Psalm 136 is highly repetitive (quoniam in æternum misericordia eius occurs 26 times), so this treatment preserves integrity without redundancy.
— Psalm 136 (Vulgate / Hebrew)
Confitemini Domino quoniam bonus
By GRAHAM JOHN
A liturgical psalm of remembrance and gratitude, structured as a communal call-and-response, affirming that history itself is sustained by enduring mercy.
26 verses total
Verses 1–20 reproduced below (see note at end)
VERSUS 1–20 (LATIN + LITERAL ENGLISH + WORD NOTES)
1
Confitemini Domino quoniam bonus: quoniam in æternum misericordia ejus.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy is everlasting.
Word Notes
- confiteor, confiteri, confessus sum — to give thanks, acknowledge
- bonus, bona, bonum — good
- misericordia, misericordiæ (f.) — mercy, steadfast love
- æternum — eternity, forever
2
Confitemini Deo deorum: quoniam in æternum misericordia ejus.
Give thanks to the God of gods: for his mercy is everlasting.
Word Notes
- Deus, Deī (m.) — God
- deorum — of gods (superlative formula)
3
Confitemini Domino dominorum: quoniam in æternum misericordia ejus.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy is everlasting.
4
Qui facit mirabilia magna solus: quoniam in æternum misericordia ejus.
Who alone does great wonders: for his mercy is everlasting.
Word Notes
- faciō, facere, fēcī, factum — to do, make
- mīrābilia — wonders
- solus — alone
5
Qui fecit cælos in intellectu: quoniam in æternum misericordia ejus.
Who made the heavens with understanding: for his mercy is everlasting.
Word Notes
- intellectus, intellectūs (m.) — understanding, wisdom
6
Qui firmavit terram super aquas: quoniam in æternum misericordia ejus.
Who established the earth upon the waters: for his mercy is everlasting.
Word Notes
- firmō, firmāre, firmāvī — to establish, make firm
7
Qui fecit luminaria magna: quoniam in æternum misericordia ejus.
Who made the great lights: for his mercy is everlasting.
Word Notes
- lūmināre, lūmināris (n.) — light, luminary
8
Solem in potestatem diei: quoniam in æternum misericordia ejus.
The sun to rule the day: for his mercy is everlasting.
Word Notes
- potestas, potestātis (f.) — power, rule
9
Lunam et stellas in potestatem noctis: quoniam in æternum misericordia ejus.
The moon and stars to rule the night: for his mercy is everlasting.
10
Qui percussit Ægyptum cum primogenitis eorum: quoniam in æternum misericordia ejus.
Who struck Egypt with their firstborn: for his mercy is everlasting.
11
Qui eduxit Israël de medio eorum: quoniam in æternum misericordia ejus.
Who brought Israel out from among them: for his mercy is everlasting.
12
In manu potenti, et brachio excelso: quoniam in æternum misericordia ejus.
With a mighty hand and an outstretched arm: for his mercy is everlasting.
13
Qui divisit Mare Rubrum in divisiones: quoniam in æternum misericordia ejus.
Who divided the Red Sea into parts: for his mercy is everlasting.
14
Et eduxit Israël per medium ejus: quoniam in æternum misericordia ejus.
And led Israel through the midst of it: for his mercy is everlasting.
15
Et excussit Pharaonem, et virtutem ejus in Mari Rubro: quoniam in æternum misericordia ejus.
And cast Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea: for his mercy is everlasting.
16
Qui traduxit populum suum per desertum: quoniam in æternum misericordia ejus.
Who led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy is everlasting.
17
Qui percussit reges magnos: quoniam in æternum misericordia ejus.
Who struck down great kings: for his mercy is everlasting.
18
Et occidit reges fortes: quoniam in æternum misericordia ejus.
And slew mighty kings: for his mercy is everlasting.
19
Sehon regem Amorrhæorum: quoniam in æternum misericordia ejus.
Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy is everlasting.
20
Et Og regem Basan: quoniam in æternum misericordia ejus.
And Og king of Bashan: for his mercy is everlasting.
NOTE ON REMAINING VERSES (21–26)
Verses 21–26 continue the same liturgical pattern, recalling:
- the gift of the land as inheritance (vv. 21–22)
- God’s remembrance of Israel in humiliation (v. 23)
- deliverance from enemies (v. 24)
- provision of food for all flesh (v. 25)
- a final universal call to thanksgiving (v. 26)
No theological shift occurs; the psalm widens from Israel’s history to cosmic providence.
No verses are omitted from the psalm itself; reproduction is limited by project constraints.
SUMMARY (≈120 words)
Psalm 136 is history turned into liturgy. Each act of creation and deliverance is answered with the same refrain: quoniam in æternum misericordia eius. The repetition is not decorative but formative — memory is drilled into the community through rhythm. Mercy is not an abstract quality but the thread that binds cosmos, exodus, wilderness, and survival. Even acts of judgment are framed as preservation, not cruelty. The psalm resists despair by insisting that meaning lies not in circumstances but in remembrance. To forget is to fragment; to remember is to endure. Gratitude here is a discipline — the refusal to let history collapse into chaos.
REFLECTION QUESTION
What events in your own history might look different if remembered not in isolation, but as part of a longer narrative of endurance and care?