A Prayer Through Psalms: Chapter 8

How Majestic Is Your Name

Psalm 8

To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of David.

1 O Lord, our Lord,

   how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.

2     Out of the mouth of babies and infants,

you have established strength because of your foes,

   to still the enemy and the avenger.

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

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

4 what is man that you are mindful of him,

   and the son of man that you care for him?

5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings[b]

   and crowned him with glory and honor.

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

   you have put all things under his feet,

7 all sheep and oxen,

   and also the beasts of the field,

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

   whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

9 O Lord, our Lord,

   how majestic is your name in all the earth!

This is a Psalm of praise where the psalmist exalts God for putting small men in charge of all creation. This psalm focuses greatly on the excellence of God through His creation and kindness. 

8:1- "Our Lord" in this passage can also be translated as "governor" or "leader." God is the righteous leader of his covenant people.

8:2-The contrast is between weak and strong; however, the weak sing out God's praises so they are given strength to silence the strong.

8:3- The work of God's fingers implies the level of detail and attention God put into creating the vastness of the universe.

8:4- While thinking about the vastness of the Universe and the greatness of God, man is very little.

8:5- The word "elohim" means "heavenly beings" in this passage rather than "God", because this verse shows how God made man to have power over creation, similar to heavenly beings.

8:6- God graciously put man in charge of His creation.

Dear Lord, as the Psalmist says in the last verse of Psalm 8," O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!" You are great, you are righteous, and you are kind to your people. Lord, I pray that we will keep our eyes focused on your greatness and live in a state of constant thanksgiving because you gave us the honor of having dominion over your creation. Please, give us wisdom as we try to fulfill our duty of looking after what you've made. Amen.