Psalms8
New American Standard
1 Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, You who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
2 From the mouths of infants and nursing babies You have established strength Because of Your enemies, To do away with the enemy and the revengeful.
3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have set in place;
4 What is man that You think of him, And a son of man that You are concerned about him?
5 Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!
6 You have him rule over the works of Your hands; You have put everything under his feet,
7 All sheep and oxen, And also the animals of the field,
8 The birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
9 Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth!
Study
Psalms 8Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Psalms 8. The full AI study guide (summary, themes, context) has its own page.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: God is to be glorified, for making known himself to us. (1, 2). And for making even the heavenly bodies useful to man, thereby placing him but little lower than the angels. (3–9).
vv1-2
The psalmist seeks to give unto God the glory due to his name. How bright this glory shines even in this lower world! He is ours, for he made us, protects us, and takes special care of us. The birth, life, preaching, miracles, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus are known through the world. No name is so universal, no power and influence so generally felt, as those of the Saviour of mankind. But how much brighter it shines in the upper world! We, on this earth, only hear God's excellent name, and praise that; the angels and blessed spirits above, see his glory, and praise that; yet he is exalted far above even their blessing and praise. Sometimes the grace of God appears wonderfully in young children. Sometimes the power of God brings to pass great things in his church, by very weak and unlikely instruments, that the excellency of the power might the more evidently appear to be of God, and not of man. This he does, because of his enemies, that he may put them to silence.
vv3-9
We are to consider the heavens, that man thus may be directed to set his affections on things above. What is man, so mean a creature, that he should be thus honoured! so sinful a creature, that he should be thus favoured! Man has sovereign dominion over the inferior creatures, under God, and is appointed their lord. This refers to Christ. In Heb 2:6–8, the apostle, to prove the sovereign dominion of Christ, shows he is that Man, that Son of man, here spoken of, whom God has made to have dominion over the works of his hands. The greatest favour ever showed to the human race, and the greatest honour ever put upon human nature, were exemplified in the Lord Jesus. With good reason does the psalmist conclude as he began, Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth, which has been honoured with the presence of the Redeemer, and is still enlightened by his gospel, and governed by his wisdom and power! What words can reach his praises, who has a right to our obedience as our Redeemer?
Key Words
נָצַח: properly, to glitter from afar, i.e. to be eminent (as a superintendent, especially of the Temple services and its music); to be permanent
גִּתִּית: a Gittite harp
מִזְמוֹר: properly, instrumental music; by implication, a poem set to notes
דָּוִד: David, the youngest son of Jesse
אָדוֹן: sovereign, i.e. controller (human or divine)
אַדִּיר: wide or (generally) large; figuratively, powerful
שֵׁם: an appellation, as amark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character
אֶרֶץ: the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
אֲשֶׁר: who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.
נָתַן: to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
Cross References
Psalms 8Jesus directly quotes verse 2 to silence the chief priests and scribes regarding children praising Him.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Quotes verses 4-6 to show the ultimate humiliation and exaltation of Jesus as the true Man.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Applies 'put all things under his feet' to Christ's final subjection of all enemies.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Quotes verse 5 to explain Christ being made a little lower than the angels for death.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Exposes the absolute scope of 'all things' subjected under the feet of Jesus.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
God choosing the weak things of the world to shame and confound the mighty.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The original creation mandate where God plans to give man dominion over the earth.
Supported by JFB
Parallel question marveling at God taking knowledge or thought of insignificant man.
God's historical command to Adam to subdue the earth and rule over the living creatures.
Supported by JFB
Verbal parallel linking the enemy and the self-avenging adversary who must be stilled.
Supported by JFB
Expresses the same theme of the physical heavens declaring the handiwork and glory of God.
Job echoes this question, asking why God magnifies man and sets His heart on him.
Verbal link to the creation being described as the work of God's 'fingers'.
Identical frame concluding the psalm, echoing the praise of God's excellent name in all earth.
Supported by JFB