Psalm 136:22-25. A heritage unto Israel his servant — He speaks of all that people as of one man, because they were united together in one body, in the worship of one and the same God. Thus God calleth them all his firstborn, Exodus 4:22. Who giveth food to all flesh — To all living creatures. For which God deserves great praises, which the palmist, by his example, teacheth us to render for them, because those who are most concerned either cannot or do not perform this duty. Observe, reader, “the same bounty, which in the natural world provides proper nutriment for every creature, hath also provided for the spirits of all flesh the bread of eternal life. In either sense, Jehovah openeth his hand and filleth all things living with plenteousness. Be therefore his praise as universal and lasting as his mercy.”

136:10-22 The great things God did for Israel, when he brought them out of Egypt, were mercies which endured long to them; and our redemption by Christ, which was typified thereby, endures for ever. It is good to enter into the history of God's favours, and in each to observe, and own, that his mercy endureth for ever. He put them in possession of a good land; it was a figure of the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.To him which smote great kings - On this passage see the notes at Psalm 135:10-12. There is little difference in the two places, except that here the statement is divided by the refrain, "For his mercy endureth forever." The idea in the whole passage, in view of the divine interposition in slaying the mighty kings, and in giving their land for a possession to the Hebrew people, is, that it was a proof of mercy and benevolence. It is benevolence to mankind and to the church of God - it is in the interests of humanity, of domestic peace, and of the charities of life, to remove wicked people from the world. This mercy may be manifested further, not merely in removing the wicked, but in transferring their possessions to those who will make a better use of them. Thus the possessions of these mighty kings, Sihon and Og, were transferred to the people of God, and lands which had been devoted to the service of blood, ambition, crime, pollution, and idolatry, became devoted to the service of religion and righteousness. In like manner, through the removal of a wicked man from the world by death, God may cause his wealth, accumulated by avarice and dishonesty, to be transferred to the hands of children who will make a good use of it - children converted as if in anticipation of this, and with a view to this. Among the highest expressions of mercy to the world may be, therefore, the removal of wicked princes in war - or the removal of wicked people, in other ranks of life, by death in any form. 15. overthrew—literally, "shook off," as in Ex 14:27, as a contemptuous rejection of a reptile. Israel his servant; he speaks of all that people as of one man, because they were united together in one body, in the worship of one and the same God. Thus God calleth them all his first-born, Exodus 4:22.

Even an heritage unto Israel his servant,.... The land of those that served idols, the Lord took and gave to Israel for an inheritance, who served him, the true God. Thus the Lord rewards his servants in a way of grace and mercy, though not as of debt; for it follows,

for his mercy endureth for ever; Aben Ezra and Kimchi make the mercy to lie in this peculiarly, that the lands of these kings were not in the covenant with Abraham; only the seven nations or kingdoms of Canaan, which are not here mentioned, as in Psalm 135:11; but the Amorites were given in the covenant, Genesis 15:21; and the one as the other were given as an inheritance to Israel, and equally owing to the mercy of God; see Psalm 135:11. And thus the heavenly glory, of which Canaan was a type, is an inheritance owing to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, Jde 1:21.

Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever.