Psalm Chapter 115 KJV
King James Version, Holy Bible
1 Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.
2 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?
3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.
4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.
5 They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:
6 They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:
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7 They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.
8 They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.
9 O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.
11 Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.
More Psalms Chapter 115 (Old Testament, King James Bible)
12 The Lord hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron.
13 He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great.
14 The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children.
15 Ye are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth.
16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.
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17 The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.
18 But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the Lord.
Key Takeaways from This Psalm:
Psalm 115:1
Verse: לֹא לָנוּ יְהוָה
Transliteration: Lo lanu Adonai
English: “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory, for the sake of Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness.”
Focus Word: כָּבוֹד (Kavod)
- Root: כ-ב-ד (Kaf-Bet-Dalet)
- Meaning: “Glory,” “honor,” “weightiness.”
- Deeper Insight: Kavod represents majesty, respect, and honor, highlighting God as the recipient of all praise.
| Hebrew Word + Transliteration | Verse + Snippet | Meaning | Scholarly Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| לֹא־לָנוּ — lo lanu | Verse 1 — “Not unto us, O LORD…” | “Not to us,” denial of credit. | Lo Lanu (“not to us”) expresses humility and total deflection of praise to God. It emphasizes God's glory as the true focus. The phrase sets the tone for the Psalm’s theology of divine honor. — Wilhelm Gesenius, Lexicon |
| כָּבוֹד — kavod | Verse 1 — “…but to Your name give glory…” | “Glory,” weight, honor. | Kavod (“glory”) conveys God’s intrinsic worthiness and majestic reputation. It stresses recognition of His supremacy. The term underscores God-centered worship. — Franz Delitzsch, Commentary |
| אֱמֶת — emet | Verse 1 — “…because of Your truth.” | “Truth,” faithfulness. | Emet (“truth/faithfulness”) denotes reliability and trustworthiness. It reinforces God’s consistent character. The term anchors the Psalm’s appeal to divine faithfulness. — Carl Friedrich Keil, Commentary |
| עֲצַבִּים — atzabbim | Verse 4 — “Their idols are silver and gold…” | “Idols,” shaped objects. | Atzabbim (“idols”) refers to man-made objects of worship. It highlights the futility of trusting powerless creations. The term contrasts dead idols with the living God. — Wilhelm Gesenius, Lexicon |
| פֶּה — peh | Verse 5 — “They have mouths, but do not speak…” | “Mouth,” opening. | Peh (“mouth”) emphasizes the lifeless impotence of idols. It stresses their inability to communicate or act. The word contributes to the Psalm’s satire of false gods. — Franz Delitzsch, Commentary |
| עֵינַיִם — einayim | Verse 5 — “…eyes they have, but do not see.” | “Eyes,” vision. | Einayim (“eyes”) highlights the contradiction between appearance and reality. It exposes idols as non-functional illusions. The term intensifies the contrast with the all-seeing God. — Carl Friedrich Keil, Commentary |
| יְרֵאֵי — yere’e | Verse 11 — “…you who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD.” | “Those who fear,” reverent ones. | Yere’e (“those who fear”) identifies the faithful as reverent, obedient worshipers. It links trust with awe. The term defines the community of genuine believers. — Wilhelm Gesenius, Lexicon |
| בָּטַח — batach | Verse 11 — “Trust in the LORD…” | “To trust,” rely on. | Batach (“to trust”) emphasizes confident dependence on God. It conveys security rooted in His character. The verb forms a central exhortation of the Psalm. — Franz Delitzsch, Commentary |
| זֵכֶר — zeker | Verse 12 — “The LORD has been mindful of us…” | “Remembrance,” mindful attention. | Zeker (“remembrance”) expresses intentional divine attentiveness. It reveals God’s ongoing care for His people. The word reinforces covenant loyalty. — Carl Friedrich Keil, Commentary |
| יֹסֵף — yosef | Verse 14 — “The LORD shall increase you…” | “To add,” increase, multiply. | Yosef (“to increase”) emphasizes growth granted by divine blessing. It reflects prosperity rooted in God’s favor. The term reinforces themes of continued covenant fruitfulness. — Wilhelm Gesenius, Lexicon |
Biblical Scholars On This Chapter:
| Scholar (Institution & Dates) | Work | View on Psalm 115 |
|---|---|---|
| Thomas Scott (University of Edinburgh, 1747–1821) | Commentary on the Holy Bible | Scott contrasts the living God with lifeless idols, urging reliance on divine help. |
| John Owen (University of Oxford, 1616–1683) | A Commentary on the Psalms | Owen emphasizes the futility of trusting anything apart from God’s sovereign power. |
| George Buchanan (St Andrews / Paris, 1506–1582) | Commentaries on the Psalms | Buchanan portrays the Psalm as a call to recognize God’s supremacy and reject false worship. |
| Philip Doddridge (Northampton Academy, 1702–1751) | Family Expositor | The Psalm teaches that faithfulness to God leads to protection and blessing. |
| John Brown (Edinburgh, 1722–1787) | Self-Interpreting Bible | Brown underscores that God alone is worthy of trust, guidance, and praise. |
Psalms Chapter 115 Devotional: POWERFUL GOD
Thought for the day: With God, you can do great things.
Message:
We are happy we are serving a living God, He is in Heaven doing wonders. All over the world today, we see people serving different strange gods that cannot fight for themselves unless people fight for them. They feed their false gods, cloth them and other things, but not our God. He reigns and lives forever, He is the only living God.
The bible reading today confirmed that their idols are the works of men: they cannot smell, they cannot deliver, they cannot touch and they cannot work and the bible confirmed that they that make them are like them!
This is serious! Those serving a dead god are dead too, they are powerless too! No wonder we have them around the world today fighting and killing for their gods.
We have a God that we don’t need to fight for. We have a God that cares so much for our sake; we have a God that feels our infirmity. This is the God that we serve.
The scripture says in Psalm 16:4 4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.
Our living God gives us peace, but sorrow is what their god can give them.
Our God gives hope, but their false gods give them disappointment and shame.
God said their names cannot be mentioned in His mouth.
Dear reader, I need to warn you before I round off that you should not follow other gods. Our God is a jealous God and He will not share His glory with anyone.
He is the only true God.
I don’t know what you may be passing through that may be used by the devil to try to shift your eyes off God, but let the devil know it is too late. You live for God and serve Him only.
My Counsel
Ø Never allow the thought of following another god to cross your mind.
Ø Be addicted and dedicated to God through the Lord Jesus Christ. He will help you.
Declaration
Jesus, I declare you are the King over the universe. I return that glory back to you in Jesus' name.
We hope that you've enjoyed Psalms Chapter 115 from the Old Testament of the King James Bible.
