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Psalms

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Psalm 115

1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name bring honor, for the sake of your loyal love and faithfulness. 2 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”⁠ 3 Our God is in heaven. He does whatever he pleases.⁠ 4 Their idols are made of silver and gold—they are man-made.⁠ 5 They have mouths, but cannot speak; eyes, but cannot see; 6 ears, but cannot hear; noses, but cannot smell; 7 hands, but cannot touch; feet, but cannot walk. They cannot even clear their throats. 8 Those who make them will end up like them,⁠ as will everyone who trusts in them. 9 O Israel, trust in the Lord. He is their deliverer and protector. 10 O family of Aaron, trust in the Lord. He is their deliverer and protector. 11 You loyal followers of the Lord, trust in the Lord. He is their deliverer and protector. 12 The Lord takes notice of us; he will bless—he will bless the family of Israel, he will bless the family of Aaron. 13 He will bless his loyal followers, both young and old. 14 May he increase your numbers, yours and your children’s. 15 May you be blessed by the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth. 16 The heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth he has given to mankind. 17 The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any of those who descend into the silence of death.⁠ 18 But we will praise the Lord now and forevermore. Praise the Lord!

Texts in conversation

Compare Psalm 79:10 and Psalm 115:2

Hebrew Bible

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Summary

Psalm 79 and Psalm 115 share the question, “Where is their God?” voiced by surrounding nations to mock those who suffer. Both texts turn this taunt into a plea for divine action, linking public shame with divine absence.

Passages

Psalm 79:10

Hebrew Bible
8 Do not hold us accountable for the sins of earlier generations. Quickly send your compassion our way, for we are in serious trouble. 9 Help us, O God, our deliverer! For the sake of your glorious reputation, rescue us. Forgive our sins for the sake of your reputation. 10 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Before our very eyes may the shed blood of your servants be avenged among the nations. 11 Listen to the painful cries of the prisoners. Use your great strength to set free those condemned to die. 12 Pay back our neighbors in full. May they be insulted the same way they insulted you, O Lord.
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

Psalm 115:2

Hebrew Bible
1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name bring honor, for the sake of your loyal love and faithfulness. 2 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” 3 Our God is in heaven. He does whatever he pleases. 4 Their idols are made of silver and gold—they are man-made.
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

References

"... A new section of the psalm begins with a “why-question” typical of prayers for help: Why, O LORD, do you stand at a distance? (compare Psalm 22:1; 88:14, etc.). The poet continues the spatial poetic theme introduced in 9:13-14, in which the psalmist espoused trust that she would praise in the gates of daughter Zion, by means of a spatial metaphor, complaining that God is standing far away. This spatial metaphor paints a picture of the psalmist as isolated — literally — from God. Inasmuch as the complaint also recalls the taunt that the wicked often level at those who suffer, “Where is your God?” (compare Psalm 115:2; 79:10), the metaphor effectively ups the emotional ante of the complaint. In the second colon, the poet continues with the spatial metaphor, but amplifies it by adding a temporal quality to the complaint: Why do you hide at times of trouble? The psalmist’s sense of isolation is thus augmented by adding the note that God is staying distant at a particularly inopportune moment. That moment is defined by the psalmist as a moment in which the wicked have acted against the afflicted in arrogance; arrogance is the state of mind in which people imagine that they will not be held accountable for their actions, and therefore that they are free to oppress and act wickedly (compare 10:4; Isaiah 9:8-9). The psalmist speaks for those who have no recourse against such earthly oppression and begs God to act ..."
Nancy L. DeClaissé-Walford, The Book of Psalms (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 2014), 170.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Psalm 79:10 and Psalm 115:2

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