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Selected Verse: Psalms 115:4 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Ps 115:4	Strong Concordance	Their idols [06091] are silver [03701] and gold [02091], the work [04639] of men's [0120] hands [03027].
	King James	Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.

Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
(Compare Isa 40:18-20; Isa 44:9-20).

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

(Compare Isa 40:18-20; Isa 44:9-20).

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
Their idols - Their gods - the gods which they worship, as contrasted with the God whom we adore. The design of this description Psa 115:4-8 is to show the utter vanity of trusting in such gods, and to lead the people of Israel to put their trust in the true God - in Yahweh. Are silver and gold - Made of silver and gold, and they must have, therefore, the properties of silver and gold. They can be of value only as silver and gold. They cannot do the work of mind; they cannot do the work of God. The psalmist was not disposed to depreciate the real value of these idols, or to throw contempt on them which they did not deserve. He was disposed to treat them fairly. They were silver and gold; they had an intrinsic value as such; they showed in the value of the material how much the pagan were disposed to honor their objects of worship; and they were not held up to contempt as shapeless blocks of wood or stone. The psalmist might have said that most of them were made of wood or stone, and were mere shapeless blocks; but it is always best to do justice to an adversary, and not to attempt to underrate what he values. The argument of an infidel on the subject of religion may be utterly worthless as an argument for infidelity, but it may evince ability, learning, subtilty, clearness of reasoning, and even candor; and it is best to admit this, if it is so, and to give to it all the credit which it deserves as a specimen of reasoning, or as stating a real difficulty which ought to be solved by somebody - to call it "silver and gold" if it is so, and not to characterize it as worthless, weak, stupid - the result of ignorance and folly. He has great advantage in an argument who owns the real force of what an opponent says; he gains nothing who charges it as the offspring of stupidity, ignorance, and folly - unless he can show that it is so. The work of men's hands - Shaped and fashioned by people's hands. They cannot, therefore, be superior to those who made them; they cannot answer the purpose of a God.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]

Their idols - Their gods - the gods which they worship, as contrasted with the God whom we adore. The design of this description Psa 115:4-8 is to show the utter vanity of trusting in such gods, and to lead the people of Israel to put their trust in the true God - in Yahweh.

Are silver and gold - Made of silver and gold, and they must have, therefore, the properties of silver and gold. They can be of value only as silver and gold. They cannot do the work of mind; they cannot do the work of God. The psalmist was not disposed to depreciate the real value of these idols, or to throw contempt on them which they did not deserve. He was disposed to treat them fairly. They were silver and gold; they had an intrinsic value as such; they showed in the value of the material how much the pagan were disposed to honor their objects of worship; and they were not held up to contempt as shapeless blocks of wood or stone. The psalmist might have said that most of them were made of wood or stone, and were mere shapeless blocks; but it is always best to do justice to an adversary, and not to attempt to underrate what he values. The argument of an infidel on the subject of religion may be utterly worthless as an argument for infidelity, but it may evince ability, learning, subtilty, clearness of reasoning, and even candor; and it is best to admit this, if it is so, and to give to it all the credit which it deserves as a specimen of reasoning, or as stating a real difficulty which ought to be solved by somebody - to call it "silver and gold" if it is so, and not to characterize it as worthless, weak, stupid - the result of ignorance and folly. He has great advantage in an argument who owns the real force of what an opponent says; he gains nothing who charges it as the offspring of stupidity, ignorance, and folly - unless he can show that it is so.

The work of men's hands - Shaped and fashioned by people's hands. They cannot, therefore, be superior to those who made them; they cannot answer the purpose of a God.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
Their idols are silver, etc. - They are metal, stone, and wood. They are generally made in the form of man, but can neither see, hear, smell, feel, walk, nor speak. How brutish to trust in such! And next to these, in stupidity and inanity, must they be who form them, with the expectation of deriving any good from them. So obviously vain was the whole system of idolatry, that the more serious heathens ridiculed it, and it was a butt for the jests of their freethinkers and buffoons. How keen are those words of Juvenal! - - Audis Jupiter, haec? nec labra moves, cum mittere vocem. Debueras, vel marmoreus vel aheneus? aut cur In carbone tuo charta pia thura soluta Ponimus, et sectum vituli jecur, albaque porci Omenta? ut video, nullum discrimen habendum est. Effigies inter vestras, statuamque Bathylli. Sat. xiii., ver. 113. Dost thou hear, O Jupiter, these things? nor move thy lips when thou oughtest to speak out, whether thou art of marble or of bronze? Or, why do we put the sacred incense on thy altar from the opened paper, and the extracted liver of a calf, and the white caul of a hog? As far as I can discern there is no difference between thy statue and that of Bathyllus." This irony will appear the keener, when it is known that Bathyllus was a fiddler and player, whose image by the order of Polycrates, was erected in the temple of Juno at Samos. See Isa 41:1, etc.; Isa 46:7; Jer 10:4, Jer 10:5, etc.; and Psa 135:15, Psa 135:16.

