Logos Bible Study

Psalm 8:1–9

The NET BibleOther versions

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8:1O Lord, our Lord,1

how magnificent2 is your reputation3 throughout the earth!

You reveal your majesty in the heavens above!4

8:2From the mouths of children and nursing babies

you have ordained praise on account of your adversaries,5

so that you might put an end to the vindictive enemy.6

8:3When I look up at the heavens, which your fingers made,

and see the moon and the stars, which you set in place,7

8:4Of what importance is the human race,8 that you should notice9 them?

Of what importance is mankind,10 that you should pay attention to them,11

8:5and make them a little less than the heavenly beings?12

You grant mankind13 honor and majesty;14

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

you have placed16 everything under their authority,17

8:7including all the sheep and cattle,

as well as the wild animals,18

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

and everything that moves through the currents19 of the seas.

8:9O Lord, our Lord,20

how magnificent21 is your reputation22 throughout the earth!23

Read in Logos
Psalm 8:1: O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.

Footnotes

  1. 1 The plural form of the title emphasizes the Lord’s absolute sovereignty.
  2. 2 Or “awesome”; or “majestic.”
  3. 3 Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
  4. 4 Heb “which, give, your majesty on the heavens.” The verb form תְּנָה (ténah; an imperative?) is corrupt. The form should be emended to a second masculine singular perfect (נָתַתָּה, natatah) or imperfect (תִתֵן, titen) form. The introductory אֲשֶׁר (’asher, “which”) can be taken as a relative pronoun (“you who”) or as a causal conjunction (“because”). One may literally translate, “you who [or “because you”] place your majesty upon the heavens.” For other uses of the phrase “place majesty upon” see Num 27:20 and 1 Chr 29:25.
  5. 5 Heb “you establish strength because of your foes.” The meaning of the statement is unclear. The present translation follows the reading of the which has “praise” (αἶνος, ainos) in place of “strength” (עֹז, ’oz); cf. , , .
  6. 6 Heb “to cause to cease an enemy and an avenger.” The singular forms are collective. The Hitpael participle of נָקַם (naqam) also occurs in Ps 44:16.
  7. 7 Heb “when I see your heavens, the works of your fingers, the moon and stars which you established.” The verb “[and] see” is understood by ellipsis in the second half of the verse.
  8. 8 Heb “What is man[kind]?” The singular noun אֱנוֹשׁ (’enosh, “man”) is used here in a collective sense and refers to the human race.
  9. 9 Heb “remember him.”
  10. 10 Heb “and the son of man.” The phrase “son of man” is used here in a collective sense and refers to human beings. For other uses of the phrase in a collective or representative manner, see Num 23:19; Ps 146:3; Isa 51:12.
  11. 11 The two imperfect verbal forms in v. 4 describe God’s characteristic activity.
  12. 12 Heb “and you make him lack a little from [the] gods [or “God”].” The Piel form of חָסַר (khasar, “to decrease, to be devoid”) is used only here and in Eccl 4:8, where it means “to deprive, to cause to be lacking.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive either carries on the characteristic nuance of the imperfect in v. 5b or indicates a consequence (“so that you make him …”) of the preceding statement (see §111.m). Some prefer to make this an independent clause and translate it as a new sentence, “You made him.…” In this case the statement might refer specifically to the creation of the first human couple, Adam and Eve (cf. Gen 1:26–27). The psalmist does appear to allude to Gen 1:26–27, where mankind is created in the image of God and his angelic assembly (note “let us make man in our image” in Gen 1:26). However, the psalmist’s statement need not be limited in its focus to that historical event, for all mankind shares the image imparted to the first human couple. Consequently the psalmist can speak in general terms of the exalted nature of mankind. The referent of אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “God” or “the heavenly beings”) is unclear. Some understand this as a reference to God alone, but the allusion to Gen 1:26–27 suggests a broader referent, including God and the other heavenly beings (known in other texts as “angels”). The term אֱלֹהִים is also used in this way in Gen 3:5, where the serpent says to the woman, “you will be like the heavenly beings who know good and evil.” (Note Gen 3:22, where God says, “the man has become like one of us.”) Also אֱלֹהִים may refer to the members of the heavenly assembly in Ps 82:1, 6. The (the ancient Greek translation of the OT) reads “angels” in Ps 8:5 (this is the source of the quotation of Ps 8:5 in Heb 2:7).
  13. 13 Heb “you crown him [with].” The imperfect verbal forms in this and the next line describe God’s characteristic activity.
  14. 14 Honor and majesty. These terms allude to mankind’s royal status as God’s vice-regents (cf. v. 6 and Gen 1:26–30).
  15. 15 Heb “you cause [i.e., “permit, allow”] him to rule over the works of your hands.”
  16. 16 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. 17 Heb “under his feet.” 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. 18 Heb “and also the beasts of the field.”
  19. 19 Heb “paths.”
  20. 20 The plural form of the title emphasizes the Lord’s absolute sovereignty.
  21. 21 Or “awesome, majestic.”
  22. 22 Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
  23. 23 Using the poetic device of inclusio, the psalmist ends the psalm the way he began it. The concluding refrain is identical to v. 1.

