Psalms 115:2-18

115:2 Why should the nations say,

“Where is their God?”

115:3 Our God is in heaven!

He does whatever he pleases! ¹ 

115:4 Their ²  idols are made of silver and gold –

they are man-made. ³ 

115:5 They have mouths, but cannot speak,

eyes, but cannot see,

115:6 ears, but cannot hear,

noses, but cannot smell,

115:7 hands, but cannot touch,

feet, but cannot walk.

They cannot even clear their throats. ⁴ 

115:8 Those who make them will end up ⁵  like them,

as will everyone who trusts in them.

115:9 O Israel, trust in the Lord!

He is their deliverer ⁶  and protector. ⁷ 

115:10 O family ⁸  of Aaron, trust in the Lord!

He is their deliverer ⁹  and protector. ¹⁰ 

115:11 You loyal followers of the Lord, ¹¹  trust in the Lord!

He is their deliverer ¹²  and protector. ¹³ 

115:12 The Lord takes notice of us, ¹⁴  he will bless ¹⁵  –

he will bless the family ¹⁶  of Israel,

he will bless the family of Aaron.

115:13 He will bless his loyal followers, ¹⁷ 

both young and old. ¹⁸ 

115:14 May he increase your numbers,

yours and your children’s! ¹⁹ 

115:15 May you be blessed by the Lord,

the creator ²⁰  of heaven and earth!

115:16 The heavens belong to the Lord, ²¹ 

but the earth he has given to mankind. ²² 

115:17 The dead do not praise the Lord,

nor do any of those who descend into the silence of death. ²³ 

115:18 But we will praise the Lord

now and forevermore.

Praise the Lord!

[115:3]  ¹ sn He does whatever he pleases. Such sovereignty is characteristic of kings (see Eccl 8:3).

[115:4]  ² tn The referent of the pronominal suffix is “the nations” (v. 2).

[115:4]  ³ tn Heb “the work of the hands of man.”

[115:7]  ⁴ tn Heb “they cannot mutter in their throats.” Verse 5a refers to speaking, v. 7c to inarticulate sounds made in the throat (see M. Dahood, Psalms [AB], 3:140-41).

[115:8]  ⁵ tn Heb “will be.” Another option is to take the prefixed verbal form as a prayer, “may those who make them end up like them.”

[115:9]  ⁶ tn Or “[source of] help.”

[115:9]  ⁷ tn Heb “and their shield.”

[115:10]  ⁸ tn Heb “house.”

[115:10]  ⁹ tn Or “[source of] help.”

[115:10]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “and their shield.”

[115:11]  ¹¹ tn Heb “[you] fearers of the Lord.” See Ps 15:4.

[115:11]  ¹² tn Or “[source of] help.”

[115:11]  ¹³ tn Heb “and their shield.”

[115:12]  ¹⁴ tn Or “remembers us.”

[115:12]  ¹⁵ tn Another option is to translate the prefixed form of the verb “bless” in vv. 12-13 as a jussive, “may he bless” (see v. 14).

[115:12]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “house.”

[115:13]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “the fearers of the Lord.”

[115:13]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “the small along with the great.” The translation assumes that “small” and “great” here refer to age (see 2 Chr 15:13). Another option is to translate “both the insignificant and the prominent” (see Job 3:19; cf. NEB “high and low alike”).

[115:14]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “may he add to you, to you and your sons.” The prefixed verbal form is jussive, indicating this is a prayer.

[115:15]  ²⁰ tn Or “maker.”

[115:16]  ²¹ tn Heb “the heavens [are] heavens to the Lord.”

[115:16]  ²² tn Heb “to the sons of man.”

[115:17]  ²³ tn Heb “silence,” a metonymy here for death (see Ps 94:17).