King James Version

Psalms 136:17

To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:

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Hebrew

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לְ֭מַכֵּהlemakehto strikeנָכָהpreposition, verb, hiphil, participle, construct — “to strike”, a verb used as a describing wordH5221to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively)beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), [idiom] go forward, [idiom] indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer, punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike, be stricken, (give) stripes, [idiom] surely, wound.מְלָכִ֣יםmelakhimkingמֶלֶךְnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “king”, the ordinary formH4428a kingking, royal.גְּדֹלִ֑יםgedolimgreatגָּדוֹלadjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “great”, the ordinary formH1419great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent[phrase] aloud, elder(-est), [phrase] exceeding(-ly), [phrase] far, (man of) great (man, matter, thing,-er,-ness), high, long, loud, mighty, more, much, noble, proud thing, [idiom] sore, ([idiom]) very.כִּ֖יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…לְעוֹלָ֣םleolamto alwayעוֹלָםpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “to alway”, the ordinary formH5769properly, concealed, i.e. the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial (especially with prepositional prefix) alwaysalway(-s), ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for, (n-)) ever(-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of) old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world ([phrase] without end). Compare H5331 (נֶצַח), H5…חַסְדּֽוֹchasdvokindnessחֵסֵדnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “kindness”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2617kindness; by implication (towards God) piety; rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) beautyfavour, good deed(-liness, -ness), kindly, (loving-) kindness, merciful (kindness), mercy, pity, reproach, wicked thing.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

To Him that smote great kings; for His mercy endureth for ever;

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The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

To him that smote great kings; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;

Young’s Literal Translation

To Him smiting great kings, For to the age [is] His kindness.

World English Bible

to him who struck great kings, for his loving kindness endures forever;

Darby Translation

To him that smote great kings, for his loving-kindness [endureth] for ever,

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

To Him that smote great kings; for His mercy endureth for ever;

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

To him who smote great kings: for his mercy endures for ever:

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Τῷ πατάξαντι βασιλεῖς μεγάλους, ὅτι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ.