Psalms 115:5
They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:
Original Language Analysis
פֶּֽה
They have mouths
H6310
פֶּֽה
They have mouths
Strong's:
H6310
Word #:
1 of 8
the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literal or figurative (particularly speech); specifically edge, portion or side; adverbially (with prepos
וְלֹ֣א
H3808
וְלֹ֣א
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
3 of 8
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
יְדַבֵּ֑רוּ
but they speak
H1696
יְדַבֵּ֑רוּ
but they speak
Strong's:
H1696
Word #:
4 of 8
perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
עֵינַ֥יִם
not eyes
H5869
עֵינַ֥יִם
not eyes
Strong's:
H5869
Word #:
5 of 8
an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape)
Historical Context
Ancient idol worship involved elaborate rituals addressing statues as if they were alive. Priests 'fed' idols daily meals, 'clothed' them in fine garments, and 'consulted' them through divination. The cognitive dissonance was profound: intelligent humans treating lifeless metal as deity. Yet the practice persisted because idols offered tangible religious experience and supported political power structures. Temples were economic engines and cultural centers, making idolatry resistant to rational critique. Only divine revelation could expose the emptiness behind the spectacle.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the satirical tone of this psalm model appropriate Christian response to false belief systems?
- In what ways do modern people create 'gods' with impressive appearance but no real power to save or transform?
- What does it mean practically that those who make idols 'become like them'—losing spiritual sight and hearing?
Analysis & Commentary
They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not. The satire begins a devastating anatomical inventory of idol impotence. Each body part mentioned—mouth (peh, פֶּה), eyes (einayim, עֵינַיִם)—possesses form without function, appearance without ability. The repetitive structure ('they have X, but they X not') hammers home the absurdity through relentless parallelism.
Mouths that cannot speak mock the very purpose of mouths. Pagan worshipers prayed to statues that could neither hear petitions nor answer them. Contrast Yahweh, whose word created the universe (Genesis 1:3) and whose prophetic speech governs history. Eyes that cannot see expose idol blindness—they observe nothing, including their worshipers' plight. Yet Israel's God neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4), watching over His people constantly.
This polemic appears throughout Scripture. Habakkuk mocks idols: 'Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach!' (Habakkuk 2:18-19). Jeremiah ridicules scarecrows that must be carried because they cannot walk (Jeremiah 10:5). The critique is both theological (idols are powerless) and ethical (idolaters become like their idols—deaf and blind to truth).