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Wisdom & Poetry · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Psalm 115

Psalm 115 is read especially through the theme of creation, within Book V (Psalms 107–150). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application.

CreationTrust & RefugePraise
Old Testament

Psalm 115

1Not to us, LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for your loving kindness, and for your truth’s sake.

2Why should the nations say, “Where is their God, now?”

3But our God is in the heavens. He does whatever he pleases.

4Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.

5They have mouths, but they don’t speak. They have eyes, but they don’t see.

6They have ears, but they don’t hear. They have noses, but they don’t smell.

7They have hands, but they don’t feel. They have feet, but they don’t walk, neither do they speak through their throat.

8Those who make them will be like them; yes, everyone who trusts in them.

9Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.

10House of Aaron, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.

11You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.

12The LORD remembers us. He will bless us. He will bless the house of Israel. He will bless the house of Aaron.

13He will bless those who fear the LORD, both small and great.

14May the LORD increase you more and more, you and your children.

15Blessed are you by the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

16The heavens are the LORD’s heavens, but he has given the earth to the children of men.

17The dead don’t praise the LORD, nor any who go down into silence,

18but we will bless the LORD, from this time forward and forever more. Praise the LORD!

READ IN CONTEXT

Understanding Psalm 115

Psalm 115 is read especially through the theme of creation, within Book V (Psalms 107–150). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application. Read it within the complete five-book Psalms collection, then compare its prayer language with the types of prayer found across Scripture. Classification is a reading aid rather than a replacement for the Psalm's own movement and tension.

Collection

Book V (Psalms 107–150). The five-book shape of the Psalter helps readers hear individual prayers within a deliberately arranged collection.

Themes detected

Creation, Trust & Refuge, Praise. Read for these themes while remaining open to tension and secondary movements.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Psalm 115

Psalm 115 contains 18 verses and about 263 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “Not to us, LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for your loving kindness, and for your truth’s sake.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 18 closes: “but we will bless the LORD, from this time forward and forever more. Praise the LORD!” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include don’t, will, bless, heavens, trust, help. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Psalm 115

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Psalms 115:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

What kind of Psalm is this?+

Our reading profile emphasizes creation, with related themes of Creation, Trust & Refuge, Praise. Many Psalms blend genres or move between moods, so this label is a guide rather than a rigid classification.

A SMALL NEXT STEP

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