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 115:8 and Epistle to Diognetus 2:5

Hebrew Bible · Early Christian

Summary

In Diognetus, the gods of the Greeks are described as deaf and blind, and the people who serve them as ending up like them, echoing the language of Psalm 115, where idols cannot see or hear and those who make them end up like them.

Passages

Psalm 115:8

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. 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.

600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

Epistle to Diognetus 2:5

Early Christian

4 Could not these things which are now worshipped by you, by human hands again be made vessels like the rest? Are not they all deaf and blind, are they not soulless, senseless, motionless? Do they not all rot and decay? 5 These things you call gods, to these you are slaves, these you worship; and you end by becoming altogether like them. 6 Therefore you hate the Christians, because they do not consider these to be gods. 7 For do not you yourselves, who now regard and worship them, much more despise them? Do you not much rather mock and insult them, worshipping those that are of stone and earthenware unguarded, but shutting up those that are of silver and gold by night, and setting guards over them by day, to prevent their being stolen?

150–250 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in the Epistle to Diognetus

References

“... The elegantly written work is similar to Aristides’s Apology, but not dependent upon it. Like Aristides’s work, it blends Hellenism and Judaism. It uses such apologetics as are to be found in Psalm 115, in the Wisdom of Solomon, and in the Sibylline Oracles. Its understanding of creation also is anthropocentric, the world being understood as having been made for humanity’s sake. ...”

Alvyn Pettersen, The Second-Century Apologists, Cascade Companions (Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2020), 48.

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

Psalms150 psalms

Compare Psalm 115:8 and Epistle to Diognetus 2:5

Summary

Passages

Psalm 115:8

Epistle to Diognetus 2:5

References

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