Psalms 115:1-9

1 Not to us, O Jehovah, not to us, But to Thy name give honour, For Thy kindness, for Thy truth.
2 Why do the nations say, `Where, pray, [is] their God.
3 And our God [is] in the heavens, All that He hath pleased He hath done.
4 Their idols [are] silver and gold, work of man's hands,
5 A mouth they have, and they speak not, Eyes they have, and they see not,
6 Ears they have, and they hear not, A nose they have, and they smell not,
7 Their hands, but they handle not, Their feet, and they walk not;
8 Nor do they mutter through their throat, Like them are their makers, Every one who is trusting in them.
9 O Israel, trust in Jehovah, `Their help and their shield [is] He.'

Images for Psalms 115:1-9

Psalms 115:1-9 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 115

This psalm is by the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, joined to the former, and makes one psalm with it: and Kimchi says, that in some books the psalm does not begin here; but in the best and correct copies of the Hebrew, and in the Targum, it stands a distinct psalm; and the different subject matter or argument shows it to be so. It is ascribed to various persons; by some to Moses and the Israelites, when pursued by Pharaoh: by others to the three companions of Daniel, cast into the fiery furnace: by others to Mordecai and Esther, when Haman distressed the Jews: by others to the heroes at the times of Antiochus and the Maccabees; so Theodoret: by some to Jehoshaphat, when a numerous army came against him; and by others to David, which is more probable; though on what occasion is not easy to say: some have thought it was written by him, when insulted by the Jebusites, 2Sa 5:6. The occasion of it seems to be some distress the church of God was in from the Heathens; and the design of it is to encourage trust and confidence in the Lord; and to excite the saints to give him the glory of all their mercies, and to expose the vanity of idols.

Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.