Commentary - Psalm 115:16-18

Bird's-eye view

In this concluding section of Psalm 115, the psalmist draws a sharp and foundational contrast between the realms of God and man, and between the respective activities of the living and the dead. Having just established that the Lord is the Creator of heaven and earth (v. 15), he now delineates the jurisdictions. Heaven is God's throne room, His operational headquarters. The earth, however, is the assigned domain for mankind. This is not an abdication of God's sovereignty, but rather the establishment of our stewardship. This stewardship has a central purpose, which is articulated in the final verses. The dead, having gone down to the silence of Sheol, cannot praise Yahweh from the earth. Therefore, the glorious duty of praise falls to us, the living. Our task is to fill the earth with the blessings of Yahweh, not just for a season, but from this moment into eternity. The psalm, and this section, culminates in a final, declarative command: Praise Yah!

This passage is a robust affirmation of the creation mandate. It sets forth a basic cosmological map that is essential for right worship. God is in Heaven, and we are on earth. He owns it all, but He has delegated the administration of the earthly realm to us. This delegation is not for our own vainglory but for His. The ultimate fruit of our dominion is worship. A silent earth is a dead earth, but an earth filled with the praises of the redeemed is an earth fulfilling its created purpose. This is our perpetual responsibility and our highest joy.

Outline

Context In Psalms

Psalm 115 is a liturgical psalm, likely used in temple worship, that powerfully contrasts the living God of Israel with the dead, mute idols of the pagan nations. The opening verses deflect all glory from Israel and ascribe it solely to God's name, on account of His covenant loyalty and faithfulness (vv. 1-2). The psalmist then mocks the idols, describing them as man-made objects with sensory organs that cannot sense anything (vv. 3-8). A crucial point is made: those who make and trust in such idols become like them, deaf, dumb, and blind. In stark contrast, the psalmist calls on Israel, the house of Aaron, and all who fear the Lord to trust in Yahweh, who is their "help and their shield" (vv. 9-11). The Lord's blessing is promised to all who trust in Him, small and great (vv. 12-15). Our passage (vv. 16-18) serves as the theological climax and concluding resolution, grounding the call to praise in the doctrine of creation and the reality of life and death.

Verse by Verse Commentary

Psalm 115:16

The heavens are the heavens of Yahweh, But the earth He has given to the sons of men.

Here is the great charter of our dominion. The psalmist begins by establishing God's ultimate and transcendent residency. "The heavens, even the heavens, are the LORD's" (KJV). This is not to say that He is absent from the earth, for the previous verse just declared Him the maker of both. Rather, this defines the seat of His authority. Heaven is His throne, and the earth is His footstool (Is. 66:1). He does whatever He pleases from His celestial command center (Ps. 115:3). There is no corner of reality over which He is not sovereign.

But having established God's absolute ownership, the second clause is stunning. "But the earth He has given to the sons of men." This is a gift. This is a lease. This is a stewardship. From the very beginning, in Genesis, God gave man the cultural mandate to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it (Gen. 1:28). This psalm reaffirms that great commission. God did not create the earth as a museum piece to be viewed from a distance. He created it as a workshop, a garden, a battlefield, and a stage for the sons of men to act upon. We are here on assignment. This world is the raw material from which we are to build a civilization that glorifies God. He gave us this planet, not to trash it, and not to worship it, but to have dominion over it as His vice-regents.

Psalm 115:17

It is not the dead that praise Yah, And it is none of those who go down to silence;

Now the psalmist provides the ultimate motivation for our earthly task. Why has God given us the earth? So that it might be filled with His praise. And who is qualified to offer that praise? Not the dead. Those who "go down to silence" cannot get the job done. In the Old Testament framework, Sheol, the realm of the dead, is a place of shadowy silence, separation, and inactivity. The dead are cut off from the land of the living, and therefore from the primary theater of God's covenantal action and praise. David makes a similar point in Psalm 6:5, "For in death there is no remembrance of you; in Sheol who will give you praise?"

This is not a denial of the afterlife, but rather a profound statement about the purpose of this life. We were placed on this earth, in these bodies, in this moment of history, for a reason. That reason is to praise God. Life is the opportunity for worship. To be alive is to have the capacity for praise. Death, in this context, represents the cessation of that earthly opportunity. The dead are silenced in their earthly praise. This creates a sense of urgency. The time for praising God in this world is now. The work of filling the earth with God's glory must not be postponed.

Psalm 115:18

But as for us, we will bless Yah From now until forever. Praise Yah!

In direct contrast to the silent dead, the psalmist concludes with a vibrant, living resolution. "But as for us..." We, the living, the covenant people of God, have a different destiny and a present duty. "We will bless Yah." This is the proper response to receiving the gift of the earth. Our dominion is to be a doxological dominion. Our work, our family life, our art, our science, it is all to be an act of blessing the Lord. We take the raw materials He has given us and cultivate them into a symphony of praise.

And this is not a temporary project. It is "from now until forever." This praise begins in the here and now, in our faithful stewardship of the earth, and it extends into eternity. The resurrection of Christ breaks the silence of the grave and ensures that our praise will never ultimately be silenced. We will praise Him in this life, and we will praise Him in the age to come. The final phrase, "Praise Yah!", is both a conclusion and a command. It is the Hebrew "Hallelujah." Having laid out the whole argument, God's sovereignty, our stewardship, the silence of the dead, and our living vow, the only fitting thing left to do is to erupt in praise. And so he commands us to do just that. Praise the Lord.

Application

This passage puts steel in our spine concerning our earthly duties. We are not Gnostics, seeking to escape this material world. God gave us this world as a gift and an assignment. We are to take dominion, not as autonomous tyrants, but as faithful stewards who know that the owner will return. Every aspect of our lives is to be brought under the Lordship of Christ. This means Christian families, Christian businesses, Christian schools, and Christian art. The earth is the canvas, and the glory of God is the masterpiece we are to paint.

Furthermore, we must understand that worship is not a quiet, private affair. It is the point of the whole cosmic project. The dead are silent, which means the living must be loud. Our lives, our words, and our songs are to be a constant blessing to God. We do this because we are alive in Christ, the one who conquered death and broke the silence of the tomb. Because He lives, we live, and because we live, we praise. So then, let us get to it. From this time forth and forevermore. Hallelujah.