“They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not;”
They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see. This verse catalogs the sensory faculties idols possess but cannot employ, emphasizing the absurdity of worshipping objects that cannot sense or respond. The irony is cutting: idols appear to have the physical organs necessary for communication and perception, yet they are functionally inert. The shift from maker's perspective (verse 15) to idol's perspective (verse 16) emphasizes the gap between promise and reality—those who worship idols expect them to speak and see, yet these faculties remain unused. This verse echoes similar idol-mocking passages (Psalm 115:4-7; Isaiah 44:9-20), suggesting a consistent biblical polemic against idolatry. The recitation of idols' senselessness becomes a form of liturgical mockery, demystifying and ridiculing pagan worship.
Church Fathers on Psalms 135:16
1. Very pleasant ought it be to us, and we should rejoice because it is pleasant, to which this Psalm exhorts us. For it says, “Praise the name of the Lord” Psalm 134:1. And it immediately appends the reason, why it is just to praise the name of the Lord. “Praise the Lord, you servants.” What more just? What more worthy? What more thankful?...For if He teaches His own servants who have deserved well of Him, the preachers of His Word, the rulers of His Church, the worshippers…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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