Psalms 135:15-17

135:15 The nations’ idols are made of silver and gold,

they are man-made.

135:16 They have mouths, but cannot speak,

eyes, but cannot see,

135:17 and ears, but cannot hear.

Indeed, they cannot breathe.


tn Heb “the work of the hands of man.”

tn Heb “indeed, there is not breath in their mouth.” For the collocation אַף אֵין (’afen, “indeed, there is not”) see Isa 41:26. Another option is to take אַף as “nose” (see Ps 115:6), in which case one might translate, “a nose, [but] they have no breath in their mouths.”