1.
O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
Title. A Psalm. See App-65 .
LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .
Thy name: i.e. Jehovah Himself; "name" being put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), App-6 , for His character, person, and attributes. See Psalms 20:1 . Compare Psalms 5:11 .
the earth: i.e. the great subject of this Psalm. See note on verses: Psalms 8:4 , Psalms 8:6 .
glory = majesty, or excellence.
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.
Out of, &c. Quoted in Matthew 21:16 .
babes. Referring to his own youth. A still more definite reference to 1 Samuel 17:14 , 1 Samuel 17:33 , 1 Samuel 17:42 , 1 Samuel 17:55 , 1 Samuel 17:56 .
ordained = appointed. Hebrew. yasad.
strength. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Subject) for the praise due for what is put forth by it.
enemies = adversaries.
enemy = foe.
avenger = the revenger.
3.
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
work. The Western Massorites ( App-30 ), with Septuagint and Vulgate, read "works" (plural)
fingers. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia. App-6 .
ordained = established. Hebrew. kun.
4.
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
What. . . ? Figure of speech Erotesis. App-6 . Quoted in Hebrews 2:5-8 . Compare 1 Corinthians 15:27 and Ephesians 1:22 .
man = mortal man. Hebrew. 'enosh.
mindful . . . visitest. Figure of speech Anabasis.
the son of man. No Art. Occurs 3 times before this (Numbers 23:19 . Job 25:6 ; Job 35:8 ). In singular 111 times in O.T. and 39 times in plural (the other occurrences in the Pss. (Psalms 49:2 ; Psalms 144:3 ) is a different word). Here, Psalms 8:4 , the title relates to dominion in the earth. Compare verses: Psa 1:6-9 , and see notes on Ezekiel 2:1 , Matthew 8:20 , and Revelation 14:4 .
man. Hebrew. 'adam. App-14 .
5.
For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
the angels. Hebrew. Elohim. See App-4 . Rendered "angels" in Hebrews 2:7 ; also here, in Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac, and Arabic. See also Psalms 97:7 . Hebrews 1:6 .
crowned, &c. This refers to "the second man". See notes on Hebrews 2:8 , and 2 Peter 1:17 .
6.
Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
him: i.e. the "first man", Adam (Genesis 1:26 ).
dominion, &c. This he lost in the Fall.
works. Some codices, with three early printed editions and Syriac, read "work" (singular)
hands. Figure of speech Anthropopatheia. App-6 .
hast = didst. See Genesis 1:26 .
all things. Six are enumerated in Psalms 8:7 and Psalms 8:8 . (The number of man. See App-10 .)
To the chief Musician. See App-64 .
upon Muth-labben = relating to the death of the champion (Goliath). Compare 1 Samuel 17:4 , 1 Samuel 17:46 , &c, and 144, which has, in the Septuagint,
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!