Psalm 115:4
New International Version
But their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands.

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

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

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

Berean Literal Bible
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of the hands of man.

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

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

New American Standard Bible
Their idols are silver and gold, The work of human hands.

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

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

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

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

Berean Annotated Bible
Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.

Christian Standard Bible
Their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands.

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

Contemporary English Version
The idols of the nations are made of silver and gold.

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

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

Good News Translation
Their gods are made of silver and gold, formed by human hands.

International Standard Version
Their idols are silver and gold, crafted by human hands.

NET Bible
Their idols are made of silver and gold--they are man-made.

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

Webster's Bible Translation
Their idols are silver and gold; the work of men's hands.
Majority Text Translations
Majority Standard Bible
Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.

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

Berean Literal Bible
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of the hands of man.

Young's Literal Translation
Their idols are silver and gold, work of man's hands,

Smith's Literal Translation
Their images 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 the hands of men.

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

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

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

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

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

Additional Translations ...



Context
To Your Name Be the Glory
3Our God is in heaven; He does as He pleases. 4Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. 5They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see;…

Cross References
Their idols are silver and gold,

Psalm 135:15
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.

Isaiah 2:20
In that day men will cast away to the moles and bats their idols of silver and gold—the idols they made to worship.

Isaiah 31:7
For on that day, every one of you will reject the idols of silver and gold that your own hands have sinfully made.
made by the hands of men.

Acts 19:26
And you can see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in nearly the whole province of Asia, this Paul has persuaded a great number of people to turn away. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all.

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

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 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.”

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. …

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.

Exodus 32:1-4
Now when the people saw that Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!” / So Aaron told them, “Take off the gold earrings that are on your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.” / Then all the people took off their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron. …

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.

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.

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 2:8
Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made.


Treasury of Scripture

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

their idols.

Psalm 97:7
Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods.

Psalm 135:15-17
The idols of the heathen 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.

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Psalm 115
1. Because God is truly glorious
4. And idols are vanity
9. He exhorts to confidence in God
12. God is to be blessed for his blessing












Their idols are silver and gold,

Precious metals displayed wealth and prestige in the ancient world, making them common materials for images used in pagan worship. Yet their value could not give them life, wisdom, or power. Israel’s God is the living Creator, not an object fashioned from the resources He made.

Psa 135:15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,…
Isa 2:20 In that day men will cast away to the moles and bats…
Isa 31:7 For on that day, every one of you will reject the idols…

made by the hands of men.

Idols depended entirely on human skill, labor, and protection. Though honored as gods, they were the work of their worshipers and could neither act nor save. Their human origin exposes the emptiness of trusting in anything created rather than the Lord.

Act 19:26 And you can see and hear that not only in Ephesus…
Deu 4:28 And there you will serve man-made gods of wood and stone,…
Act 17:29 Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Psalmist
The author of Psalm 115, traditionally attributed to David, who contrasts the living God with lifeless idols.

2. Idols
Objects of worship made from silver and gold, representing false gods that the nations around Israel worshipped.

3. Israel
The nation chosen by God, called to worship Him alone and reject idolatry.

4. Nations
The surrounding peoples who worshipped idols, often leading Israel into temptation and sin.

5. Temple
The place where the true God was worshipped, contrasting with the temples of idols.
Teaching Points
The Futility of Idolatry
Idols, though made of precious materials, are lifeless and powerless. They cannot see, hear, or act. This highlights the futility of placing trust in anything other than God.

The Unchanging Nature of God
Unlike idols, which are crafted by human hands, God is eternal and uncreated. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, deserving of our worship and trust.

Guarding Against Modern Idolatry
While we may not worship physical idols, anything that takes the place of God in our lives can become an idol. This includes money, power, relationships, or even technology.

The Call to Exclusive Worship
As believers, we are called to worship God alone, recognizing His sovereignty and rejecting all forms of idolatry.

Witnessing to a World of Idols
In a world filled with various "idols," Christians are called to be a light, pointing others to the true and living God.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1. What is the meaning of Psalm 115:4?

2. How does Psalm 115:4 challenge our understanding of man-made idols today?

3. What modern "idols" might we be tempted to trust over God?

4. How can we apply Psalm 115:4 to strengthen our faith in God?

5. What other Scriptures warn against trusting in "silver and gold" idols?

6. How can we ensure our worship remains focused on God, not "the work of human hands"?

7. How does Psalm 115:4 challenge the belief in man-made idols?

8. What historical context influenced the writing of Psalm 115:4?

9. How does archaeology support the message of Psalm 115:4?

10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Psalm 115?


(4-8) This passage cannot compare with the magnificent irony of Isaiah 44:9-20, but there is still a noticeable vein of sarcasm running through it, visible even more in the original than in the English. (Comp. Psalm 135:15-18.)

Verses 4-8. - The scorn of the heathen is retaliated. They scoff at the God of Israel. What, then, are their own gods? Silver and gold indeed (ver. 4), but the work of human hands. Fashioned into a human shape, as if they were sentient being - but absolutely devoid of all sense and intelligence. The satire is somewhat roughly worked out (vers. 5-7), but idolatry provokes rough speaking; and the tone here adopted is imitated in Psalm 135:15-18, and echoed in Isaiah 44:9-20. The inspired writers seem to have felt, that, when idolatry came under consideration, the criticism should be brief and trenchant. Verse 4. - Their idols are silver and gold. At the best - often mere wood and stone (Deuteronomy 4:28); but the idols of the Babylonians were mostly of the more precious materials (Herod., 1:183; Daniel 3:1; Ep. Jeremiah 1:4, 11, etc.). The work of men's hands (Psalm 135:15; Isaiah 44:12-17). To avoid this reproach, some images were said to have fallen down from heaven (Acts 19:35).

Psalm 115:4 contrasts the lifeless, handmade idols of the nations with the living, sovereign God of Israel. Silver and gold may impress, but they cannot hear prayer, give guidance, or offer salvation. Only the Lord—self-existent, eternal, and uncreated—deserves trust and worship.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Their idols
עֲ‍ֽ֭צַבֵּיהֶם (‘ăṣab·bê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6091: An, image

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


Additonal Resources
Psalm 115:4 Blue Letter Bible
Psalm 115:4 Bible Gateway
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OT Poetry: Psalm 115:4 Their idols are silver and gold (Psalm Ps Psa.)

Psalm 115:3
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