Wisdom & Poetry · Old Testament

Psalms 115

Psalm 115: not unto us but to thy name, against idols that have mouths and speak not

General context

The psalm begins, Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for mercy and truth's sake, and asks why the heathen should say, Where is now their God. Our God is in the heavens and has done whatever he pleased. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands: mouths that speak not, eyes that see not, ears that hear not, noses that smell not, hands that handle not, feet that walk not, no speech through their throat; those who make them are like them, and so is everyone who trusts in them. Israel, the house of Aaron and those who fear the Lord are each told to trust in the Lord, their help and shield. The Lord has been mindful of us and will bless the house of Israel, the house of Aaron and those who fear him, small and great; he shall increase you and your children; you are blessed of the Lord who made heaven and earth. The heavens are the Lord's, but the earth he has given to the children of men. The dead do not praise the Lord, nor any that go down into silence, but we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the Lord.

Cited passages: Psalms 115:1, Psalms 115:2, Psalms 115:3, Psalms 115:4, Psalms 115:5, Psalms 115:6, Psalms 115:7, Psalms 115:8, Psalms 115:9, Psalms 115:10, Psalms 115:11, Psalms 115:12, Psalms 115:13, Psalms 115:14, Psalms 115:15, Psalms 115:16, Psalms 115:17, Psalms 115:18

Psalms 115 (KJV)

¹Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.

²Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?

³But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

⁴Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.

⁵They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:

⁶They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:

⁷They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.

⁸They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.

⁹O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.

¹⁰O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.

¹¹Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.

¹²The Lord hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron.

¹³He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great.

¹⁴The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children.

¹⁵Ye are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth.

¹⁶The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.

¹⁷The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.

¹⁸But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the Lord.

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Historical context

This source prints no superscription; the psalm begins with Not unto us, O Lord. The speakers are plural, us, our God, we, and three groups are addressed in turn, Israel, the house of Aaron and ye that fear the Lord, the same three named again in the blessings of verses 12 and 13. The heathen are quoted with one question, Where is now their God, and their idols are described only by material, silver and gold, and by what they cannot do; no nation or idol is named. Verses 9 to 11 speak of Israel and the others as their, while verse 12 turns to us, and verses 14 and 15 address you; the text does not mark separate voices, only the shift of pronouns. The last two verses set the dead, who praise not, against we who will bless. There is no Selah; the psalm ends with Praise the Lord.

Cited passages: Psalms 115:9, Psalms 115:10, Psalms 115:11, Psalms 115:2, Psalms 115:4, Psalms 115:12, Psalms 115:14, Psalms 115:17, Psalms 115:18

Literary context

The psalm argues by contrast. The heathen's question about a God who cannot be seen is answered with a list of idols that have every organ and use none: mouths, eyes, ears, noses, hands, feet, throat, seven parts in three verses, each paired with a not. Against that, our God is in the heavens and does whatsoever he pleases. Trust is the hinge, said of those who trust in idols in verse 8 and then commanded three times in verses 9 to 11 with the same refrain, he is their help and their shield. The three groups told to trust are the three groups blessed, in the same order, so the second list answers the first. Heaven and earth are divided in verse 16, the heavens the Lord's and the earth given to men, and the last two verses divide again between the dead in silence and we who bless, so the psalm ends with speech where the idols had none.

Cited passages: Psalms 115:5, Psalms 115:7, Psalms 115:3, Psalms 115:8, Psalms 115:10, Psalms 115:12, Psalms 115:16, Psalms 115:17, Psalms 115:18

Key moments

Not unto us (Psalms 115:1). Glory is directed to the Lord's name rather than to the speakers.
Where is their God? (Psalms 115:2). The heathen's question is quoted and answered from the heavens.
Mouths that speak not (Psalms 115:5). The idols' organs are listed with what each cannot do.
Israel, trust in the Lord (Psalms 115:9). Israel is the first of three groups told to trust in their help and shield.
He will bless (Psalms 115:12). The Lord who has been mindful of us will bless Israel and the house of Aaron.
Earth given to men (Psalms 115:16). The heavens are the Lord's and the earth is given to the children of men.
We will bless the Lord (Psalms 115:18). Against the silent dead, the living speakers promise to bless the Lord for evermore.

For reflection

The psalm says those who make idols become like them, silent and unseeing. What does it imply about the people who instead say we will bless the Lord, and what they become?