Psalms 115:7
They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.
Original Language Analysis
יְדֵיהֶ֤ם׀
They have hands
H3027
יְדֵיהֶ֤ם׀
They have hands
Strong's:
H3027
Word #:
1 of 9
a hand (the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.], in distinction from h3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great v
וְלֹ֬א
H3808
וְלֹ֬א
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
2 of 9
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
רַ֭גְלֵיהֶם
not feet
H7272
רַ֭גְלֵיהֶם
not feet
Strong's:
H7272
Word #:
4 of 9
a foot (as used in walking); by implication, a step; by euphemistically the pudenda
וְלֹ֣א
H3808
וְלֹ֣א
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
5 of 9
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
יְהַלֵּ֑כוּ
have they but they walk
H1980
יְהַלֵּ֑כוּ
have they but they walk
Strong's:
H1980
Word #:
6 of 9
to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)
לֹֽא
H3808
לֹֽא
Strong's:
H3808
Word #:
7 of 9
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles
Historical Context
Ancient processions involved carrying idol statues through streets during festivals. The irony wasn't lost on biblical writers: worshipers carry their gods, but Israel's God carries His worshipers. This became particularly pointed during the Babylonian exile when victors paraded their idol-gods while claiming divine endorsement. Yet Babylon eventually fell, her gods unable to save her (Isaiah 47), vindicating Israel's faith in the sovereign LORD.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the image of worshipers carrying their gods (versus God carrying His people) illuminate the difference between false and true religion?
- What 'mute gods' compete for allegiance today—ideologies, systems, or values that promise much but deliver nothing ultimately saving?
- How should the fact that God speaks (through Scripture, through His Son) shape our priorities in spiritual life?
Analysis & Commentary
They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. The catalog concludes with hands (yedehem, יְדֵיהֶם), feet (ragleihem, רַגְלֵיהֶם), and throats (geronekhem, גְּרוֹנָם). Hands that cannot handle anything mock the idol's impotence—unable to bless, heal, deliver, or work. Isaiah ridicules the craftsman who uses his hands to make a god that has no hands (Isaiah 44:12-17).
Feet that cannot walk expose immobility. Idols must be carried (Isaiah 46:1-7), whereas Yahweh carries His people (Exodus 19:4; Deuteronomy 32:11). When Philistines captured the ark, Dagon fell on his face before it (1 Samuel 5:3-4)—Israel's God acted while pagan idols toppled helplessly. Jeremiah mocks idols that must be fastened down lest they tip over (Jeremiah 10:4).
The final phrase, neither speak they through their throat, reinforces verse 5's point about speechless mouths. The Hebrew hagah (הָגָה) can mean to utter, mutter, or make sound. Idols produce no sound—no prophecy, no revelation, no word of comfort or judgment. They are definitionally mute.