Psalms 115:4
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.
Original Language Analysis
כֶּ֣סֶף
are silver
H3701
כֶּ֣סֶף
are silver
Strong's:
H3701
Word #:
2 of 6
silver (from its pale color); by implication, money
וְזָהָ֑ב
and gold
H2091
וְזָהָ֑ב
and gold
Strong's:
H2091
Word #:
3 of 6
gold, figuratively, something gold-colored (i.e., yellow), as oil, a clear sky
מַ֝עֲשֵׂ֗ה
the work
H4639
מַ֝עֲשֵׂ֗ה
the work
Strong's:
H4639
Word #:
4 of 6
an action (good or bad); generally, a transaction; abstractly, activity; by implication, a product (specifically, a poem) or (generally) property
Cross References
Deuteronomy 4:28And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.Isaiah 44:10Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?Isaiah 37:19And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.Acts 19:26Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:
Historical Context
Ancient Near Eastern idolatry was sophisticated and pervasive. Temples housed elaborate cult statues overlaid with precious metals, believed to be dwelling places for deities. Daily rituals included feeding, clothing, and entertaining these images. Babylonian mythology described gods creating humans to serve them, with statues functioning as the gods' earthly bodies. Israel's aniconic worship (no images) was radically countercultural, provoking pagan incomprehension and mockery. The temptation to adopt visible idols was constant, leading to repeated prophetic denunciations and national judgments.
Questions for Reflection
- What modern 'works of men's hands' command devotion and trust in contemporary culture (technology, wealth, political systems)?
- How does recognizing that idols are human creations help you identify and resist idolatry in your own life?
- Why is the invisibility of the true God both a stumbling block to unbelief and a safeguard against reducing Him to human projections?
Analysis & Commentary
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. The psalm pivots from defending Israel's invisible God to exposing pagan idolatry's absurdity. The Hebrew atsabehem (עֲצַבֵּיהֶם) means their 'idols' or 'images'—literally 'shaped things' or even 'sorrows' (the word can denote both idol and grief). Made of precious kesef (כֶּסֶף, silver) and zahav (זָהָב, gold), idols impressed with material value but lacked divine life.
The work of men's hands (ma'aseh yedei adam, מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵי אָדָם) is the devastating critique. Humans craft objects, then worship their own craftsmanship. The creator (human) bows before the created (idol)—an ontological inversion. This echoes Isaiah's mockery: the carpenter uses half a tree for firewood and carves the other half into a god (Isaiah 44:14-20). Romans 1:25 calls this exchanging 'the truth of God for the lie' and worshiping the creature rather than the Creator.
The irony intensifies: pagans mock Israel's invisible God while bowing to visible metal. Which is more rational—trusting the unseen Creator who made heaven and earth, or trusting manufactured objects that cannot see, hear, or act?