Give thanks to the LORD,
Thanksgiving is a central theme in the Psalms, reflecting the importance of gratitude in the believer's life. The act of giving thanks is not just a response to God's blessings but a recognition of His sovereignty and goodness. In the historical context, Israelites expressed gratitude through sacrifices and offerings at the temple, as well as through psalms and hymns. This phrase encourages believers to maintain a posture of thankfulness, acknowledging God's provision and care in all circumstances.

for He is good;
The goodness of God is a foundational attribute in Scripture, affirming His moral perfection and benevolence. This phrase echoes the declaration in Exodus 34:6-7, where God reveals His character to Moses. The goodness of God is a source of comfort and assurance for believers, as it implies that His actions and plans are always for the ultimate benefit of His people. This concept is further explored in the New Testament, where Jesus embodies the goodness of God through His life and ministry.

His loving devotion endures forever.
The Hebrew word for "loving devotion" is "chesed," often translated as "steadfast love" or "mercy." It signifies God's covenantal faithfulness and unwavering commitment to His people. This enduring love is a recurring theme in the Psalms and is central to the understanding of God's relationship with Israel. The phrase "endures forever" emphasizes the eternal nature of God's love, which is not subject to change or decay. This assurance of God's perpetual love is fulfilled in the New Testament through the person and work of Jesus Christ, who embodies God's eternal covenant with humanity.

(1) This formula of praise in the Jewish Church occupied, as a choral refrain, a similar position to the Gloria Patri in Christian worship. The precise date of its first appearance cannot be ascertained. The chronicler includes it in the compilation from different psalms, which he introduces as sung when the Ark was brought to Zion (1Chronicles 16:34): and represents it not only as chanted by the procession of priests and Levites, but as bursting spontaneously from the lips of the assembled multitudes at the dedication of Solomon's Temple (2Chronicles 7:3). He mentions it also in connection with Jehoshaphat's revival of choral music. And it is probable that he was not guilty of any great anachronism in giving it this early existence; for Jeremiah speaks of it as a refrain as familiar as those customary at weddings (Jeremiah 33:11), and, indeed, foretells its revival as of a practice once common, but long disused. But the fact that it is found in four liturgical hymns, besides Psalms 136, where it becomes a refrain after every verse, as well as its express mention in Ezra 3:11 as used at the dedication of the second Temple, shows that its use became more general after the Captivity; and it was in use in the Maccabaean period (1 Maccabees 4:24). . . .