Psalms 115:2
Psalms 115:2 in Multiple Translations
Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?
Wherefore should the nations say, Where is now their God?
Why may the nations say, Where is now their God?
Why should the heathen nations ask, “Where is your God?”
Wherefore shall the heathen say, Where is nowe their God?
Why do the nations say, 'Where, pray, [is] their God.
Why should the nations say, “Where is their God, now?”
Why should the heathen say, Where is now their God?
I said in my excess: Every man is a liar.
It is not right that [RHQ] other people-groups should say about us, “They claim that their God is very powerful, but if that is true, why does he not help them?”
Berean Amplified Bible — Psalms 115:2
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Psalms 115:2 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
לָ֭/מָּה
יֹאמְר֣וּ
הַ/גּוֹיִ֑ם
אַיֵּה
נָ֝֗א
אֱלֹהֵי/הֶֽם
לָ֭/מָּה
mâh
H4100
what?
Prep | Part
יֹאמְר֣וּ
ʼâmar
H559
to say
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp
הַ/גּוֹיִ֑ם
gôwy
H1471
Gentile
Art | N-mp
אַיֵּה
ʼayêh
H346
where?
Part
נָ֝֗א
nâʼ
H4994
please
Part
אֱלֹהֵי/הֶֽם
ʼĕlôhîym
H430
God
N-mp | Suff
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
Use ← → arrow keys to navigate between words.
Hebrew Word Reference — Psalms 115:2
לָ֭/מָּה
mâh
H4100
"what?"
Prep | Part
This Hebrew word means what or how, often used to ask questions or express surprise, like in Genesis when God asks Adam what he has done. It can also mean why or when, and is used in various ways throughout the Old Testament. It appears in many KJV translations, including how or what.
Definition: interr pron 1) what, how, of what kind 1a) (interrogative) 1a1) what? 1a2) of what kind 1a3) what? (rhetorical) 1a4) whatsoever, whatever, what 1b) (adverb) 1b1) how, how now 1b2) why 1b3) how! (exclamation) 1c) (with prep) 1c1) wherein?, whereby?, wherewith?, by what means? 1c2) because of what? 1c3) the like of what? 1c3a) how much?, how many?, how often? 1c3b) for how long? 1c4) for what reason?, why?, to what purpose? 1c5) until when?, how long?, upon what?, wherefore? indef pron 2) anything, aught, what may
Usage: Occurs in 655 OT verses. KJV: how (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why. See also: Genesis 2:19; Numbers 21:5; 1 Samuel 19:5.
יֹאמְר֣וּ
ʼâmar
H559
"to say"
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Definition: 1) to say, speak, utter 1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend 1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called 1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly 1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)
Usage: Occurs in 4337 OT verses. KJV: answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [idiom] plainly, promise, publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), [idiom] still, [idiom] suppose, talk, tell, term, [idiom] that is, [idiom] think, use (speech), utter, [idiom] verily, [idiom] yet. See also: Genesis 1:3; Genesis 18:23; Genesis 25:32.
הַ/גּוֹיִ֑ם
gôwy
H1471
"Gentile"
Art | N-mp
This word refers to a Gentile, someone who is not Hebrew or Israeli. It can also describe a large group of animals or a nation of people, emphasizing their unity and shared identity.
Definition: 1) nation, people 1a) nation, people 1a1) usually of non-Hebrew people 1a2) of descendants of Abraham 1a3) of Israel 1b) of swarm of locusts, other animals (fig.) 1c) Goyim? = "nations" Also named: ethnos (ἔθνος "Gentiles" G1484)
Usage: Occurs in 511 OT verses. KJV: Gentile, heathen, nation, people. See also: Genesis 10:5; Judges 4:16; Psalms 2:1.
אַיֵּה
ʼayêh
H346
"where?"
Part
The Hebrew word for where, used to ask for the location of someone or something. It appears in various biblical contexts, including rhetorical questions.
Definition: 1) where? 1a) of persons, things 1b) rhetorical
Usage: Occurs in 40 OT verses. KJV: where. See also: Genesis 18:9; Isaiah 33:18; Psalms 42:4.
נָ֝֗א
nâʼ
H4994
"please"
Part
The Hebrew word 'nâ'' is used to express a polite request, like 'please' or 'I pray', and is often added to verbs to make them more polite. In the Bible, it appears in passages like Ezra's reading of the law to the people.
