Psalm 115

There are some psalms with which I struggle to find a message. Not so with this psalm. The words of praise for the living God contrasts with the lifelessness of the works of men's hands that are often the objects of our worship. The faith that we must add to our respect of God. But verse 17 caught my eye. Who are these "dead" to which the psalmist refers? Is it the physically dead because they have no physical voice? Or is it the spiritually dead because they are mute in regard to spiritual things? It could also be both of them. In contrast verse 18 overflows with the words of life which end and begin with the praise of who God is.
It took me a little less than 2 minutes to read this psalm.
Stuart