Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 115:7

They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.

Speak, or mutter, or make a noise, as this word signifies, Isa 10:14. They are so far from speaking with their throat and other instruments of speech as men do, that they cannot make such an inarticulate and senseless sound with them as the beasts do.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

7. speak . . . throatliterally,”mutter,” not even utter articulate sounds.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

They have hands, but they handle not,…. So as to feel any thing that is put into their hands; they cannot make use of their hands to stretch them out, and receive anything from their worshippers; nor can they give anything to them: but our God receives and accepts the sacrifices of his people, their prayers and their praises; and opens his hand, and liberally supplies their wants, both in providence and grace.

Feet have they, but they walk not; cannot stir from the place where they are, to the assistance of those that call unto them, Isa 46:7 but our God walks upon the wings of the wind, and is a present help in times of trouble; a God at hand and afar off, and makes haste to the relief of his people in distress.

Neither speak they through their throat; or make a mournful voice as a dove, as the word is used in Isa 38:14 or chirp as a bird, or chatter as a crane; or warble out any note through the throat, as birds do; and much less form any articulate sound, or utter any proper word, that may be understood.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

(7) Neither speak they.The Hebrew implies not only the want of articulate speech, but of utterance at all.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

7. Neither speak they through their throat The speaking through the throat seems here to be contrasted with speaking with the tongue. Compare Psa 35:28. The latter was open, articulate speech; the former, low, whispering, and often inarticulate a muttering. See Isa 8:19; Isa 59:3. The word rendered “speak,” here, is sometimes rendered meditate, (see Jos 1:8; Psa 77:12,) because meditating is an inward speaking to one’s self, often accompanied with low, half inarticulate sounds. See on Psa 90:9. The idea of the text seems to be, that these idols could not make even a breathlike, inarticulate sound. The psalmist had already denied their power of enunciating words, or of speech proper, in Psa 115:5, where another word is used. A satirical allusion may also be here intended to the custom of the heathen priests and necromancers of uttering their magical formulas in a low, guttural tone.

See Isa 8:19. The Septuagint calls them, those who speak, or make a sound, from the belly, ventriloquists.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Psa 115:7. Neither speak they Or, Neither breathe they.

Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke

Psa 115:7 They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.

Ver. 7. They have hands, but they handle not ] Curious and artificial (for art is Nature’s ape), but useless, and for show only. If Esculapius, or the lady of Loretto, restore the lame or the blind, it is the devil with his lying wonders, 2Th 2:9

Feet have they, but they walk not ] As those pictures in Plato made by Daedalus, which, if they were not bound, would fly away; or Vulcan’s three-footed stools in Homer, which are feigned to have run on wheels of their own accord, to the meeting of the gods, and after that to return in like sort back again. The Tyrians besieged by Alexander chained up their god Hercules, that he might not go from them in that calamnity, and yet they were not delivered.

Neither speak they through their throat ] They do not so much as chatter like a crane, or mourn as a dove, Isa 38:14 , but are dumb idols, as the apostle calleth them. These are things commonly known, but profitably thus inculcated, for the shaming of senseless idolaters; who yet are so bewitched that they will needs dote upon these gods of their own making. O vanas hominum mentes, &c., Oh the spirit of fornication, &c.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

speak = make a sound.

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

Reciprocal: Psa 112:1 – Blessed Psa 149:6 – mouth 1Co 12:2 – dumb

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

115:7 They have {e} hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.

(e) He shows what great vanity it is to ask help from them who not only have no help in them, but lack sense and reason.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes