Psalms 135:16

Psalms 135:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not;
• New International Version (NIV)They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see.
• English Standard Version (ESV)They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see;
• New King James Version (NKJV)They have mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see;

Context of Psalms 135:16

14The Lord shows that his people are right. He is kind to those who serve him. 15Other nations make idols with silver and gold. People worship things that they have made with their hands! Their idols have mouths, but they cannot speak! They have eyes, but they cannot see! 17They have ears, but they cannot hear! They cannot even breathe! 18The people who made them will become as they are. Everyone who trusts in idols will become as useless as their idols are.

Psalms 135:16 word by word

פֶּֽה־לָ֭הֶם וְלֹ֣א יְדַבֵּ֑רוּ עֵינַ֥יִם לָ֝הֶ֗ם וְלֹ֣א יִרְאֽוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• They have mouthsפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
• but they speakדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• not; eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
• have they, but they seeרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200

Cross-references for Psalms 135:16

• Isaiah 6:10Make them refuse to understand. Cause their ears to be deaf and their eyes to be blind. If you do not do that, they might use their eyes to see. They might use their ears to listen. They might use their minds to understand. Then they might turn back to me so that I would make them well again.’
• Matthew 13:14Long ago, the prophet Isaiah spoke a message from God about those people. Now it has become true. God said: “You will listen and listen. But you will not understand. You will look and look. But you will not see anything.

Commentaries on Psalms 135:16

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15-18Verses 15-18 The idols of the heathen are silver and gold … - To show more fully the propriety of praising God, and him alone as God, the psalmist instituted a comparison between him and idols, showing that the gods worshipped by the pagan lacked every ground of claim to divine worship and homage. They were, after all that could be done to fashion, to decorate, and to adorn them, nothing but silver and gold, and could have no better claim to worship than…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-21Verses 15-21 These verses arm believers against idolatry and all false worship, by showing what sort of gods the heathen worshipped. And the more deplorable the condition of the Gentile nations that worship idols, the more are we to be thankful that we know better. Let us pity, and pray for, and seek to benefit benighted heathens and deluded sinners. Let us endeavour to glorify his name, and recommend his truth, not only with our lips, but by holy lives…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15-18Idols lead people to think wrongly because they are only things humans make. They cannot speak, see, hear, or breathe (Isaiah 41:22–24; 44:9, 18; Romans 1:21–23).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 15-1815-18. (Compare Psa 115:4-8).Read the comment

Topics related to Psalms 135:16

• Idol
• Idolatry

In the dictionaries

• Hallel
• Poetry
• Psalms
• Treasure
• Treasury
• Jeremy, the Epistle of
• Mouth
• Papyrus
• Psalms, Book of
• Wisdom of Solomon, the

Commentaries on Psalms 135

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• The Treasury of David
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings