Psalm 115:4

4 The simulacra of heathen men be silver and gold (The idols of the heathen be made out of silver and gold); the works of men's hands.

Psalm 115:4 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 115:4

Their idols are silver and gold
The idols of the Gentiles; so the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions. The gods they serve and worship are not in the heavens; but the matter of which they are made is dug out of the earth: and this is the greatest excellency and value that there is in them; and such as are made of these are of the greatest worth, and yet only for the matter of them, otherwise useless and inanimate statues; such are the idols of the Papists, ( Revelation 9:20 ) .

The work of men's hands;
the matter of them is gold and silver, which they owe to the earth as their original; the form of them they owe to men, and therefore can not be God, ( Hosea 8:6 ) . If it is idolatry to worship what God has made, the sun, moon, and stars, it must be gross idolatry, and great stupidity, to worship what man has made: if it is sinful to worship the creature besides the Creator, or more than him, it must be still more so to worship the creature of a creature.

Psalm 115:4 In-Context

2 lest any time heathen men say, Where is the God of them? (lest any time the heathen say, Where is their God?)

3 Forsooth our God in heaven; did all things, whichever he would. (For our God is in heaven; and he doeth whatever he desireth.)

4 The simulacra of heathen men be silver and gold (The idols of the heathen be made out of silver and gold); the works of men's hands.

5 They have mouth(s), and shall not speak; they have eyes, and shall not see. (They have mouths, but they cannot speak; they have eyes, but they cannot see.)

6 They have ears, and shall not hear; they have nostrils, and shall not smell. (They have ears, but they cannot hear; they have nostrils, but they cannot smell.)