Definition: 1) I (we) pray, now, please 1a) used in entreaty or exhortation
Usage: Occurs in 374 OT verses. KJV: I beseech (pray) thee (you), go to, now, oh. See also: Genesis 12:11; Judges 4:19; 1 Kings 13:6.
אֱלֹהֵי/הֶֽם
ʼĕlôhîym
H430
"God"
N-mp | Suff
The Hebrew word for God, elohim, refers to the one supreme God, and is sometimes used to show respect to judges or magistrates. It is also used to describe angels or mighty beings. This word is closely related to the name of the Lord, Yahweh, and is often translated as God or gods in the Bible.
Definition: This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God" Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
Usage: Occurs in 2246 OT verses. KJV: angels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty. See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 22:12; Exodus 3:11.
Study Notes — Psalms 115:2
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Psalms 115:2 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Psalms 115:2
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 115:2
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 115:2
- Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 115:2
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 115:2
- Cambridge Bible on Psalms 115:2
- Barnes' Notes on Psalms 115:2
- Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 115:2
- Sermons on Psalms 115:2
Context — To Your Name Be the Glory
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalms 42:3 | My tears have been my food both day and night, while men ask me all day long, “Where is your God?” |
| 2 | Psalms 79:10 | Why should the nations ask, “Where is their God?” Before our eyes, make known among the nations Your vengeance for the bloodshed of Your servants. |
| 3 | Psalms 42:10 | Like the crushing of my bones, my enemies taunt me, while they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” |
| 4 | Exodus 32:12 | Why should the Egyptians declare, ‘He brought them out with evil intent, to kill them in the mountains and wipe them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce anger and relent from doing harm to Your people. |
| 5 | Joel 2:17 | Let the priests who minister before the LORD weep between the portico and the altar, saying, “Spare Your people, O LORD, and do not make Your heritage a reproach, an object of scorn among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” |
| 6 | Numbers 14:15–16 | If You kill this people as one man, the nations who have heard of Your fame will say, ‘Because the LORD was unable to bring this people into the land He swore to give them, He has slaughtered them in the wilderness.’ |
| 7 | Deuteronomy 32:26–27 | I would have said that I would cut them to pieces and blot out their memory from mankind, if I had not dreaded the taunt of the enemy, lest their adversaries misunderstand and say: ‘Our own hand has prevailed; it was not the LORD who did all this.’” |
| 8 | 2 Kings 19:10–19 | “Give this message to Hezekiah king of Judah: ‘Do not let your God, in whom you trust, deceive you by saying that Jerusalem will not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the other countries, devoting them to destruction. Will you then be spared? Did the gods of the nations destroyed by my fathers rescue those nations—the gods of Gozan, Haran, and Rezeph, and of the people of Eden in Telassar? Where are the kings of Hamath, Arpad, Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah?’” So Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers, read it, and went up to the house of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD: “O LORD, God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You made the heavens and the earth. Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see. Listen to the words that Sennacherib has sent to defy the living God. Truly, O LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste these nations and their lands. They have cast their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods, but only wood and stone—the work of human hands. And now, O LORD our God, please save us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O LORD, are God.” |
Psalms 115:2 Summary
[This verse is saying that the nations around Israel are wondering where their God is, because they don't see Him doing anything powerful or obvious. But as Christians, we know that our God is always working, even when we can't see Him, as seen in Isaiah 45:15. We can trust in His power and presence, and live in a way that shows others His glory, as stated in Matthew 5:16. By doing so, we can demonstrate the faithfulness of God, as seen in Psalms 115:1, and show the world that He is real and active in our lives.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the context of Psalms 115:2 and why are the nations asking about the location of the Israelites' God?
The nations are asking this question because they do not see the power and presence of God in the lives of His people, as seen in Psalms 115:2, and this is a challenge to the faithfulness of God, as stated in Psalms 115:1, where it says that God's glory is due to His loving devotion and faithfulness, similar to what is written in Deuteronomy 32:4.
How does this verse relate to the concept of idolatry in the Bible?
This verse is connected to the idea of idolatry because the nations are questioning the existence and power of the Israelites' God, while they themselves worship idols made of silver and gold, as mentioned in Psalms 115:4, which is similar to the idolatry condemned in Isaiah 44:9-20.
What is the significance of the nations saying 'Where is their God?' in Psalms 115:2?
