Psalm 8
Psalm 8: The Glory of God in Creation
This psalm bears the title, To the Chief Musician. On the instrument of Gath. A Psalm of David. The inscription identifies the intended audience, the Chief Musician, the author, David, and the musical setting, likely a stringed instrument associated with Gath. The psalm is a hymn of praise that magnifies the glory of God as revealed in creation and then reflects upon the exalted yet dependent position of man within that created order. David moves from the vastness of the heavens to the weakness of infants, and from there to the dignity of man, demonstrating that all glory ultimately returns to God.
A. The Plainly Seen Glory of Creation
1. Psalm 8:1, The Glory of God in the Earth and the Heavens
“O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.”
David begins with adoration. The word “LORD” is Jehovah, the covenant name of God, the self existent One who revealed Himself to Moses in Exodus 3:14, “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” The second title, “Lord,” is Adonai, meaning Master, Ruler, Sovereign. David acknowledges that Jehovah is not merely the national God of Israel, but their sovereign Master. The covenant God is also the ruling Lord. This is personal and theological. God is both Redeemer and King.
David declares, “how excellent is thy name in all the earth.” The name of God represents His revealed character, His attributes, His authority, and His works. The excellence of His name is universal. Though Israel is the covenant people, the glory of God is not confined to one nation. This echoes Psalm 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” Creation itself preaches His excellence across the globe.
Yet David does not stop with the earth. He adds, “who hast set thy glory above the heavens.” The heavens are the highest observable realm to man. In David’s day, the stars represented the unreachable expanse of the created order. Even that is insufficient to contain His glory. As 1 Kings 8:27 declares, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?” The visible heavens testify to Him, but His glory transcends them. Creation reveals Him, but does not exhaust Him.
This establishes a foundational theological truth. God is both immanent and transcendent. His name is excellent in all the earth, yet His glory is above the heavens. He is near, yet infinitely exalted.
2. Psalm 8:2, The Glory of God in His Strength Over His Enemies
“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.”
After contemplating the grandeur of creation, David turns to what appears insignificant. Babes and sucklings represent the weakest and most helpless members of humanity. Yet God ordains strength out of their mouths. The term “ordained” conveys establishment or foundation. God has established strength from weakness.
This principle runs throughout Scripture. 1 Corinthians 1:27 states, “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.” The Lord deliberately uses what appears weak to demonstrate that the power belongs to Him alone.
The imagery suggests that even the speech of infants becomes a fortress of praise that silences God’s enemies. The strength is not inherent in the children, but in the God who ordains it. This aligns with 2 Corinthians 12:9, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Divine strength is perfected through human weakness.
The purpose clause is explicit, “because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.” The enemy ultimately refers to Satan and all who oppose the purposes of God. Even the simplest praise offered by a child rebukes the arrogance of unbelief. God does not require impressive instruments to defend His honor. He silences rebellion through unlikely vessels.
A striking New Testament fulfillment occurs in Matthew 21:15–16, “And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?” By quoting Psalm 8, Jesus identified Himself with Jehovah. The children’s praise in the temple was strength ordained by God, and the religious leaders opposing Him were the enemy and avenger. Christ applied this psalm directly to Himself, affirming His deity.
This verse also demonstrates the broader spiritual conflict underlying human history. Just as in the book of Job, where Satan accused and God vindicated, the Lord silences the adversary through faithful endurance and unexpected instruments. Job 1:8 records, “And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” God vindicated His glory through the perseverance of a suffering servant.
Psalm 8 therefore presents a profound theology. The same God whose glory towers above the heavens displays His power through the smallest voices on earth. His majesty is not only seen in galaxies, but in grace. His sovereignty is not merely cosmic, it is redemptive. He defeats His enemies not only with thunder, but with praise.
B. The Surprising Glory of Mankind
1. Psalm 8:3–5, Though Seemingly Insignificant, Man Is Crowned With Glory and Honor
“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.”
David begins with contemplation. “When I consider thy heavens.” The verb indicates careful reflection. David was a shepherd who spent long nights beneath the open sky. He understood what it meant to pause and meditate upon creation. This is consistent with Psalm 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” The heavens are not silent, they proclaim.
He calls them “the work of thy fingers.” The imagery is intentional. Scripture elsewhere speaks of God’s “arm” and “hand” in acts of power and deliverance. Here, the heavens are the work of His fingers, suggesting effortlessness. The vast universe, incomprehensible in scale, is described as the delicate craftsmanship of God. This aligns with Isaiah 40:12, “Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?” What overwhelms man is light work to God.
The moon and the stars are “ordained,” meaning established and fixed in place. Creation is not random, it is ordered. It reflects divine design and sovereign governance. The regularity of celestial bodies testifies to God’s sustaining authority.
Against this cosmic backdrop David asks, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him?” The word translated “man” here is enosh, emphasizing frailty and mortality. David does not question whether God is mindful, he affirms it. The astonishment lies in the why. In light of the vast heavens, man appears insignificant.
Yet Scripture consistently affirms divine mindfulness. Psalm 115:12 declares, “The LORD hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron.” God’s mindfulness is covenantal, intentional, and gracious.
David intensifies the thought with parallelism, “and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” “Son of man” emphasizes humanity in its earthly origin, the offspring of Adam. The phrase “visitest him” implies intervention, attention, and involvement. God does not merely think about man, He acts toward him.
This is consistent with redemptive history. Genesis 21:1 states, “And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.” Divine visitation means covenant faithfulness manifested in action. David recognizes that the Creator of galaxies personally engages with frail humanity.
