Psalm 135 18

Psalm 135:18 kjv

They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them.

Psalm 135:18 nkjv

Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them.

Psalm 135:18 niv

Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.

Psalm 135:18 esv

Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them.

Psalm 135:18 nlt

And those who make idols are just like them,
as are all who trust in them.

Psalm 135 verses

Psalm 135 18 Meaning

Psalm 135:18 proclaims that those who fashion physical idols and, by extension, all who place their trust, confidence, or reliance in such lifeless images, will ultimately assume a spiritual nature akin to the inert, powerless objects they worship. This means they will become spiritually dull, unperceiving, and unresponsive to the living God, mirroring the very futility and deadness of their crafted deities.

Psalm 135 18 Context

Psalm 135 is a powerful psalm of praise, calling the entire house of Israel to laud the Lord. It celebrates God's sovereign greatness, emphasizing His active power in creation, His control over natural phenomena, and His historical acts of deliverance for Israel, particularly recalling the Exodus and the defeat of nations (Psalm 135:4-14). Central to this praise is a stark contrast between the living God and the lifeless idols of the nations. Verses 15-17 provide a vivid, almost mocking, description of these idols as merely silver and gold, fashioned by human hands, possessing mouths that cannot speak, eyes that cannot see, ears that cannot hear, and breath they do not have. Verse 18 then delivers a culminating spiritual verdict: not only are the idols useless, but those who create and trust in them partake in their inert, sensory-deprived nature. Historically, this served as a crucial theological assertion against the prevalent polytheistic practices in the Ancient Near East, where surrounding nations worshipped physical deities and attributed power to them. The psalmist refutes these contemporary beliefs, proclaiming the utter nullity of such worship and its detrimental effect on the worshiper.

Psalm 135 18 Word analysis

• "Those who make them" (עֹשֵׂיהֶם, ‘ōsêhem):

  • ‘ōsêhem (from ‘āsāh, "to make, fashion, create") refers to the craftsmen, sculptors, or any individuals responsible for physically constructing the idol images.
  • Significance: This emphasizes the human origin of the idols. Unlike the true God who is uncreated and the source of all life, idols are dependent on human effort and material. This highlights their fundamental lack of divinity and inherent power. The act of "making" establishes a master-servant relationship where the creation ironically receives worship from its creator.

• "are like them" (כְּהֶם, kᵉhem):

  • kᵉhem means "like them," expressing similarity or resemblance.
  • Significance: This is the crux of the verse. It implies a profound spiritual transformation or degeneration. By directing worship, trust, and devotion toward inanimate objects that are deaf, blind, and mute, the worshipper increasingly mirrors these qualities. They become spiritually insensitive, unable to "see" divine truth, "hear" God's voice, or "speak" praise and wisdom, rendering them as inert in spiritual matters as the idols themselves. This likeness is not physical, but a conformity of being, character, and spiritual vitality, demonstrating the powerful effect of what one venerates.

• "So is everyone" (כְּכָל, kᵉkāl):

  • kᵉkāl means "like all," "so is every one of them," or "thus all of." Kāl signifies universality.
  • Significance: The verse expands the consequence beyond the specific makers to everyone who engages in the act of misplaced trust. It's a broad condemnation, encompassing passive believers and active creators alike, making the spiritual truth applicable to anyone whose ultimate allegiance lies with idols or idol-like objects.

• "who trusts in them" (בֹּטְחִים בָּהֶם, bōṭᵉḥîm bāhem):

  • bōṭᵉḥîm (from bāṭaḥ, "to trust, rely, be confident, be secure") describes those who place their hope, faith, and reliance in the idols for protection, provision, or guidance. bāhem means "in them."
  • Significance: This highlights the essence of idolatry: diverting trust from the true God to a created substitute. True biblical faith (trust) is meant to be exclusively in the Lord. When trust is placed "in them" (the idols), it leads to emptiness because these objects possess no inherent power, wisdom, or life to bestow upon those who depend on them. The spiritual result is barrenness and unresponsiveness, directly mirroring the deadness of the worshipped objects.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "Those who make them are like them": This phrase underlines the reciprocal nature of creation and worship. By actively giving form to the powerless idol, the craftsman begins to reflect that powerlessness. It speaks to a profound truth: human effort dedicated to crafting false deities ironically leads to a de-creation of the self, resulting in spiritual stagnation and a loss of living perception. This suggests that the energy invested in worshipping non-entities depletes one's own spiritual life, leading to a state of spiritual emptiness.

  • "So is everyone who trusts in them": This broadens the spiritual judgment beyond mere craftsmanship to the act of belief and reliance. It communicates that active or passive reliance on idols —anything that stands in God's place in one's life—results in an inevitable spiritual affinity with that object of trust. If one trusts in the lifeless, one becomes spiritually lifeless; if one relies on the helpless, one becomes helpless. This points to the powerful spiritual law that the object of one's deepest devotion molds one's character, understanding, and capacity to respond to ultimate reality, warning against the dehumanizing and soul-numbing effect of idolatrous trust.

Psalm 135 18 Bonus section

• The profound principle of "you become like what you worship" (or Imitatio Dei - imitation of God for positive context) is a core biblical theme, seen negatively here in relation to idols and positively in Christian teachings about conforming to Christ's image (e.g., Rom 8:29; 2 Cor 3:18).
• The parallelism between Psalm 135:18 and Psalm 115:8 (almost verbatim) highlights its importance as a consistent and emphatic message within the Psalter, likely serving as a fixed proverb or warning against idolatry in Israel.
• The stark contrast drawn throughout Psalm 135, culminating in this verse, implicitly elevates YHWH as the living God, characterized by perception, action, and genuine existence—a polar opposite to the deaf, blind, and dead idols. This psalm challenges Israel to reflect God's dynamic nature rather than the inertia of pagan deities.
• Biblical Hebrew often uses them (hem) to refer to idols in a way that emphasizes their distinction and ultimate worthlessness compared to God, often carrying a derogatory connotation.

Psalm 135 18 Commentary

Psalm 135:18 offers a profound theological and spiritual truth that forms the climax of its critique of idolatry. It is not merely a statement of divine judgment but a declaration of the intrinsic spiritual consequences for those who engage with and rely upon what is false and dead. The verse teaches that worshipping anything other than the living God results in the worshiper taking on the characteristics of the object worshipped. Since idols are the works of human hands—mute, blind, deaf, and motionless (as described in Psalm 135:15-17)—those who create and trust them spiritually degenerate to a similar state. They become blind to divine truth, deaf to God's voice, and spiritually inert, unable to respond to the reality of the Living One. This principle transcends literal idol worship; it applies to any pursuit or object of ultimate devotion—be it wealth, power, fame, self-indulgence, or human wisdom—that usurps God's rightful place. These 'idols' fail to provide true life, and instead, foster spiritual emptiness, dulling one's discernment and responsiveness to God's presence and commands. The verse therefore serves as a timeless warning against any misplaced trust, asserting that spiritual vitality, true sight, and hearing come only from being fully devoted to the vibrant, active, and communicative Lord of all creation.