Psalm 115:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell.

NIV: They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell.

NASB: They have ears, but they cannot hear; They have noses, but they cannot smell;

CSB: They have ears but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell.

NLT: They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell.

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

NKJV: They have ears, but they do not hear; Noses they have, but they do not smell;

Psalm 115:4–8 attacks the foolish idea of worshipping an idol. These artificial objects (Psalm 135:15) are shaped like men but cannot do the things men can do (Habakkuk 2:18). Statues cannot speak, see, hear, or move. Those who worship idols eventually become as powerless and purposeless as the unliving images they create (Isaiah 44:9).

Psalm 115 turns all praise and credit away from the people of Israel and gives it entirely to God. Pagan nations worshipped statues and objects. They might have ridiculed Israel's worship of an invisible deity. Yet their own idols were unthinking, unmoving, silent fakes. They were shaped like men but couldn't even do the things ordinary men could do. Israel should maintain trust in the Lord, who chose them as His people and made a covenant with them. The psalmist anticipates a long, productive life of worship because of God's protection.

This psalm emphasizes the superiority of the Lord, the One True God, with the false idols and lifeless statues of pagan religions. This is part of the so-called "Egyptian Hallel" (Psalm 113—118). The songs in this segment repeatedly use the Hebrew expression halelu-yāh, brought nearly unchanged into English as "hallelujah." The nation of Israel often struggled with idolatry (2 Kings 17:12; 2 Chronicles 24:18; Isaiah 2:8); this psalm is a call for faithfulness.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 11/21/2024 8:06:00 AM