135:15Meaning
Idols are expensive, but human-made The idols of the nations are described as silver and gold—materials that look impressive and valuable. Yet the psalm immediately reframes them as products: they are made by human hands, not agents with their own power.
Unit 2 (vv. 16–17a): Body parts without abilities
The idols are pictured as having mouths, eyes, and ears—features associated with living beings. But each feature is paired with denial: they cannot speak, cannot see, and cannot hear. The repetition drives home a single point: their form suggests life, but no life is present.
Unit 3 (v. 17b): No breath, no life
The psalm adds a final diagnosis: there is no breath in their mouths (mouths). This underlines that the problem is not merely silence or inattention; it is lifelessness.