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⁹ They that make [03335] a graven image [06459] are all of them vanity [08414]; and their delectable things [02530] shall not profit [03276]; and they are their own witnesses [05707]; they see [07200] not, nor know [03045]; that they may be ashamed [0954].
¹⁰ Who hath formed [03335] a god [0410], or molten [05258] a graven image [06459] that is profitable [03276] for nothing [01115]?
¹¹ Behold, all his fellows [02270] shall be ashamed [0954]: and the workmen [02796], they are of men [0120]: let them all be gathered together [06908], let them stand up [05975]; yet they shall fear [06342], and they shall be ashamed [0954] together [03162].
¹² The smith [01270] [02796] with the tongs [04621] both worketh [06466] in the coals [06352], and fashioneth [03335] it with hammers [04717], and worketh [06466] it with the strength [03581] of his arms [02220]: yea, he is hungry [07457], and his strength [03581] faileth [0369]: he drinketh [08354] no water [04325], and is faint [03286].
¹³ The carpenter [02796] [06086] stretcheth out [05186] his rule [06957]; he marketh it out [08388] with a line [08279]; he fitteth [06213] it with planes [04741], and he marketh it out [08388] with the compass [04230], and maketh [06213] it after the figure [08403] of a man [0376], according to the beauty [08597] of a man [0120]; that it may remain [03427] in the house [01004].
¹⁴ He heweth him down [03772] cedars [0730], and taketh [03947] the cypress [08645] and the oak [0437], which he strengtheneth [0553] for himself among the trees [06086] of the forest [03293]: he planteth [05193] an ash [0766], and the rain [01653] doth nourish [01431] it.
¹⁵ Then shall it be for a man [0120] to burn [01197]: for he will take [03947] thereof, and warm [02552] himself; yea, he kindleth [05400] it, and baketh [0644] bread [03899]; yea, he maketh [06466] a god [0410], and worshippeth [07812] it; he maketh [06213] it a graven image [06459], and falleth down [05456] thereto.
¹⁶ He burneth [08313] part [02677] thereof in [01119] the fire [0784]; with part [02677] thereof he eateth [0398] flesh [01320]; he roasteth [06740] roast [06748], and is satisfied [07646]: yea, he warmeth [02552] himself, and saith [0559], Aha [01889], I am warm [02552], I have seen [07200] the fire [0217]:
¹⁷ And the residue [07611] thereof he maketh [06213] a god [0410], even his graven image [06459]: he falleth down [05456] unto it, and worshippeth [07812] it, and prayeth [06419] unto it, and saith [0559], Deliver [05337] me; for thou art my god [0410].
¹⁸ They have not known [03045] nor understood [0995]: for he hath shut [02902] their eyes [05869], that they cannot see [07200]; and their hearts [03826], that they cannot understand [07919].
¹⁹ And none considereth [07725] in his heart [03820], neither is there knowledge [01847] nor understanding [08394] to say [0559], I have burned [08313] part [02677] of it in [01119] the fire [0784]; yea, also I have baked [0644] bread [03899] upon the coals [01513] thereof; I have roasted [06740] flesh [01320], and eaten [0398] it: and shall I make [06213] the residue [03499] thereof an abomination [08441]? shall I fall down [05456] to the stock [0944] of a tree [06086]?
²⁰ He feedeth [07462] on ashes [0665]: a deceived [02048] heart [03820] hath turned him aside [05186], that he cannot deliver [05337] his soul [05315], nor say [0559], Is there not a lie [08267] in my right hand [03225]?

¹⁸ To whom then will ye liken [01819] God [0410]? or what likeness [01823] will ye compare [06186] unto him?
¹⁹ The workman [02796] melteth [05258] a graven image [06459], and the goldsmith [06884] spreadeth [07554] it over with gold [02091], and casteth [06884] silver [03701] chains [07577].
²⁰ He that is so impoverished [05533] [05534] that he hath no oblation [08641] chooseth [0977] a tree [06086] that will not rot [07537]; he seeketh [01245] unto him a cunning [02450] workman [02796] to prepare [03559] a graven image [06459], that shall not be moved [04131].

⁴ Their idols [06091] are silver [03701] and gold [02091], the work [04639] of men's [0120] hands [03027].
⁵ They have mouths [06310], but they speak [01696] not: eyes [05869] have they, but they see [07200] not:
⁶ They have ears [0241], but they hear [08085] not: noses [0639] have they, but they smell [07306] not:
⁷ They have hands [03027], but they handle [04184] not: feet [07272] have they, but they walk [01980] not: neither speak [01897] they through their throat [01627].
⁸ They that make [06213] them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth [0982] in them.

¹⁶ They have mouths [06310], but they speak [01696] not; eyes [05869] have they, but they see [07200] not;

¹⁵ The idols [06091] of the heathen [01471] are silver [03701] and gold [02091], the work [04639] of men's [0120] hands [03027].

⁵ They are upright [04749] as the palm tree [08560], but speak [01696] not: they must needs [05375] be borne [05375], because they cannot go [06805]. Be not afraid [03372] of them; for they cannot do evil [07489], neither also is it in them to do good [03190].

⁴ They deck [03302] it with silver [03701] and with gold [02091]; they fasten [02388] it with nails [04548] and with hammers [04717], that it move [06328] not.

⁷ They bear [05375] him upon the shoulder [03802], they carry [05445] him, and set him in his place [03240], and he standeth [05975]; from his place [04725] shall he not remove [04185]: yea, one shall cry [06817] unto him, yet can he not answer [06030], nor save [03467] him out of his trouble [06869].

¹ Keep silence [02790] before me, O islands [0339]; and let the people [03816] renew [02498] their strength [03581]: let them come near [05066]; then let them speak [01696]: let us come near [07126] together [03162] to judgment [04941].