Bible Strands
Psalms 136:20
and Og king of Bashan—His loving devotion endures forever.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The worship leader addresses the assembly while cataloging Yahweh’s victories over the Amorites and Bashan. This verse interrupts a historical list to mark the defeat of Og king of Bashan.
The words — The Hebrew חַסְדּוֹ (chas.do) literally means his covenant loyalty, and לְעוֹלָם (le-'olam) means for ever. These terms anchor the historical event to Yahweh’s enduring character.
The thread — The text references Og king of Bashan in Numbers 21:33 and Deuteronomy 3:1, where he mobilizes his army to confront Israel. The same defeat is recalled here as part of a liturgical list of conquests.
Why it lands — The verse requires the reader to acknowledge that a specific historical conquest is framed as an expression of divine covenant loyalty. It demands recognition that military outcomes are attributed to Yahweh’s unending faithfulness rather than human strategy.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever:
Cross-references
- Numbers 21:33 Then they turned and went up the road to Bashan, and Og king of Bashan and his whole army came out to meet them in battle at Edrei.
- Deuteronomy 3:1 Then we turned and went up the road to Bashan, and Og king of Bashan and his whole army came out to meet us in battle at Edrei.