Psalm 8

Psalm 8 is a hymn of praise in Book One of the Psalms (Psalms 1–41). Its superscription reads "To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David." The preceding Psalm 7 closes with the words "and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high" (Psalm 7:17), and Psalm 8 opens by praising that very name of the LORD.

Structure

• Verses 1–2 The psalmist praises the LORD, whose name is excellent in all the earth and whose glory is set above the heavens. He sings that out of the mouth of babes and sucklings the Lord has ordained strength to still the enemy and the avenger (one who seeks revenge).
• Verses 3–4 The psalmist considers the heavens, the work of the Lord's fingers, together with the moon and the stars. He then asks what man is, that the Lord should be mindful of him and visit (care for) him.
• Verses 5–8 The psalmist confesses that God has made man a little lower than the angels and crowned him with glory and honor. He sings that God has put all things under man's feet: sheep and oxen, the beasts of the field, the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea.
• Verse 9 The psalm closes by repeating the opening line of verse 1 word for word.

Key Verses

• Psalm 8:1 "O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!" recurs in verse 9 and serves as a refrain framing the entire psalm.
• Psalm 8:4 "What is man, that thou art mindful of him?" reveals both the smallness of humanity before the vastness of the universe and God's care for humankind.
• Psalm 8:5 "And hast crowned him with glory and honour" speaks of human dignity and is quoted in the New Testament in Hebrews 2.

People and Places

• David: The king of Israel named in the superscription as the author of the psalm.
• The LORD: The God whom the psalmist addresses as "our Lord" and praises.
• No places are mentioned in the text.

Points for Reflection

• "Gittith" in the superscription is thought to be the name of a musical instrument or tune, but its precise meaning is uncertain.
• The Hebrew word behind "than the angels" in verse 5 is Elohim, which can also be rendered "God." The Korean Revised Version follows the Septuagint in rendering it "angels," while the New Korean Revised Version renders it "God."
• In this psalm, "the son of man" in verse 4 stands in parallel with "man" and refers to human beings. Some Christians, however, read it in connection with the Son of Man, the title Jesus used of himself.
• Verses 5–8 recall the image of God and the command to exercise dominion in Genesis 1 (Genesis 1:26–28). Many interpreters understand this dominion as a stewardship, a responsibility to care for the creation entrusted to humanity.
• The New Testament quotes this psalm several times. Jesus cited verse 2 in response to the children's praise in the temple (Matthew 21:16). Hebrews 2:6–8 applies verses 4–6 to Jesus Christ. The words of verse 6, "thou hast put all things under his feet," are likewise applied to Christ (1 Corinthians 15:27; Ephesians 1:22). Reading the psalm as a celebration of human dignity in general and reading it as a word fulfilled in Christ are not mutually exclusive; many interpreters hold both perspectives together.