Psalm 115:17
ESV
The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence.
NIV
It is not the dead who praise the Lord, those who go down to the place of silence;
NASB
The dead do not praise the Lord, Nor do any who go down into silence;
CSB
It is not the dead who praise the Lord, nor any of those descending into the silence of death.
NLT
The dead cannot sing praises to the Lord, for they have gone into the silence of the grave.
KJV
The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.
NKJV
The dead do not praise the Lord, Nor any who go down into silence.
What does Psalm 115:17 mean?
Please see our chapter commentary on Psalm 115; verse-level content coming soon!Psalm 115:16–18 concludes the psalm with a series of statements. God rules all things, and makes His home in heaven, but He has allowed men to rule over the earth (Genesis 1:28; 9:1–2, 7). Those who die can no longer worship the Lord from earth (Isaiah 38:18; Psalm 30:9), so the psalmist anticipates rescuing so the people can continue to praise the Lord.
Psalm 115 turns all praise and credit away from the people of Israel and gives it entirely to God. Pagan nations worshipped statues and objects. They might have ridiculed Israel's worship of an invisible deity. Yet their own idols were unthinking, unmoving, silent fakes. They were shaped like men but couldn't even do the things ordinary men could do. Israel should maintain trust in the Lord, who chose them as His people and made a covenant with them. The psalmist anticipates a long, productive life of worship because of God's protection.