Commentary - Psalms 115:4-8

Bird's-eye view

In this portion of Psalm 115, the psalmist turns his attention from the glorious reality of our God, who is in the heavens and does whatever He pleases, to the pathetic unreality of the gods of the heathen. The contrast is stark, intentional, and devastating. It is the difference between the living and the dead, the Creator and the created, the all-powerful and the utterly impotent. The central argument here is not simply that idols are false, but that they are formative. They shape their worshipers into their own likeness. This passage is a brilliant polemic against idolatry, revealing not only its foolishness but also its profound danger. It is a spiritual diagnosis of what happens to a man, or a nation, when they trade the glory of the immortal God for a lump of metal.

The logic flows from the nature of the idols to the nature of the idolaters. First, their origin is exposed: they are man-made. Second, their utter lack of life and sense is detailed through a systematic dismantling of their non-functional parts, mouth, eyes, ears, and so on. Finally, the terrible conclusion is drawn: the makers and trusters of these idols become just as senseless and lifeless as the objects of their devotion. It is a foundational biblical principle: you become what you worship. This passage serves as a sober warning and a call to trust in the Lord, who is our help and our shield, as the subsequent verses make plain.

Outline

Context In Psalms

Psalm 115 is one of the "Egyptian Hallel" psalms (113-118), which were traditionally sung during Passover. This context is significant. As Israel celebrates its redemption from bondage in Egypt, a nation drowning in idolatry, this psalm reinforces the absolute uniqueness and sovereignty of Yahweh. The central question posed by the surrounding nations, "Where is now their God?" (v. 2), is answered first by pointing to His heavenly throne (v. 3) and then by mocking the earth-bound, man-made gods of the pagans. The passage is therefore a theological anchor for God's people, reminding them that their God is the living Creator, not a dead creation. It sets up the call to trust that follows in verses 9-11, making the choice clear: trust in the living God who made you, or trust in a dead idol you made, and become dead like it.

Verse by Verse Commentary

v. 4 Their idols are silver and gold, The work of man’s hands.

The psalmist begins his critique with the idol's resume, its curriculum vitae. And what is its origin story? It is not from heaven, but from the earth. Their substance is silver and gold, valuable materials to be sure, but entirely of this world. And their creator is not the Creator, but the creature. "The work of man's hands." This is the foundational absurdity. Man, a creature made of dust, presumes to fashion a god out of different, shinier dust. He takes created matter, applies his created energy to it, and then bows down to the result. The prophet Isaiah develops this theme with wonderful sarcasm, describing a man who uses part of a tree for firewood to warm himself and bake his bread, and then carves the rest of it into a god and prays to it for deliverance (Is. 44:15-17). The whole enterprise is upside down from the start. Man, who was made in God's image, now makes a god in his own image, or rather, in the image of his own vanity.

v. 5 They have mouths, but they do not speak; They have eyes, but they do not see;

Here the psalmist begins his methodical deconstruction of the idol's anatomy. He grants the form but denies the function. They have the shape of a mouth, but no word of wisdom, no declaration of truth, no comfort for the afflicted proceeds from it. The living God speaks, and the universe leaps into existence. He speaks through His prophets, He speaks through His Son, and His Word is living and active. But the idol is mute. It cannot reveal, command, or promise. Then, the eyes. They are carved or painted on, giving the illusion of sight, but they see nothing. They cannot see the worshiper's plight, his tears, his devotion. Our God is one who sees. He saw Hagar in the wilderness, He saw the affliction of His people in Egypt, and His eyes roam to and fro throughout the earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. The idol is blind to the world it inhabits.

v. 6 They have ears, but they do not hear; They have noses, but they do not smell;

The sensory deprivation continues. Ears are attached, but they are deaf to the prayers, the praises, the desperate cries of the worshiper. The Lord, by contrast, inclines His ear to His people. "The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry" (Ps. 34:15). The pagan screams, cuts himself, works himself into a frenzy, but there is no one listening. The prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel learned this lesson the hard way. And noses, but they do not smell. They cannot smell the sweet savor of a sacrifice offered in faith. Our God smells the aroma of our offerings, both literal and spiritual, and is pleased. The entire sensory world, the world of relationship and interaction, is closed off to the idol. It is a dead thing in a living world.

v. 7 As for their hands, they do not feel; As for their feet, they do not walk; They do not make a sound with their throat.

The examination moves from sensory organs to instruments of action. Hands, but they cannot feel, touch, or, most importantly, save. The hands of the Lord fashioned the universe and hold it together. His hand delivers His people and disciplines them. The idol's hands are limp, powerless. Feet, but they cannot walk. They cannot move to intervene, to pursue, to rescue. They must be carried and set in their place, as Jeremiah mocks them (Jer. 10:5). They are not gods who come to you; they are burdens that you must carry. Finally, the psalmist returns to the throat, the source of sound, and declares that not even a guttural noise can be produced. There is no breath, no life, no utterance at all. The case is closed. The idol is a complete sensory and motor failure. It is a hollow fraud.

v. 8 Those who make them will become like them, Everyone who trusts in them.

This is the punchline, and it is a devastating one. This is not just an observation about the folly of idolatry; it is a statement of its spiritual consequence. The principle is this: we are created as reflective, imitative creatures. We become like what we worship. If you worship a blind, deaf, dumb, senseless, powerless block of wood or stone, then you are in the process of becoming spiritually blind, deaf, dumb, senseless, and powerless yourself. Your spiritual senses are dulled. You have eyes, but you do not see the truth of God. You have ears, but you do not hear His voice. Your heart becomes as hard and lifeless as the idol you adore. This is the divine irony, the fitting judgment. The idolater, in seeking a god he can control, becomes controlled by a spiritual deadness that mirrors his creation. And notice the scope: this applies to those who make them and to everyone who trusts in them. This covers the manufacturer and the consumer. Whether you are the high priest of a pagan cult or just a modern materialist who trusts in his bank account, the principle holds. Trust in dead things, and you will become dead.

Application

The application for us is both straightforward and profound. While few of us are tempted to bow down to a golden calf in the living room, idolatry is as prevalent as ever. As John Calvin noted, the human heart is a perpetual idol factory. We manufacture idols out of our careers, our politics, our reputation, our security, our lusts, our very ideologies. These things are not made of silver and gold, but they are just as much "the work of man's hands."

We must ask ourselves: what do we trust in? What do we look to for deliverance, for meaning, for security? When we do, we must run the diagnostic of this psalm. Does it have a mouth? Can it speak ultimate truth to you? Does it have eyes? Can it see into the depths of your heart? Does it have hands? Can it save you on the day of judgment? If we are honest, we will find that our modern idols are just as mute, blind, and impotent as their ancient counterparts.

And the warning of verse 8 is ever-present. Worship money, and you will become cold, hard, and transactional. Worship power, and you will become callous and manipulative. Worship pleasure, and you will become enslaved and empty. You become what you worship. The only alternative, the only path to life, is to worship the living God. When we behold His glory, as revealed in the face of Jesus Christ, we are transformed into His image from one degree of glory to another (2 Cor. 3:18). He is the God who sees, hears, speaks, and saves. Trust in Him, for He is your help and your shield.