Psalms 8 - Printer Friendly

Psalm 8 is cited early in Hebrews (Hebrews 2:5–9) to defend the idea that God would send a human Savior. This passage praises God for His amazing power and creation, while marveling at the idea that such a being would give any further thought to something as frail and limited as man.

The Psalmist, David, notes the incredible power God displays in nature. This echoes comments from Psalm 19:1 and even Romans 1:18–20. God's influence on the natural world is obvious, and it should lead people to recognize Him. Here in Psalm 8, a comparison is made between the scope of God's vast creation and the nature of humanity. The same God who made massive stars, an immense cosmos, and innumerable planets also made us. It's this contrast which amazes David, who is awed to think that God would care about insignificant people when He has also made such mighty things.

David is also amazed at the fact that God would grant such limited beings such an important role. These frail, limited beings are the ones God has chosen to superintend His creations (Genesis 1:28). Paul echoes a similar thought when explaining how God chose fragile human beings to carry the immense power of His gospel (2 Corinthians 4:7).

The awe this contrast inspires leads David to proclaim that God's name is truly "majestic," using a Hebrew term that means "excellent, exalted, or great."

Psalm 8:1–2 points the readers to Genesis 1, which reports God's creative work. He created everything and saw that it was good. Related Scriptures include Psalm 19:1–6, Psalm 139, Matthew 21:14–16, John 1:1–5, and Romans 1:18–20. Psalm 7 includes the ascription, ''O LORD my God'' (Psalm 7:1, 3), whereas Psalm 8:1 and 9 uses the ascription, ''O LORD our Lord.'' Psalm 8 addresses God as the God of all creation, whereas Psalm 7 addresses Him as David's personal God.

Psalm 8:3–9 parallels Genesis 2:8–15 in which God had provided abundantly for mankind and had given them dominion over all living creatures on the earth. Hebrews 2:5–9 applies this part of Psalm 8 to Jesus. He became a real human being on our behalf, and after His death for our sins, He arose from the dead and ascended to the right hand of God. Someday, He will sit upon the throne of David and hold dominion over the whole earth. What Adam lost by sinning, Jesus has restored by suffering (1 Corinthians 15:20–28).

In this psalm David reflects upon God's majesty that is displayed in the creation. The heavens declare God's glory. Against the backdrop of such glory, man seems insignificant, yet God chose man to rule the earth and all its creatures. By giving man this awesome responsibility, God has crowned him with glory and honor. The psalm has a messianic tone, because Jesus Christ became a little lower than the angels by becoming a human being. Someday, when Jesus rules the world, he will restore the dominion Adam lost. All nature, including all mankind, will submit to Jesus' rule. The psalm ends as it began with a declaration of the Lord's majestic name in all the earth.

This psalm is closely related to Genesis 1, which relates the account of God's creation of the heavens and the earth as well as every living thing. God's final creation, according to Genesis 1, was Adam and Eve, the first human beings, whom He created in His own image and placed in authority ''over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth'' (Genesis 1:28). Psalm 144:3 repeats Psalm 8:4, and Hebrews 2:5–9 applies Psalm 8:4–6 to Jesus. First Corinthians 15:45–47 names Adam as the first man, a man of dust, and refers to Jesus as the last Adam, a man from heaven.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.