Translations
KJVPrimary
King James VersionThe idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.
F.O.G.Secondary
The F.O.GThe idols of the nations are silver and gold — the handiwork of human hands.
F.O.G.M.
F.O.G MessageThe idols of the nations are nothing but silver and gold — fashioned by human hands, lifeless from the start.
BSB
Berean Standard BibleThe idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.
Footnotes
עֲצַבֵּי (*atzabbei*, 'idols') derives from a root meaning 'to hurt' or 'to grieve' — the word itself implies that idol-making is a sorrowful, burdensome labour (cf. Isaiah 46:1, where idols must be carried as a back-breaking load). The idol polemic of vv. 15–18 is nearly identical to Psalm 115:4–8, suggesting a shared liturgical tradition used in temple worship. The irony is devastating: the nations pour their most precious materials — silver and gold — into objects incapable of even the most basic biological functions. Contrast with YHWH, who in verse 7 controls wind, rain, and lightning with effortless sovereignty.
