They have mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see;
Parallel translations
- WEB They have mouths, but they don’t speak. They have eyes, but they don’t see.
- KJV They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:
- BSB They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see;
- NASB They have mouths, but they cannot speak; They have eyes, but they cannot see;
- NLT They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Idols have mouths and eyes but cannot speak or see. It matters because dead gods cannot help or save their worshipers.
Overview
Continuing the satire, the psalm catalogs the senses idols seem to possess yet wholly lack. By contrast Yahweh hears prayer, speaks his word, and sees his people. This vivid impotence underscores why trusting any idol is futile, pointing instead to the living God who truly speaks and acts in salvation.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 1
- Jer 10:5They are like a palm tree, of turned work, and don’t speak: they must be carried, because they can’t move. Don’t be afraid of them; for they can’t do evil, neither is it in them to do good.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 115:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.