Thematic Selections from the Bible

Ps 8:1-9

1 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

2 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.

3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:

7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;

8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

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

Psalm 8 is one of the most often quoted Psalm in the New Testament. It is taken up in several places as a prophecy about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It has a very discernible outline. We see the honor of God’s name declared in vs 1 & 2. We see the Psalmist’s sense of insignificance and the mercy of God toward him in vs 3 & 4. We see God’s role for mankind laid out in vs 5 to 8. And we see God’s majesty proclaimed again in vs 9. Notice how the psalm ends as it begins, framing all that is in the middle by this exclamation of praise. This has often been called an evening Psalm in that David’s observations appear to be of the night sky.

What does this passage teach you about God? What does it say about our relationship with God? Pray and meditate on the passage again and write down what is God’s message for you today.

Note: The word Majesty in Hebrew “‘addîyr” pronounced “ad-deer’” is used to illustrate wide or large. It is used here to figuratively portray God as powerful and excellent who is famous, gallant, glorious, mighty and worthy.