For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The text plays on words, contrasting the "gods" of other nations with the LORD. The Hebrew word for these other gods, "elilim," sounds like the word for "God," "elohim," but it means "nothings" or "vanities," highlighting that these idols had no real power or existence compared to the Creator of everything.
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse is part of a grand call to worship the LORD as King over all nations, emphasizing His unique power and authority. It follows the invitation for all the earth to sing a new song to the LORD, recognizing His supreme greatness and sovereignty. The passage highlights the stark contrast between the true God, who created the heavens, and the impotent, imaginary deities worshipped by other peoples, setting the stage for a universal recognition of His rule.
The Bible uses a clever wordplay here to completely dismantle the power of other gods. It's not just a simple statement; it's a linguistic mic drop!
The verse contrasts the true God with the 'gods' of other nations. The Hebrew word used for these other deities is elilim. This word is a deliberate twist on the word for God, Elohim. While Elohim signifies true divinity, elilim means 'nothings' or 'emptiness.'
It's a way of saying these other supposed gods aren't just less powerful than Yahweh; they are fundamentally non-existent in any divine capacity. They are mere figments of human imagination or perhaps even demonic deceivers, utterly devoid of any true power or being.
This wordplay strips them of all authority and highlights the vast chasm between the Creator and the created, or worse, the imagined.
The Bible doesn't just say God is powerful; it points to the ultimate proof: He's the One who made everything. This has huge implications for who we trust.
The psalm makes a decisive claim: 'but the LORD made the heavens.' This isn't just a poetic flourish; it's the foundational reason for His supreme authority.
Contrast this with the 'worthless idols.' Those things were either imagined or, at best, were created things themselves (like the sun, moon, or animals) that people mistakenly worshipped. They are part of the creation.
The LORD, on the other hand, is the . He existed before the heavens and the earth, and His power brought them into being. This attribute of being the uncreated Creator sets Him infinitely apart from anything and everything else.
Ask a follow-up
Understand the original words
elil · Hebrew Noun
A term used in the Old Testament for pagan deities, emphasizing their lack of reality, power, or existence compared to the one true God.
shamayim · Hebrew Noun
The physical universe and the celestial realms, serving as evidence of God's creative power, order, and sovereignty over all space.
This psalm likely emerged during or after the Babylonian exile, a period where the might of empires and their gods were starkly contrasted with the exiled people's faith in Yahweh. The conquest of Babylon by Cyrus the Great would have been a powerful vindication of the psalm's assertion that the 'gods of the nations are worthless idols,' while 'the LORD made the heavens.'
c. 700-500 BC
Assyrian and Babylonian Empires Ascendant
The Near East was dominated by powerful empires like Assyria and later Babylon, whose pantheons and religious practices influenced many surrounding peoples. The psalm's assertion of Yahweh's supremacy over 'gods of the nations' directly challenges the prestige and claims of these imperial deities.
c. 605 BC
First Babylonian Deportation of Judeans
Under Nebuchadnezzar II, many Judean elites were deported to Babylon. This exile intensified the theological crisis, forcing Israelites to confront the might of Babylonian gods and the apparent powerlessness of their own God, Yahweh, in a foreign land.
587-586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
The Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple, the central place of Israelite worship. This catastrophic event was a profound challenge to their faith, leading many to question Yahweh's power and sovereignty compared to the gods of their conquerors.
c. 540 BC
Cyrus the Great's Conquest of Babylon
The rise of the Persian Empire under Cyrus marked a significant geopolitical shift. Cyrus's policies allowed exiled peoples, including the Judeans, to return to their homelands, a move often interpreted as demonstrating the weakness of Babylonian gods and the favor of a higher power.
c. 539 BC— this verse
Persian Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon, a victory that profoundly impacted the religious landscape. The perceived failure of Babylonian deities to protect their capital likely fueled a renewed confidence in the God of Israel among the returning exiles.
c. 538 BC
Edict of Cyrus and Return of Exiles
Cyrus's decree permitted the Judeans to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. This event provided a powerful historical backdrop for the psalm's message of Yahweh's universal kingship and supremacy over all other divine powers.
This passage powerfully deconstructs the futility of idol worship, mirroring Psalm 96:5's assertion that the gods of the nations are 'worthless idols' by detailing the absurd process of making and worshipping them. It emphasizes that the LORD, and not these manufactured 'gods,' is the true creator.
Isaiah 40:21-26This passage directly echoes the theme of the LORD's creative power as proof of His unique deity, stating 'The LORD made the heavens' (Psalm 96:5). It contrasts this with the impotence of earthly rulers and idols, reinforcing the Psalmist's point about the incomparable greatness of the LORD.
Jeremiah 10:10-16Similar to Psalm 96:5, this passage contrasts the true God with the 'nothings' that are idols. It explicitly states that the idols are 'delusions' and 'vain,' while the LORD is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, highlighting the folly of worshipping anything less than Him.
1 Corinthians 8:4-6This New Testament passage directly addresses the concept of idols being 'nothing' in the world, aligning perfectly with the meaning of the Hebrew word used in Psalm 96:5. It distinguishes between the many 'so-called gods' and the one true God, the Father, and the one Lord, Jesus Christ, who are the source of all creation.
Revelation 4:10-11This passage from Revelation echoes the awe and worship due to the Creator, stating the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, casting their crowns before the throne, saying, 'Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.' This resonates with Psalm 96:5's declaration that the LORD made the heavens and is therefore worthy of worship above all idols.
clarkePsalms 96:5: "For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens."
All the gods of the nations are idols - אלהי elohey. All those reputed or worshipped as gods among the heathens are אלילים elilim, vanities, emptinesses, things of nought. Instead of being Elohim, they are elilim; they are not only not God, but they are nothing." "Jehovah made the heavens." He who is the creator is alone worthy of adoration.
ellicottPsalms 96:5: "For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens."
(5) Idols. —Literally, nothings ; Heb., elîlîm, with a play on the word el, God. This plainly shows that by Gods, in Psalm 96:4 , the heathen deities, and not angels, are meant. (See Note, Psalm 95:3 .) The LXX. sometimes renders the Hebrew word “idols,” sometimes “vanities,” but here “demons.” Symmachus “nonexistences.” But the Lord made the heavens.—Nothings could not do that, but only Jehovah.
The text plays on words, contrasting the "gods" of other nations with the LORD. The Hebrew word for these other gods, "elilim," sounds like the word for "God," "elohim," but it means "nothings" or "vanities," highlighting that these idols had no real power or existence compared to the Creator of everything.
This verse is part of a grand call to worship the LORD as King over all nations, emphasizing His unique power and authority. It follows the invitation for all the earth to sing a new song to the LORD, recognizing His supreme greatness and sovereignty. The passage highlights the stark contrast between the true God, who created the heavens, and the impotent, imaginary deities worshipped by other peoples, setting the stage for a universal recognition of His rule.
This verse is part of a grand call to worship the LORD as King over all nations, emphasizing His unique power and authority. It follows the invitation for all the earth to sing a new song to the LORD, recognizing His supreme greatness and sovereignty. The passage highlights the stark contrast between the true God, who created the heavens, and the impotent, imaginary deities worshipped by other peoples, setting the stage for a universal recognition of His rule.
"For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens." — The text plays on words, contrasting the "gods" of other nations with the LORD. The Hebrew word for these other gods, "elilim," sounds like the word for "God," "elohim," but it means "nothings" or "v…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026