The nations are essentially saying that the God of the Israelites is not real or not powerful enough to be seen or known, which is a challenge to the sovereignty of God, as stated in Psalms 115:3, where it says that our God is in heaven and does as He pleases, similar to what is written in Psalms 135:6.
How should Christians respond to the question of 'Where is your God?' in today's world?
Christians should respond by living out their faith in a way that demonstrates the power and presence of God, as seen in Matthew 5:16, where it says that we should let our light shine before men, so that they may see our good works and give glory to our Father in heaven, and also by sharing the Gospel and the truth of God's Word, as commanded in Matthew 28:19-20.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways that I can demonstrate the power and presence of God in my own life, so that others may see and know Him?
- How can I respond to those who question the existence or power of God, and what Scripture verses can I use to support my answer?
- What are some idols in my own life that I may be worshiping, and how can I turn away from them and toward the one true God, as seen in 1 Thessalonians 1:9?
- In what ways can I show the glory and faithfulness of God to those around me, as stated in Psalms 115:1?
Gill's Exposition on Psalms 115:2
Wherefore should the Heathen say,.... The nations about Israel, the nations of the world; the Gentiles in any age; the Papists in ours, sometimes called the Heathen, Psalms 10:16.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 115:2
Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God? Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God? - from Psalms 79:10.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 115:2
Wherefore should the heathen say? why dost thou suffer them, or give them any colour or occasion, to say or think so, by conniving at their wickedness, and by giving thy people into their hands? Where is now their God? he is no where; he is lost, or at a loss, either unable, or unwilling, or not at leisure to save them. Their God; who hath undertaken to be their God and Saviour, and whom they only worship, and of whom they use to boast and insult over us and over our gods.
Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 115:2
Psalms 115:2 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where [is] now their God?Ver. 2. Wherefore should the heathen say] Why should they thus be suffered or occasioned to blaspheme thee, and twit us with our religion? Hence some conceive that this psalm was made in the time of the Babylonish captivity by Daniel (saith one Jewish doctor), when he expounded Nebuchadnezzar’ s dream; by the three worthies (saith another), when they were in the fiery furnace. See Psalms 42:10; Psalms 79:10.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 115:2
Verse 2. Wherefore should the heathen say] This appears to refer to a time in which the Israelites had suffered some sad reverses, so as to be brought very low, and to be marked by the heathen.
Cambridge Bible on Psalms 115:2
2. So Psalms 79:10. Cp. Psalms 42:3; Psalms 42:10; Exodus 32:12; Numbers 14:13 ff.; Joe 2:17; Micah 7:10. Now does not mean at the present time as contrasted with the past, but is a particle emphasising the question, where, prithee?
Barnes' Notes on Psalms 115:2
Wherefore should the heathen say - The nations; they who worshipped idols, and who claimed that those idols were true gods.
Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 115:2
2. Where is now their God—This was the common taunt and challenge of the heathen whenever Israel fell into their hands, or they were flushed with expectation of a victory; Psalms 42:3; Psalms 42:10;
Sermons on Psalms 115:2
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
The Shouting Pulpit and the Shaking Pews by Ian Paisley | In this sermon, the preacher reflects on the decline of a once thriving church in Birmingham, UK. The church, which had a rich history of faithful preachers, now has only four memb |
|
When God Hides His Face From the Righteous by Jack Hyles | In this sermon, the preacher discusses why God sometimes turns his back and hides his face from us. One reason is that God wants us to learn to depend on Him more. The preacher sha |
|
Psalm 42 by Henry Law | Henry Law preaches about the theme of rejection and distress in the hymn, emphasizing the longing for God's presence and the joy found in worship. The believer is encouraged to see |
|
Spiritual Burdens and Worry Weights by A.W. Tozer | A.W. Tozer emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between spiritual burdens and mere irritations that can arise in the life of a Christian. He warns that Christians must be vi |
|
Comfort & Joy: The Mourner's Privilege by Thomas Watson | Thomas Watson preaches about the significance of mourning as a pathway to solid joy in the Christian life. He emphasizes that holy mourning leads to the sweetest joy, comparing it |
|
Towards the Unity of God's People by A.R. Main | In this sermon, the preacher delves into the meaning of 'insult' (oneidizo) in the Bible, which involves abusive words, slander, reviling, and unjustly finding fault in a way that |
|
A Burning Heart by Leonard Ravenhill | In this sermon, the preacher references various verses from the Bible, including Jeremiah chapter 4 and Joel chapter 1. He emphasizes the need for repentance and laments the state |