Psalms 96:5
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For all the gods of the nations are idols, but it is the LORD who made the heavens.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
This psalm is part of that which was delivered into the hand of Asaph and his brethren (Ch1 16:7), by which it appears both that David was the penman of it and that it has reference to the bringing up of the ark to the city of David; whether that long psalm was made first, and this afterwards taken out of it, or this made first and afterwards borrowed to make up that, is not certain. But this is certain, that, though it was sung at the translation of the ark, it looks further, to the kingdom of Christ, and is designed to celebrate the glories of that kingdom, especially the accession of the Gentiles to it. Here is, I. A call given to all people to praise God, to worship him, and give glory to him, as a great and glorious God (Psa 96:1-9). II. Notice given to all people of God's universal government and judgment, which ought to be the matter of universal joy (Psa 96:10-13). In singing this psalm we ought to have our hearts filed with great and high thoughts of the glory of God and the grace of the gospel, and with an entire satisfaction in Christ's sovereign dominion and in the expectation of the judgment to come.
Open source ↗96:5 The Lord made the heavens, an even greater task than creating the earth. The idols, made by human hands (115:4), created nothing.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
May you be blessed by the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
This is what God the LORD says— He who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and its offspring, who gives breath to the people on it and life to those who walk in it:
Those who make them become like them, as do all who trust in them.
So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.
And you can see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in nearly the whole province of Asia, Paul has persuaded a great number of people to turn away. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all.