule by night; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
YLT	The moon and stars to rule by night, For to the age is His kindness.
DARBY	The moon and stars for rule over the night, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever:
BBE	The moon and the stars to have rule by night: for his mercy is unchanging for ever.
Webster	The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.

What does Psalms 136:9 mean?

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 136:1-9

Forgetful as we are, things must be often repeated to us. By "mercy" we understand the Lord's disposition to save those whom sin has rendered miserable and vile, and all the provision he has made for the redemption of sinners by Jesus Christ. The counsels of this mercy have been from everlasting, and the effects of it will endure for ever, to all who are interested in it. The Lord continues equally ready to show…

Read the full comment on Psalms 136:1-9 →

Psalms 136:9 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853

הַיָּרֵ֣חַhai.ya.Re.achthe moonH3394

וְ֭כוֹכָבִיםVe.kho.kha.vimand starsH3556

לְמֶמְשְׁל֣וֹתle.mem.she.Lotfor dominion<s>H4475

בַּלָּ֑יְלָהba.La.ye.lahin the nightH3915

כִּ֖יkiforH3588

לְעוֹלָ֣םle.'o.Lam[is] for everH5769

חַסְדּֽוֹ\׃chas.Docovenant loyalty hisH2617

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Psalms 136:9

Psalms 89:36-37
His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.
Job 31:26
If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;
Psalms 8:3
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

The moon and stars.The sun is the monarch of day, the state of light; the moon of the night, the state of darkness. The rays of the sun falling on the atmosphere, are refracted and diffused over the whole of the hemisphere of the earth immediately under his orb; while those rays of that vast luminary which, because of the earth's smallness in comparison with the sun, are diffused on all sides beyond the earth, falling on the opaque disc of the moon, are reflected back on the lower hemisphere, or the part of the earth opposite the sun. But the reflected light being 50,000 times less in intensity than that of the sun, there is a sufficient distinction between day and night, though each is ruled and determined by one of these two great lights.
8:3; 89:36,37; Job 31:26

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Psalms 136:8
The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Psalms 136:9
The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psalms 136:10
To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever:

Read all of Psalms 136

Psalms 136:9 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	La luna y las estrellas para que dominasen en la noche, porque para siempre es su misericordia.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	La lune et les étoiles pour dominer sur la nuit, car sa bonté demeure à toujours;
German Elberfelder 1871	Den Mond und die Sterne zur Beherrschung der Nacht, denn seine Güte währt ewiglich;
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Beatus qui tenebit, et allidet parvulos tuos ad petram.