Psalmen 115:1-8

1 Niet ons, o HEERE! niet ons, maar Uw Naam geef eer, om Uwer goedertierenheid, om Uwer waarheid wil.

2 Waarom zouden de heidenen zeggen: Waar is nu hun God?

3 Onze God is toch in den hemel, Hij doet al wat Hem behaagt.

4 Hunlieder afgoden zijn zilver en goud, het werk van des mensen handen;

5 Zij hebben een mond, maar spreken niet; zij hebben ogen, maar zien niet;

6 Oren hebben zij, maar horen niet; zij hebben een neus, maar zij rieken niet;

7 Hun handen hebben zij, maar tasten niet; hun voeten, maar gaan niet; zij geven geen geluid door hun keel.

8 Dat die hen maken hun gelijk worden, en al wie op hen vertrouwt.

Psalmen 115:1-8 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.