Psalm 135:15
New International Version
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by human hands.

New Living Translation
The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands.

English Standard Version
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands.

Berean Standard Bible
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.

King James Bible
The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.

New King James Version
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands.

New American Standard Bible
The idols of the nations are nothing but silver and gold, The work of human hands.

NASB 1995
The idols of the nations are but silver and gold, The work of man’s hands.

NASB 1977
The idols of the nations are but silver and gold, The work of man’s hands.

Legacy Standard Bible
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, The work of man’s hands.

Amplified Bible
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands.

Christian Standard Bible
The idols of the nations are of silver and gold, made by human hands.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The idols of the nations are of silver and gold, made by human hands.

American Standard Version
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, The work of men's hands.

Contemporary English Version
Idols of silver and gold are made and worshiped in other nations.

English Revised Version
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The idols of the nations are made of silver and gold. They were made by human hands.

Good News Translation
The gods of the nations are made of silver and gold; they are formed by human hands.

International Standard Version
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, worked by the hands of human beings.

Majority Standard Bible
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.

NET Bible
The nations' idols are made of silver and gold, they are man-made.

New Heart English Bible
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.

Webster's Bible Translation
The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.

World English Bible
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
The idols of the nations [are] silver and gold, "" Work of the hands of man.

Young's Literal Translation
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, Work of the hands of man.

Smith's Literal Translation
The images of the nation are silver and gold, the work of man's hands.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The idols of the Gentiles are silver and gold, the works of men's hands.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The idols of the Gentiles are silver and gold, the works of the hands of men.

New American Bible
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands.

New Revised Standard Version
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The idols of the Gentiles are silver and gold, the work of the hands of man.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, The work of men's hands.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the works of men's hands.
Audio Bible



Context
Your Name, O LORD, Endures Forever
14For the LORD will vindicate His people and will have compassion on His servants. 15The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. 16They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see;…

Cross References
Exodus 20:4-5
You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath. / You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

Isaiah 44:9-20
All makers of idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their witnesses fail to see or comprehend, so they are put to shame. / Who fashions a god or casts an idol which profits him nothing? / Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are only human. Let them all assemble and take their stand; they will all be brought to terror and shame. ...

Jeremiah 10:3-5
For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped with a chisel by the hands of a craftsman. / They adorn it with silver and gold and fasten it with hammer and nails, so that it will not totter. / Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, and neither can they do any good.”

Deuteronomy 4:28
And there you will serve man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.

Isaiah 46:6-7
They pour out their bags of gold and weigh out silver on scales; they hire a goldsmith to fashion it into a god, so they can bow down and worship. / They lift it to their shoulder and carry it along; they set it in its place, and there it stands, not budging from that spot. They cry out to it, but it does not answer; it saves no one from his troubles.

Habakkuk 2:18-19
What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it—or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. / Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’ or to silent stone, ‘Arise!’ Can it give guidance? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all.”

1 Kings 18:26-29
And they took the bull that was given them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, shouting, “O Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound, and no one answered as they leaped around the altar they had made. / At noon Elijah began to taunt them, saying, “Shout louder, for he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or occupied, or on a journey. Perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened!” / So they shouted louder and cut themselves with knives and lances, as was their custom, until the blood gushed over them. ...

2 Kings 19:18
They have cast their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods, but only wood and stone—the work of human hands.

Psalm 115:4-8
Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. / They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; / they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell; ...

Jeremiah 2:27-28
say to a tree, ‘You are my father,’ and to a stone, ‘You gave me birth.’ They have turned their backs to Me and not their faces. Yet in the time of trouble, they say, ‘Rise up and save us!’ / But where are the gods you made for yourselves? Let them rise up in your time of trouble and save you if they can; for your gods are as numerous as your cities, O Judah.

Hosea 8:4-6
They set up kings, but not by Me. They make princes, but without My approval. With their silver and gold they make themselves idols, to their own destruction. / He has rejected your calf, O Samaria. My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of innocence? / For this thing is from Israel—a craftsman made it, and it is not God. It will be broken to pieces, that calf of Samaria.

1 Corinthians 8:4-6
So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one. / For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many so-called gods and lords), / yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist.

Acts 17:29
Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination.

Romans 1:22-23
Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, / and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Revelation 9:20
Now the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands. They did not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.


Treasury of Scripture

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

idols

Psalm 115:4-8
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands…

Deuteronomy 4:28
And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.

Isaiah 37:19
And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.

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Psalm 135
1. An exhortation to praise God for his mercy
5. For his power
8. For his judgments
15. The vanity of idols
19. An exhortation to bless God














The idols of the nations
This phrase refers to the false gods worshiped by the surrounding nations during the time of ancient Israel. The Hebrew word for "idols" is "אֱלִילִים" (elilim), which can also mean "worthless things." This highlights the futility and emptiness of these idols compared to the living God of Israel. Historically, the nations surrounding Israel, such as the Canaanites, Egyptians, and Babylonians, had a pantheon of gods represented by physical idols. These idols were often made of precious materials and were central to the religious practices of these cultures. The Bible consistently contrasts the living God with these lifeless idols, emphasizing the superiority and uniqueness of Yahweh.

are silver and gold
This phrase underscores the material wealth and craftsmanship involved in creating these idols. Silver and gold were highly valued in ancient times, often used in trade and as symbols of wealth and power. The use of these materials for idols suggests that people attributed great value and reverence to them. However, the psalmist points out the irony that these valuable materials are used to create objects that are ultimately powerless and lifeless. The emphasis here is on the misplaced trust and worship of material wealth rather than the true God.

made by the hands of men
This phrase highlights the human origin of these idols, contrasting them with the divine creation of the world by God. The Hebrew word for "made" is "מַעֲשֵׂה" (ma'aseh), which refers to something crafted or manufactured. This underscores the fact that these idols are the product of human effort and imagination, lacking any divine nature or power. The Bible often critiques the practice of idol-making, as seen in passages like Isaiah 44:9-20, where the absurdity of worshiping something made by human hands is vividly depicted. This serves as a reminder of the futility of worshiping anything other than the Creator Himself.

(15, 16) With slight variations from Psalm 115:4-8.

Verses 15-18. - The idols of the heathen 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; neither is there any breath in their mouths. They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them. A condensed recitation of Psalm 115:4-8 (comp. Jeremiah 10:3-5). In its present place it is a sort of exposition of ver. 5b.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The idols
עֲצַבֵּ֣י (‘ă·ṣab·bê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 6091: An, image

of the nations
הַ֭גּוֹיִם (hag·gō·w·yim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts

are silver
כֶּ֣סֶף (ke·sep̄)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3701: Silver, money

and gold,
וְזָהָ֑ב (wə·zā·hāḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2091: Gold, something gold-colored, as oil, a clear sky

made
מַ֝עֲשֵׂ֗ה (ma·‘ă·śêh)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4639: An action, a transaction, activity, a product, property

by the hands
יְדֵ֣י (yə·ḏê)
Noun - fdc
Strong's 3027: A hand

of men.
אָדָֽם׃ (’ā·ḏām)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being


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OT Poetry: Psalm 135:15 The idols of the nations are silver (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 135:14
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