Psalms 135:16

Translation
King James Version
They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not;
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KJV (with Strong's)
They have mouths H6310, but they speak H1696 not; eyes H5869 have they, but they see H7200 not;
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Complete Jewish Bible
They have mouths, but they can't speak; they have eyes, but they can't see;
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Berean Standard Bible
They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see;
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American Standard Version
They have mouths, but they speak not; Eyes have they, but they see not;
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World English Bible Messianic
They have mouths, but they can’t speak. They have eyes, but they can’t see.
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Geneva Bible (1599)
They haue a mouth, and speake not: they haue eyes and see not.
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Young's Literal Translation
A mouth they have, and they speak not, Eyes they have, and they see not,
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See also
Matthew 13:14Matthew 13:16Isaiah 6:10
In the KJVVerse 16,192 of 31,102

Study This Verse

SUMMARY

Psalms 135:16 delivers a profound critique of idolatry, starkly contrasting the impotence of man-made images with the living, active God of Israel. This verse, part of a larger polemic against false gods, highlights the fundamental deficiency of idols: though fashioned with features resembling human senses, they are utterly devoid of life, consciousness, and power, unable to speak, see, hear, or act, thereby rendering them useless objects of worship and underscoring the unique supremacy of Yahweh.

CONTEXT

  • Literary Context: Psalms 135 is a psalm of praise, a liturgical hymn likely used in temple worship, celebrating the Lord's sovereignty and mighty acts. It begins with a fervent call to praise Yahweh, recounting His greatness in creation, such as His power over natural phenomena where He makes the clouds to ascend from the ends of the earth, and His historical interventions for Israel, particularly the Exodus and the conquest of Canaan, exemplified by how He smote the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast. Verses 15-18, where our verse is found, pivot sharply to a direct contrast between the Lord and the idols of the nations. This section serves as an anti-hymn, systematically dismantling the claims of pagan deities by exposing their inherent lifelessness, thereby reinforcing the uniqueness and absolute supremacy of the God of Israel.
  • Historical & Cultural Context: In the ancient Near East, idol worship was pervasive and deeply ingrained in the religious practices of surrounding nations like Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon. These cultures created elaborate physical representations of their gods from materials such as wood, stone, gold, and silver. Crucially, these idols were not merely symbols but were often believed to be actual dwelling places for the deities' spirits, or even the gods themselves, animated through elaborate rituals like "mouth-opening" and "eye-opening" ceremonies. The psalmist's critique directly challenges this widespread worldview, asserting that these human-crafted objects are inherently inert, a direct affront to the living and active God who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all deep places. This polemic in the psalm is a common and vital theme throughout Israelite prophecy and wisdom literature, designed to prevent Israel from adopting the idolatrous and futile practices of surrounding cultures.
  • Key Themes: The central and most prominent theme in Psalms 135:16 is the futility and powerlessness of idolatry. The verse starkly underscores that idols are inanimate objects, incapable of any life-giving, responsive, or protective function, directly contrasting with the dynamic, responsive, and omnipotent God of Israel. This theme is deeply embedded in the Old Testament, with prophets like Isaiah ridiculing idol makers and their creations, as seen in passages detailing the folly of making and worshipping idols. Implicitly, the verse also magnifies God's uniqueness and sovereignty. Unlike the silent, blind, and deaf idols, the God of Israel truly speaks, sees, hears, and acts in the world, demonstrating His active involvement in human history and the lives of His people. Furthermore, there is an underlying theme of the spiritual blindness and deafness of idol worshippers, as powerfully suggested by parallel passages like Psalm 115:8, which pronounces that "they that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them."

EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

Key Word Analysis

  • Mouths (Hebrew, peh', H6310): This noun refers to the mouth primarily as the organ of speech or the means of blowing. In the context of idols, its presence highlights a grotesque irony: though fashioned with a mouth-like aperture, these objects are utterly incapable of communication, command, or response. This starkly contrasts with the living God who speaks, and it is done; He commands, and it stands fast.
  • Speak (Hebrew, dâbar', H1696): This primitive root signifies "to arrange," but is most commonly used figuratively for words, meaning "to speak." Its semantic range includes declaring, commanding, teaching, and uttering. The psalmist's negation, "speak not," emphasizes the idols' complete lack of divine communication, revelation, or ability to respond to prayer, revealing a profound difference from the God who reveals His word unto Jacob, His statutes and His judgments unto Israel.
  • Eyes (Hebrew, ʻayin', H5869): This word denotes the eye, whether literally or figuratively, and can also refer to a fountain (as the "eye of the landscape"). In this verse, "eyes" signifies the organ of sight. The declaration that idols "see not" underscores their inability to perceive, discern, or watch over their worshippers. This stands in stark contrast to the omniscient Lord who looks from heaven; He beholds all the sons of men.

