Psalms 8: Crowned with Glory and Honour
A short psalm marveling at God's care for humanity.
Framed by the repeated line 'O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth,' this chapter follows Psalms 7 and turns from personal danger to wonder at creation. David looks at the moon and stars and asks why God bothers with mankind at all.
O Yahweh, our Lord! How majestic is thy Name, in all the earth, Who hast set thy splendour upon the heavens.
Out of the mouth of children and sucklings, hast thou laid a foundation of strength,—because of thine adversaries, to make foe and avenger be still.
When I view thy heavens, the work, of thy fingers, moon and stars, which thou hast established,
What was weak man, that thou shouldst make mention of him? or the son of the earthborn, that thou shouldst set him in charge?
That thou shouldst make him little less than messengers of God, with glory and honour, shouldst crown him?
Shouldst give him dominion over the works of thy hands,—All things, shouldst have put under his feet:
Sheep and oxen, all of them,—yea even the beasts of the field;
The bird of the heavens, and the fishes of the sea,— the passer-by on the paths of the seas?
O Yahweh, our Lord! How majestic is thy Name, in all the earth.