Psalms 115:17
in Psalms 115It is not the dead who praise the LORD, nor any who descend into silence.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
The dead praise not Jehovah, Neither any that go down into silence;
KJV
The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.
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This verse in Psalms 115
Commentary
11 notes on this verseThe dead praise not the Lord,.... Not the dead in sin; such as the makers of idols, and those that trust in them, who are like unto them; men must be made spiritually alive, ere they can show forth the praises of God: nor the dead corporeally.
This site's exposition
The highest heavens belong to the LORD
on Psalms 115:16-18
The highest heavens belong to the LORD, and the earth is handed to mankind to live on. Praise comes from the living; those who descend into silence give none. The psalm ends with the living blessing the LORD forevermore.
This site's exposition
nor any who descend into silence
Silence here is the grave, the place Psalm 6:5 and Isaiah 38:18 describe as empty of praise. John Gill tied the line back to verse 8, reading the dead as the idol makers too, as lifeless as the idols they trust. Spurgeon limited it to this world.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
The festival of Easter does not consist in pleasant conversation at meals, or splendor of clothing or days of leisure but in the acknowledgment of God and the offering of thanksgiving and of praise to him.
...But nevertheless since they derive the truth and richness of wisdom, not from man nor through man, but through God Himself, they have received little ones who shall be heaven, that they may know that they are heaven of heaven; as yet however earth, unto which they say, "I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase." For to those very sons of men whom He made heaven, He who knoweth how to provide for the earth through heaven, hath given earth upon which they work. May they therefore abide, heaven and earth, in their God, who made them, and let them live from Him, confessing unto Him, and praising Him; for if they choose to live from themselves, they shall die, as it is written, "From the dead, as though he were not, confession ceaseth." But, "The dead praise not Thee, O Lord, neither all they that go down into silence" (ver. 17). For the Scripture in another passage proclaimeth, "The sinner, when he cometh into the abyss of wickednesses, scorneth." "But we, who live, will praise the Lord, from this time forth for evermore" (ver. 18).
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
1 Not unto us, O L ORD , not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake. 2 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God? 3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:96%@v1-3
), nor any that go into silence. The soul indeed lives in a state of separation from the body and is capable of praising God; and the souls of the faithful, after they are delivered from the burdens of the flesh, do praise God, are still praising him; for they go up to the land of perfect light and constant business.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The dead praise not the Lord —So far as this world is concerned. They cannot unite in the Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with which the church delights to adore her Lord. The preacher cannot magnify the Lord from his coffin, nor the Christian worker further manifest the power of divine grace by daily activity while he lies in the grave. Neither any that go down into silence. The tomb sends forth no voice; from mouldering bones and flesh consuming worms there arises no sound of gospel ministry nor of gracious song.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
The dead praise not the Lord —So far as this world is concerned. They cannot unite in the Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with which the church delights to adore her Lord. The preacher cannot magnify the Lord from his coffin, nor the Christian worker further manifest the power of divine grace by daily activity while he lies in the grave. Neither any that go down into silence. The tomb sends forth no voice; from mouldering bones and flesh consuming worms there arises no sound of gospel ministry nor of gracious song. One by one the singers in the consecrated choir of saints steal away from us, and we miss their music. Thank God, they have gone above to swell the harmonies of the skies, but as far as we are concerned, we have need to sing all the more earnestly because so many songsters have left our choirs.
The dead praise not the Lord - המתים hammethim, those dead men who worshipped as gods dumb idols, dying in their sins, worship not Jehovah; nor can any of those who go down into silence praise thee: earth is the place in which to praise the Lord for his mercies, and get a preparation for his glory.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The dead praise not the Lord - The meaning of this is, that as those who are dead cannot praise God, or cannot worship him, this should be done while we are in the land of the living. This opportunity, like all other opportunities, will be cut off in the grave, and hence, we should be faithful in this duty, and should avail ourselves of this privilege, while life lasts. In regard to the sentiment here expressed, and the grounds on which that sentiment was entertained, see the notes at Isa 38:18-19; notes at Psa 6:5. Neither any that go down into silence - Into the grave - the land of silence. Psa 94:17. Nothing is more impressive in regard to the grave than its utter silence. Not a voice, not a sound, is heard there - of birds or human beings - of song or conversation - of the roaring of the sea, the sighing of the breeze, the fury of the storm, the tumult of battle. Perfect stillness reigns there; and the first sound that shall be heard there will be the archangel’s trump.
The words behind it
8 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הַ֭מֵּתִים | hametim | the dead | H4191 → | 839 times |
| יְהַֽלְלוּ־ | yehalu- | they will praise | H1984 → | 165 times |
| יָ֑הּ | yah | Yahweh | H3050 → | 50 times |
| וְ֝לֹ֗א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| יֹרְדֵ֥י | yoredei | [those who] go down of | H3381 → | 381 times |
| דוּמָֽה׃ | dumah | silence | H1745 → |
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
הַ֭מֵּתִיםthe dead
hametimH4191 →839 times
יְהַֽלְלוּ־they will praise
yehalu-H1984 →165 times
יָ֑הּYahweh
yahH3050 →50 times
וְ֝לֹ֗אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
יֹרְדֵ֥י[those who] go down of
yoredeiH3381 →381 times
דוּמָֽה׃silence
dumahH1745 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 6:5For there is no mention of You in death; who can praise You from Sheol?
it leads to
- Psalms 88:10–12
Do You work wonders for the dead? Do departed spirits rise up to praise You? Selah
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, for in Sheol, where you are going, there is no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.
- Psalms 30:9
“What gain is there in my bloodshed, in my descent to the Pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it proclaim Your faithfulness?
- Psalms 118:17
I will not die, but I will live and proclaim what the LORD has done.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 38:18–19
For Sheol cannot thank You; Death cannot praise You. Those who descend to the Pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness.
- Psalms 88:10–12
Through
Psalms 30:9“What gain is there in my bloodshed, in my descent to the Pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it proclaim Your faithfulness?
it leads to
- Psalms 6:5
For there is no mention of You in death; who can praise You from Sheol?
- Isaiah 38:18
For Sheol cannot thank You; Death cannot praise You. Those who descend to the Pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness.
- Psalms 115:17–18
It is not the dead who praise the LORD, nor any who descend into silence.
- Psalms 6:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Psalms
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Athanasius of Alexandria, FESTAL LETTERS 7:3; Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 115; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 5; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.