Psalm 8:6–9

8:6 you appoint them to rule over your creation;15

you have placed16 everything under their authority,17

8:7 including all the sheep and cattle,

as well as the wild animals,18

8:8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea

and everything that moves through the currents19 of the seas.

8:9 O Lord, our Lord,20

how magnificent21 is your reputation22 throughout the earth!23

15	tn Heb “you cause [i.e., “permit, allow”] him to rule over the works of your hands.”
16	tn The perfect verbal form probably has a present perfect nuance here. It refers to the continuing effects of God’s original mandate (see Gen 1:26–30).
17	tn Heb “under his feet.” sn Placed everything under their authority. This verse affirms that mankind rules over God’s creation as his vice-regent. See Gen 1:26–30.
18	tn Heb “and also the beasts of the field.”
19	tn Heb “paths.”
20	tn The plural form of the title emphasizes the Lord’s absolute sovereignty.
21	tn Or “awesome, majestic.”
22	tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
23	sn Using the poetic device of inclusio, the psalmist ends the psalm the way he began it. The concluding refrain is identical to v. 1.