Commonplace –
“The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.
They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not;
They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.
They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them” (Psalm 135:15-18).
Psalm 135 is a psalm of praise and thankfulness. The psalmist tells of all the great things the Lord has done for his chosen. This is an exemplary song of thanksgiving, teaching the reader how to count their blessings and give thanks to God for all He has done.
In the midst of the psalm is a description of worshipers of false gods, particularly citing gold and silver. It’s interesting that those two metals are as elevated in modern society as they were in the ancient times and all times in between. So, the warning against false gods is still apropos today; you become like that which you worship. In this case, metal has no eyes to see or ears to hear. Therefore, the worshiper of such false gods will lose sight and hearing. The eyes of their heart will close, rendering them hard hearted, and their ears will close, leaving them deaf to the cries of their conscience.
Matthew Henry gives a beautiful summary of this psalm,
“This is one of the Hallelujah psalms; that is the title of it, and that is the Amen of it, both its Alpha and Omega” (612).
Works Cited
Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 135.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.
Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.
© 2025 Angela Hormberg
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