Verse Breakdown

  • "They have mouths, but they speak not;": This clause highlights the first critical deficiency of idols, emphasizing their utter inability to communicate. Despite being crafted with a mouth-like aperture, these man-made objects are incapable of speech. This means they cannot issue commands, offer guidance, provide comfort, or respond to the pleas of their devotees. Their profound silence is a powerful testament to their lifelessness and inherent powerlessness, directly refuting any claim to divine authority or active presence.
  • "eyes have they, but they see not;": Following the same rhetorical pattern, this clause points to the second profound limitation of idols. Despite being fashioned with eye-like features, these objects possess no genuine sight. They cannot perceive the needs, sufferings, or actions of their worshippers, nor can they oversee events, discern truth, or provide protection. Their blindness signifies their complete lack of awareness, discernment, and active engagement with the world, rendering them utterly useless as objects of worship.

Literary Devices

Psalms 135:16 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message with striking clarity and impact. Parallelism is prominently featured in the symmetrical structure of the verse: "They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not." This balanced repetition emphasizes the consistent pattern of deficiency across different sensory organs, reinforcing the idols' complete lack of vital functions. Anthropomorphism (negative) is skillfully used by attributing human features (mouths, eyes) to inanimate objects only to immediately deny the corresponding human functions (speaking, seeing). This highlights the grotesque parody of divinity that idols represent, underscoring their inherent lifelessness. There is also a strong element of irony and rhetorical critique, as the psalmist uses the very features that would imply life and power (mouths, eyes) to underscore their absolute absence in idols. This serves as a potent and compelling argument against the rationality and spiritual efficacy of worshipping such inert objects.

THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS

Psalms 135:16 is a foundational text in the biblical polemic against idolatry, asserting the radical distinction between the Creator and creation. Theologically, it underscores that true divinity is characterized by life, consciousness, active engagement, and the capacity for communication and perception—attributes utterly lacking in human-made images. This verse implicitly magnifies the living God of Israel, who is not only the source of all life but also actively hears the cry of the afflicted and sees the wickedness of the earth. The inability of idols to speak or see means they cannot reveal truth, offer guidance, or provide salvation, reinforcing the biblical truth that salvation belongs to the Lord alone and that only He is worthy of worship.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION

While modern societies may not typically worship physical statues of wood and stone, the principle of idolatry remains profoundly relevant. This verse challenges us to examine what truly occupies the place of ultimate trust, devotion, and reliance in our lives. Anything that promises satisfaction, security, or meaning apart from the living God—whether it be wealth, career, relationships, self-image, technology, political ideologies, or even personal achievements—can function as a modern idol. Such idols, like their ancient counterparts, ultimately prove to be empty, silent, and blind; they cannot truly speak truth into our deepest anxieties, see our hidden needs, or provide lasting peace and salvation. This passage calls us to a radical reorientation of our worship, directing our full trust and allegiance to the God who truly sees our struggles, hears our prayers, and speaks life-giving words into our existence, offering a dynamic and responsive relationship that no created thing can provide.

Questions for Reflection

  • What "mouths" or "eyes" in my life do I rely on for guidance or perception, that ultimately "speak not" or "see not" in the way God does?
  • In what subtle ways might I be placing my trust and devotion in something other than the living God, expecting it to provide what only He can?
  • How does recognizing the futility of idols—ancient or modern—deepen my appreciation for the active, responsive, and sovereign nature of the true God?

FAQ

Why does the Bible so often emphasize that idols cannot speak, see, or hear?

Answer: The repeated emphasis on the sensory and communicative incapacities of idols (e.g., Psalm 115:5-7) serves multiple crucial purposes. First, it directly refutes the pagan belief that deities inhabited or were represented by these statues, and that rituals could "animate" them. The biblical authors assert that these are mere human creations, utterly devoid of life or divine power. Second, it highlights the stark contrast with the God of Israel, who is vibrantly alive, actively speaks through His word and prophets (e.g., Hebrews 1:1-2), sees all things (e.g., Proverbs 15:3), and hears the prayers of His people (e.g., Psalm 65:2). This rhetorical strategy underscores God's uniqueness and sovereignty, demonstrating that He is fundamentally different from and superior to any human-made object of worship.

CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT

Psalms 135:16 finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person of Jesus, who is the living antithesis to every lifeless idol. While idols have mouths but speak not, Jesus is the Word made flesh, the very utterance of God who speaks with divine authority, revealing the Father in perfect clarity (e.g., He who has seen Me has seen the Father). His words are not empty sounds but are spirit and life, capable of creating, healing, and saving (e.g., Even the unclean spirits obey Him!). Similarly, where idols have eyes but see not, Jesus is the light of the world, who truly sees into the depths of human hearts (e.g., He Himself knew what was in man), perceives every need, and offers true insight and spiritual vision (e.g., For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see). He is the true image of the invisible God (e.g., He is the image of the invisible God), embodying all the life, power, and active engagement that idols so conspicuously lack. In Christ, we encounter the God who truly speaks, sees, hears, and acts on behalf of His people, offering a living relationship that stands in stark contrast to the futility of worshipping anything else.

