Psalm 115

Psalm 115 is an untitled psalm in Book Five of the Psalms (Psalms 107–150). It follows Psalm 114, which celebrates the Exodus. Jewish tradition groups Psalms 113–118 together as the "Hallel," which is sung at Passover and other festivals.

Outline

• Verses 1–3: The psalmist asks that glory be given not to "us" but to the LORD's name, for the sake of his mercy (Hebrew hesed, steadfast love) and his truth. The nations (the heathen) ask, "Where is now their God?" The psalmist answers that God is in the heavens and has done whatever he pleased.
• Verses 4–8: Idols of silver and gold, made by human hands, have mouths, eyes, ears, noses, hands, and feet, yet can do nothing; those who make them and trust in them become like them.
• Verses 9–11: Israel, the house of Aaron, and those who fear the LORD are called in turn to trust in the LORD.
• Verses 12–15: A blessing is pronounced on the same three groups and on all, both small and great, with a prayer that they and their children may increase.
• Verses 16–18: The heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to mankind. The dead do not praise the LORD, but "we" resolve to bless him forevermore. The psalm closes with "Praise ye the LORD" (Hallelujah).

Key Verses

• Psalm 115:1 "Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory" — frequently cited as a confession that glory belongs to God alone.
• Psalm 115:8 "They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them" — expresses the idea that worshipers come to resemble what they worship.
• Psalm 115:9 "He is their help and their shield" — a refrain repeated three times in verses 9–11.

People and Places

• The LORD: called "the LORD which made heaven and earth" (v. 15; the same expression appears in Psalm 124:8).
• The house of Aaron: the priestly family descended from Aaron.
• The nations (the heathen): the Gentile peoples outside Israel.
• Silence: the place to which the dead go down, associated with the Old Testament concept of Sheol.

Points for Reflection

• Verses 4–8 are nearly identical to Psalm 135:15–18 and echo the critique of idolatry in Isaiah 44 and Jeremiah 10.
• Some interpreters take "ye that fear the LORD" to refer to all Israel, while others understand it to mean Gentiles who had embraced the faith of Israel. The same three groups appear in Psalm 118:2–4.
• Verse 17 reflects an Old Testament way of speaking in which praise is not possible after death, and various explanations have been offered for how to read it alongside the New Testament faith in the resurrection.
• The Septuagint and the Vulgate combine Psalms 114 and 115 into a single psalm, so older Catholic Bibles that follow them use a different psalm numbering.
• Some interpreters identify the "hymn" sung after the Last Supper in Mark 14:26 with the Hallel psalms. Paul's statement that an idol is nothing (1 Corinthians 8:4–6) is also read in connection with verses 4–8.