Psalm 96:5
New International Version
For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.

New Living Translation
The gods of other nations are mere idols, but the LORD made the heavens!

English Standard Version
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens.

Berean Standard Bible
For all the gods of the nations are idols, but it is the LORD who made the heavens.

King James Bible
For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

New King James Version
For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens.

New American Standard Bible
For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens.

NASB 1995
For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens.

NASB 1977
For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens.

Legacy Standard Bible
For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But Yahweh made the heavens.

Amplified Bible
For all the gods of the peoples are [worthless, lifeless] idols, But the LORD made the heavens.

Christian Standard Bible
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.

American Standard Version
For all the gods of the peoples are idols; But Jehovah made the heavens.

Contemporary English Version
Other nations worship idols, but the LORD created the heavens.

English Revised Version
For all the gods of the peoples are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
because all the gods of the nations are idols. The LORD made the heavens.

Good News Translation
The gods of all other nations are only idols, but the LORD created the heavens.

International Standard Version
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens.

Majority Standard Bible
For all the gods of the nations are idols, but it is the LORD who made the heavens.

NET Bible
For all the gods of the nations are worthless, but the LORD made the sky.

New Heart English Bible
For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.

Webster's Bible Translation
For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

World English Bible
For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but Yahweh made the heavens.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
For all the gods of the peoples [are] nothing, "" And YHWH made the heavens.

Young's Literal Translation
For all the gods of the peoples are nought, And Jehovah made the heavens.

Smith's Literal Translation
For all the gods of the peoples are nothings: and Jehovah made the heavens:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For all the gods of the Gentiles are devils: but the Lord made the heavens.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For all the gods of the Gentiles are demons, but the Lord made the heavens.

New American Bible
For the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.

New Revised Standard Version
For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For all the gods of the nations are idols; but the LORD made the heavens.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Because all the gods of the Gentiles are worthless!
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
For all the gods of the peoples are things of nought; But the LORD made the heavens.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For all the gods of the heathen are devils: but the Lord made the heavens.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Sing to the LORD, All the Earth
4For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. 5For all the gods of the nations are idols, but it is the LORD who made the heavens. 6Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty fill His sanctuary.…

Cross References
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 10:1-16
Hear the word that the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel. / This is what the LORD says: “Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by the signs in the heavens, though the nations themselves are terrified by them. / 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. ...

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.

Deuteronomy 32:21
They have provoked My jealousy by that which is not God; they have enraged Me with their worthless idols. So I will make them jealous by those who are not a people; I will make them angry by a nation without understanding.

1 Chronicles 16:26
For all the gods of the nations are idols, but it is the LORD who made the heavens.

Isaiah 40:18-20
To whom will you liken God? To what image will you compare Him? / To an idol that a craftsman casts and a metalworker overlays with gold and fits with silver chains? / One lacking such an offering chooses wood that will not rot. He seeks a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not topple.

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.

Isaiah 42:8
I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or My praise to idols.

Isaiah 46:5-7
To whom will you liken Me or count Me equal? To whom will you compare Me, that we should be alike? / 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.

1 Kings 18:21
Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people did not answer a word.

1 Corinthians 10:19-20
Am I suggesting, then, that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? / No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons.

Exodus 20:3-5
You shall have no other gods before Me. / 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 41:21-24
“Present your case,” says the LORD. “Submit your arguments,” says the King of Jacob. / “Let them come and tell us what will happen. Tell the former things, so that we may reflect on them and know the outcome. Or announce to us what is coming. / Tell us the things that are to come, so that we may know that you are gods. Yes, do something good or evil, that we may look on together in dismay. ...

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.

Isaiah 45:20
Come, gather together, and draw near, you fugitives from the nations. Ignorant are those who carry idols of wood and pray to a god that cannot save.


Treasury of Scripture

For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

for

Psalm 115:3-8
But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased…

Psalm 135:15,18
The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men's hands…

Isaiah 44:8
Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.

but

Psalm 115:15
Ye are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth.