The NET Bible First Edition, Copyright 1996-2005 by Biblical Studies Press

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

O Lord, our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.

Out of the mouth of babies and infants,

you have established strength because of your foes,

to still the enemy and the avenger.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

what is man that you are mindful of him,

and the son of man that you care for him?

Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings

and crowned him with glory and honor.

You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;

you have put all things under his feet,

all sheep and oxen,

and also the beasts of the field,

the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,

whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Lord, our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory

in the heavens.

Through the praise of children and infants

you have established a stronghold against your enemies,

to silence the foe and the avenger.

When I consider your heavens,

the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars,

which you have set in place,

what is mankind that you are mindful of them,

human beings that you care for them?

You have made them a little lower than the angels

and crowned them with glory and honor.

You made them rulers over the works of your hands;

you put everything under their feet:

all flocks and herds,

and the animals of the wild,

the birds in the sky,

and the fish in the sea,

all that swim the paths of the seas.

Lord, our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Lord, our Lord,

how magnificent is your name throughout the earth!

You have covered the heavens with your majesty.

From the mouths of infants and nursing babies,

you have established a stronghold

on account of your adversaries

in order to silence the enemy and the avenger.

When I observe your heavens,

the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars,

which you set in place,

what is a human being that you remember him,

a son of man that you look after him?

You made him little less than God

and crowned him with glory and honor.

You made him ruler over the works of your hands;

you put everything under his feet:

all the sheep and oxen,

as well as the animals in the wild,

the birds of the sky,

and the fish of the sea

that pass through the currents of the seas.

Lord, our Lord,

how magnificent is your name throughout the earth!

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!

Your glory is higher than the heavens.

You have taught children and infants

to tell of your strength,

silencing your enemies

and all who oppose you.

When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—

the moon and the stars you set in place—

what are mere mortals that you should think about them,

human beings that you should care for them?

Yet you made them only a little lower than God

and crowned them with glory and honor.

You gave them charge of everything you made,

putting all things under their authority—

the flocks and the herds

and all the wild animals,

the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,

and everything that swims the ocean currents.

O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth,

who put your splendor above the heavens.

From the mouth of children and infants you have founded strength

on account of your enemies,

to silence the enemy and the avenger.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars which you set in place—

what is a human being that you think of him?

and a child of humankind that you care for him?

And you made him a little lower than heavenly beings,

and with glory and with majesty you crowned him.

You make him over the works of your hands;

all things you have placed under his feet:

sheep and cattle, all of them,

and also the wild animals of the field,

the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea,

everything that passes along the paths of seas.

Yahweh, our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all of the earth!

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

O Lord our Lord,

How excellent is thy name in all the earth!

Who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength

Because of thine enemies,

That thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers,

The moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

What is man, that thou art mindful of him?

And the son of man, that thou visitest him?

For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels,

And hast crowned him with glory and honour.

Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands;

Thou hast put all things under his feet:

All sheep and oxen,

Yea, and the beasts of the field;

The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea,

And whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

Public Domain