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Psalm 115[a]

The Greatness of the True God

I

Not to us, Lord, not to us
    but to your name give glory
    because of your mercy and faithfulness.(A)
Why should the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”[b](B)
Our God is in heaven
    and does whatever he wills.(C)

II

Their idols are silver and gold,(D)
    the work of human hands.(E)
They have mouths but do not speak,
    eyes but do not see.
They have ears but do not hear,
    noses but do not smell.
They have hands but do not feel,
    feet but do not walk;
    they produce no sound from their throats.
Their makers will be like them,
    and anyone who trusts in them.

III

[c]The house of Israel trusts in the Lord,(F)
    who is their help and shield.(G)
10 The house of Aaron trusts in the Lord,
    who is their help and shield.
11 Those who fear the Lord trust in the Lord,
    who is their help and shield.
12 The Lord remembers us and will bless us,
    will bless the house of Israel,
    will bless the house of Aaron,
13 Will bless those who fear the Lord,
    small and great alike.
14 May the Lord increase your number,
    yours and your descendants.
15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
    maker of heaven and earth.
16 [d]The heavens belong to the Lord,
    but he has given the earth to the children of Adam.(H)
17 [e]The dead do not praise the Lord,
    not all those go down into silence.(I)
18 It is we who bless the Lord,
    both now and forever.
Hallelujah!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 115 A response to the enemy taunt, “Where is your God?” This hymn to the glory of Israel’s God (Ps 115:1–3) ridicules the lifeless idols of the nations (Ps 115:4–8), expresses in a litany the trust of the various classes of the people in God (Ps 115:9–11), invokes God’s blessing on them as they invoke the divine name (Ps 115:12–15), and concludes as it began with praise of God. Ps 135:15–18 similarly mocks the Gentile gods and has a similar litany and hymn (Ps 135:19–21).
  2. 115:2 Where is their God?: implies that God cannot help them.
  3. 115:9–11 The house of Israel…the house of Aaron…those who fear the Lord: the laity of Israelite birth, the priests, and the converts to Judaism, cf. Ps 118:2–4; 135:19–21. In the New Testament likewise “those who fear the Lord” means converts to Judaism (cf. Acts 10:2, 22, 35; 13:16, 26).
  4. 115:16 The heavens: the Septuagint reads here “the heaven of heavens” or “the highest heavens,” i.e., above the firmament. See note on Ps 148:4.
  5. 115:17 See note on Ps 6:5.

Psalm 115(A)

Not to us, Lord, not to us
    but to your name be the glory,(B)
    because of your love and faithfulness.(C)

Why do the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”(D)
Our God is in heaven;(E)
    he does whatever pleases him.(F)
But their idols are silver and gold,(G)
    made by human hands.(H)
They have mouths, but cannot speak,(I)
    eyes, but cannot see.
They have ears, but cannot hear,
    noses, but cannot smell.
They have hands, but cannot feel,
    feet, but cannot walk,
    nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
Those who make them will be like them,
    and so will all who trust in them.

All you Israelites, trust(J) in the Lord
    he is their help and shield.
10 House of Aaron,(K) trust in the Lord
    he is their help and shield.
11 You who fear him,(L) trust in the Lord
    he is their help and shield.

12 The Lord remembers(M) us and will bless us:(N)
    He will bless his people Israel,
    he will bless the house of Aaron,
13 he will bless those who fear(O) the Lord
    small and great alike.

14 May the Lord cause you to flourish,(P)
    both you and your children.
15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven(Q) and earth.

16 The highest heavens belong to the Lord,(R)
    but the earth he has given(S) to mankind.
17 It is not the dead(T) who praise the Lord,
    those who go down to the place of silence;
18 it is we who extol the Lord,(U)
    both now and forevermore.(V)

Praise the Lord.[a](W)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 115:18 Hebrew Hallelu Yah

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Futility of Idols and the Trustworthiness of God

115 Not (A)unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth.
Why should the [a]Gentiles say,
(B)“So where is their God?”

(C)But our God is in heaven;
He does whatever He pleases.
(D)Their idols are silver and gold,
The work of men’s hands.
They have mouths, but they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they do not see;
They have ears, but they do not hear;
Noses they have, but they do not smell;
They have hands, but they do not handle;
Feet they have, but they do not walk;
Nor do they mutter through their throat.
(E)Those who make them are like them;
So is everyone who trusts in them.

(F)O Israel, trust in the Lord;
(G)He is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.
11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.

12 The Lord [b]has been mindful of us;
He will bless us;
He will bless the house of Israel;
He will bless the house of Aaron.
13 (H)He will bless those who fear the Lord,
Both small and great.

14 May the Lord give you increase more and more,
You and your children.
15 May you be (I)blessed by the Lord,
(J)Who made heaven and earth.

16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s;
But the earth He has given to the children of men.
17 (K)The dead do not praise the Lord,
Nor any who go down into silence.
18 (L)But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.

Praise the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 115:2 nations
  2. Psalm 115:12 has remembered us