They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound.
Parallel translations
- WEB They have hands, but they don’t feel. They have feet, but they don’t walk, neither do they speak through their throat.
- KJV They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.
- BSB they have hands, but cannot feel; they have feet, but cannot walk; they cannot even clear their throats.
- NKJV They have hands, but they do not handle; Feet they have, but they do not walk; Nor do they mutter through their throat.
- NASB They have hands, but they cannot feel; They have feet, but they cannot walk; They cannot make a sound with their throat.
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 hands and feet yet cannot feel, walk, or make a sound. It matters because powerless gods cannot rescue anyone.
Overview
The catalog of idol impotence concludes: they are utterly inert, unable to act or even utter a whisper. Everything attributed to deity is absent in them. This total helplessness sharpens the contrast with Yahweh, who acts mightily in history and walks among his people, ultimately in the incarnate Christ who came near to save.
Cross-references & the web
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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 115:7 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
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