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Commentary on Psalms 135 verses 15–21

The design of these verses is,

I. To arm the people of God against idolatry and all false worship, by showing what sort of gods they were that the heathen worshipped, as we had it before, Psa 115:4, etc. 1. They were gods of their own making; being so, they could have no power but what their makers gave them, and then what power could their makers receive from them? The images were the work of men's hands, and the deities that were supposed to inform them were as much the creatures of men's fancy and imagination. 2. They had the shape of animals, but could not perform the least act, no, not of the animal life. They could neither see, nor hear, nor speak, nor so much as breathe; and therefore to make them with eyes, and ears, and mouths, and nostrils, was such a jest that one would wonder how reasonable creatures could suffer themselves to be so imposed upon as to expect any good from such mock-deities. 3. Their worshippers were therefore as stupid and senseless as they were, both those that made them to be worshipped and those that trusted in them when they were made, Psa 135:18. The worshipping of such gods as were the objects of sense, and senseless, made the worshippers sensual and senseless. Let our worshipping a God that is a Spirit make us spiritual and wise.

II. To stir up the people of God to true devotion in the worship of the true God, Psa 135:19-21. The more deplorable the condition of the Gentile nations that worship idols is the more are we bound to thank God that we know better. Therefore, 1. Let us set ourselves about the acts of devotion, and employ ourselves in them: Bless the Lord, and again and again, bless the Lord. In the parallel place (Psa 115:9-11), by way of inference from the impotency of idols, the duty thus pressed upon us is to trust in the Lord; here to bless him; by putting our trust in God we give glory to him, and those that depend upon God shall not want matter of thanksgiving to him. All persons that knew God are here called to praise him - the house of Israel (the nation in general), the house of Aaron and the house of Levi (the Lord's ministers that attended in his sanctuary), and all others that feared the Lord, though they were not of the house of Israel. 2. Let God have the glory of all: Blessed be the Lord. The tribute of praise arises out of Zion. All God's works do praise him, but his saints bless him; and they need not go far to pay their tribute, for he dwells in Jerusalem, in his church, which they are members of, so that he is always nigh unto them to receive their homage. The condescensions of his grace, in dwelling with men upon the earth, call for our grateful and thankful returns, and our repeated Hallelujahs.

Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 15–21. Public domain.
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TertullianAD 220
SCORPIACE 2
“I am the Lord your God. You shall not make for yourselves idols fashioned by the hand, neither set up a graven image. Nor shall you set up a remarkable stone in your land [to worship it]: I am the Lord your God.” These words indeed were first spoken by the Lord by the lips of Moses, being applicable certainly to whomsoever the Lord God of Israel may lead forth in like manner from the Egypt of a most superstitious world and from the place of human slavery. But from the mouth of every prophet in succession sounds forth also utterances of the same God, augmenting the same law of his by a renewal of the same commands, and in the first place announcing no other duty in so special a manner as being on guard against all making and worshiping of idols; as when by the mouth of David he says, “The gods of the nations are silver and gold: they have eyes, and see not; they have ears, and hear not; they have a nose, and smell not; a mouth, and they speak not; hands, and they handle not; feet and they walk not. Like to them shall be they who make them and trust in them.”
Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 135
But as these things are senseless, why make ye men of silver and gold to be gods? See ye not that the gods which you make see not? "They have a mouth, and will not speak; they have eyes, and will not see" [Psalm 135:16].
Maximus of TurinAD 465
SERMON 73:5
Therefore, who would not blush, if they had any humanity, to close the day without a number of psalms, when the birds themselves prance about in the sweetness of a psalter as their way of giving thanks? Who would not blush to fail to make his glory resound with the sweetness of verses, when the birds proclaim his praise with the song they sing? Therefore, brother, imitate the tiny birds by rendering thanks to the Maker morning and evening. And if you are more pious, imitate the nightingale; because the day alone does not suffice for speaking praises—it passes through the watches of the night in its all-night song! Therefore, you too overcome the day with your praises and add to your work the courses of the night, and comfort with a series of psalms the sleepless industry of the work you have undertaken! And because I have mentioned these birds which keep watch at night, I do not want you to imitate the owl; although it keeps watch at night, it is nonetheless lazy or blind during the day; with its big eyes it is content with the dark shadows and abhors the splendor of the sun. In a marvelous manner, it finds light in the darkness, but is blinded by the light. That animal is an example of the heretics and heathen. They embrace the shadows of the devil, abhor the light of the Savior, and with the big eyes of their arguments they discern empty matters but do not look towards eternal things. The Lord says about them: “They have eyes and yet do not see; they walk in darkness.” Their eyes are keen when it comes to superstition, but are dim when it comes to divine matters; although they think that they fly away by their subtle discourses, nonetheless like true owls they are thrown into confusion by the splendor of the light.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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