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

Isaiah 42:5
Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:

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False. Gods Heavens Idols Nations Nought Peoples
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False. Gods Heavens Idols Nations Nought Peoples
Psalm 96
1. An exhortation to praise God
4. for his greatness
8. for his kingdom
11. for his general judgment














For all the gods of the nations
This phrase highlights the polytheistic practices prevalent among the ancient nations surrounding Israel. The Hebrew word for "gods" here is "elohim," which can refer to divine beings or deities. In the context of the ancient Near East, each nation had its pantheon of gods, often associated with natural elements or specific aspects of life. The term "nations" refers to the Gentile peoples, those outside the covenant community of Israel. Historically, these nations worshipped gods made of wood, stone, or metal, which were often crafted by human hands. This phrase sets the stage for a contrast between these man-made deities and the one true God of Israel.

are idols
The Hebrew word for "idols" is "elilim," which can be translated as "worthless" or "vain things." This term underscores the futility and powerlessness of these so-called gods. In the ancient world, idols were physical representations of deities, but they were lifeless and impotent. The Bible consistently portrays idols as objects of human creation, lacking any real power or divinity. This phrase serves as a reminder of the emptiness of idol worship and the deception it entails. From a conservative Christian perspective, this highlights the importance of worshipping the true God rather than false, man-made representations.

but it is the LORD
The use of "LORD" in all capital letters signifies the Hebrew name "Yahweh," the covenant name of God revealed to Moses. This name is deeply significant, representing God's eternal, self-existent nature and His faithfulness to His people. The contrast here is stark: while the gods of the nations are mere idols, Yahweh is the living God. This phrase emphasizes the uniqueness and supremacy of the God of Israel. In the biblical narrative, Yahweh is not just another deity among many but the one true God who stands apart from all others.

who made the heavens
This phrase affirms God's role as the Creator, a central theme in the biblical worldview. The Hebrew word for "made" is "asah," which conveys the idea of fashioning or forming. The "heavens" refer to the sky, the celestial realm, and by extension, the entire universe. This declaration of God's creative power serves as a testament to His sovereignty and authority over all creation. Unlike the idols, which are crafted by human hands, Yahweh is the Creator of everything that exists. This truth is foundational to the biblical understanding of God and is a source of awe and worship for believers. It underscores the futility of idol worship and calls the faithful to recognize and honor the Creator.

(5) Idols.--Literally, nothings; Heb., elilim, with a play on the word el, God. This plainly shows that by Gods, in Psalm 96:4, the heathen deities, and not angels, are meant. (See Note, Psalm 95:3.) The LXX. sometimes renders the Hebrew word "idols," sometimes "vanities," but here "demons." Symmachus "nonexistences."

But the Lord made the heavens.--Nothings could not do that, but only Jehovah.

Verse 5. - For all the gods of the nations are idols; rather, vanities, or nothings. In the original there is a play upon the words - the elohim of the nations are mere elilim. Elilim is a favourite designation of the heathen gods in Isaiah. Compare the statement of St. Paul, "We know that an idol is nothing in the world" (1 Corinthians 8:4). But the Lord made the heavens. That which is nothing can do nothing, can make nothing. How far superior is Jehovah, who "made the heavens" (comp. Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 42:5; Isaiah 44:24)!

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
For
כִּ֤י ׀ (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

all
כָּל־ (kāl-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the gods
אֱלֹהֵ֣י (’ĕ·lō·hê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

of the nations
הָעַמִּ֣ים (hā·‘am·mîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

are idols,
אֱלִילִ֑ים (’ĕ·lî·lîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 457: Good for, nothing, by anal, vain, vanity, an idol

but [it is] the LORD
וַֽ֝יהוָ֗ה (Yah·weh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

who made
עָשָֽׂה׃ (‘ā·śāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

the heavens.
שָׁמַ֥יִם (šā·ma·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8064: Heaven, sky


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OT Poetry: Psalm 96:5 For all the gods of the peoples (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 96:4
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