Verse 5 answers the astonishment. “For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels.” The Hebrew term translated “angels” is elohim. While often referring to God, the inspired interpretation in the New Testament clarifies the meaning. Hebrews 2:6–8 quotes this passage and states, “But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet.” The apostolic commentary confirms the reference to angelic beings.
Man is presently lower than angels in power and visible glory. Angels are described in Psalm 104:4, “Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire.” They are mighty, swift, and heavenly. Yet man, though lower for a time, occupies a unique position in God’s design.
David does not say man is slightly above animals, though that is true. Instead, he frames humanity in upward contrast. This preserves the dignity of man as image bearer. Genesis 1:26–27 declares, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Human worth is rooted in divine image, not evolutionary ascent or mere biological existence.
The phrase “a little lower” may also carry a temporal nuance, meaning for a little while. This is precisely how Hebrews 2:9 applies it to Christ, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” Christ entered the human condition, temporarily assuming a position lower than angels, in order to accomplish redemption.
David continues, “and hast crowned him with glory and honour.” This language reflects royal imagery. A crown signifies delegated authority. Man was created to exercise dominion as God’s vice regent on earth. Genesis 1:28 states, “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion…” The dominion mandate reflects glory and honor bestowed by divine appointment.
Yet in the present fallen state, this glory appears diminished. Man struggles to govern even himself. Sin has marred the image and fractured dominion. The writer of Hebrews acknowledges this tension in Hebrews 2:8, “For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.” The divine intention remains, but its full realization awaits restoration.
The solution is Christ. Hebrews 2:9 continues, “But we see Jesus… crowned with glory and honour.” Where Adam failed, Christ succeeds. Through union with Him, redeemed humanity will ultimately fulfill the original purpose. Scripture affirms the future exaltation of believers. 1 Corinthians 6:3 declares, “Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?” Likewise, Revelation 5:10 states, “And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”
Thus Psalm 8 anticipates both creation dignity and redemptive destiny. Man is presently lower than angels, yet crowned with glory and honor in God’s purpose. The astonishment of David is not sentimental optimism, it is theological realism. Human worth is grounded in divine intention, restored in Christ, and consummated in future reign.
2. Psalm 8:6–9, The Dominion of Man and the Excellence of God
“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!”
David now expands the royal dignity granted to man. “Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands.” This is a direct echo of the creation mandate. Genesis 1:26–28 declares, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion…” David clearly understood Genesis. The language is too precise to be accidental.
Dominion is not autonomous sovereignty. It is delegated authority. The earth remains God’s possession. Psalm 24:1 states, “The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” Man rules as steward, not owner. This establishes both dignity and accountability. The mandate does not permit exploitation, nor does it reduce man to merely another creature in the ecosystem. Man stands uniquely as image bearer and vice regent.
David emphasizes, “thou hast put all things under his feet.” This language of subjection anticipates royal enthronement. To place something under one’s feet is to bring it into subjection. The Apostle Paul quotes this text in 1 Corinthians 15:27, “For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.” Paul applies it ultimately to Christ, the last Adam. The original dominion given to the first Adam finds its consummation in the second Adam.
The writer of Hebrews likewise expounds this passage in Hebrews 2:6–8, “But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet.” Yet Hebrews adds, “But now we see not yet all things put under him.” The dominion is real by decree, but incomplete in experience due to the fall.
David lists categories of creatures to reinforce the breadth of this authority. “All sheep and oxen,” representing domesticated animals useful for agriculture and sustenance. “The beasts of the field,” referring to wild animals beyond immediate human control. “The fowl of the air,” creatures of the skies. “The fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas,” encompassing even the hidden depths. The phrase “paths of the seas” anticipates the observable currents later charted by oceanographers, yet already recognized in Scripture.
This comprehensive scope reinforces the Genesis pattern. Even after the flood, God reaffirmed this structure in Genesis 9:2, “And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.” Dominion continued in the post flood world, though now marked by tension and corruption.
Theologically, this dominion is tragically distorted in fallen humanity. Instead of ruling creation, man is often ruled by it. He becomes enslaved to materialism, appetite, and pride. Scripture warns against such inversion. Romans 1:25 describes fallen man, “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.” When man worships creation, he forfeits proper dominion.
The ultimate fulfillment of Psalm 8 is found in Christ. Hebrews resolves the tension with Hebrews 2:9, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour.” Where Adam failed, Christ succeeds. He exercises true dominion. After His resurrection, Jesus declared in Matthew 28:18, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” The dominion promised to man is perfectly realized in the God man.
Through union with Christ, redeemed humanity shares in this future reign. Revelation 5:10 affirms, “And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” The original creation mandate finds its eschatological completion in the kingdom of Christ.
David concludes as he began, “O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!” The psalm forms an inclusio, beginning and ending with doxology. The focus never ultimately rests on man. Even man’s glory magnifies God. The dignity of humanity is derivative, not independent. It reflects divine generosity.
Three foundational truths emerge from this psalm. First, God made man. Genesis 2:7 states, “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Second, God made man glorious, crowned with honor as image bearer. Third, God made man for a high destiny, to exercise dominion under divine authority.
When these truths are denied, human identity collapses. When man forgets his Creator, he either exalts himself falsely or debases himself wrongly. Psalm 8 corrects both errors. It exalts God first, then defines man in relation to Him.
Thus Psalm 8 is not ultimately a hymn to humanity, it is a hymn to the excellence of Jehovah. Man’s dominion magnifies divine grace. The glory placed upon man points back to the greater glory of the One who bestowed it.
