Psalm 8
Psalm 8 is the eighth psalm of the Book of Psalms, generally known in English by its first verse, in the King James Version, "O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!". In Latin, it is known as "Domine Dominus noster". Its authorship is traditionally assigned to King David. Like Psalms 81 and 84, this psalm opens with a direction to the chief musician to perform upon the gittit or gittith, which either refers to a musical instrument, a style of performance, or alludes to persons and places in biblical history.
The psalm is a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Anglican and Protestant liturgies. It has been set to music often, and has inspired hymns such as "For the Beauty of the Earth" and "How Great Thou Art".
Background and themes
Like Psalms 81 and 84, Psalm 8 opens with a direction to the chief musician to perform upon the gittit. The Hebrew root gat refers to a winepress, indicating that these are joyful psalms. The word may also be referring to the biblical city of Gath, where a similar song was sung or a musical instrument was created; or to a song of Obed-Edom the Gittite, in whose home the Ark of the Covenant rested for three months ; or to a song over Goliath, who was from Gath.Charles Spurgeon calls this psalm "the song of the Astronomer", as gazing at the heavens inspires the psalmist to meditate on God's creation and man’s place in it. Spurgeon further interprets the "babes and sucklings" to whom the Lord gives strength as referring variously to man, David, Jesus, the apostles, and all "who fight under Christ's banner".
According to the Midrash Tehillim, verses 5 through 10 in the Hebrew contain questions that the angels asked God as God was creating the world, referring to the righteous men of Israel:
- "What is man that You are mindful of him"—referring to Abraham ;
- "and the son of man that You remember him"—referring to Abraham’s son Isaac, who was born as a result of God remembering Sarah ;
- "Yet You made him less only than God"—referring to Jacob, who was able to produce streaked, speckled, and spotted flocks ;
- "And have crowned him with glory and honor"—referring to Moses, whose face shone ;
- "You give him dominion over the work of Your hands"—referring to Joshua, who made the sun and moon stand still ;
- "You put all things beneath his feet"—referring to David, whose enemies fell before him ;
- "Sheep and oxen, all of them"—referring to Solomon, who understood the language of beasts ;
- "and the beasts of the field"—referring to either Samson or Daniel;
- "the birds of the sky"—referring to Elijah, who navigates the world like a bird, and who also received food from the ravens ;
- "and the fish of the seas"—referring to Jonah, who dwelled in the belly of a fish.
- "he traverses the ways of the seas"—referring to the Israelites who walked through the sea on dry land.
- "O Lord, our Lord how glorious is Your name in all the earth"—thus the angels concluded, "Do what pleases You. Your glory is to sojourn with Your people and with Your children".
Text
Hebrew Bible version
Following is the Hebrew text of Psalm 8:| Verse | Hebrew |
| 1 | לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ עַל־הַ֜גִּתִּ֗ית מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד |
| 2 | יְהֹוָ֚ה אֲדֹנֵ֗ינוּ מָֽה־אַדִּ֣יר שִׁ֖מְךָ בְּכָל־הָאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־תְּנָ֥ה הֽ֜וֹדְךָ֗ עַל־הַשָּׁמָֽיִם |
| 3 | וְֽיֹנְקִים֘ יִסַּ֪דְתָּ֫ עֹ֥ז לְמַ֥עַן צֽוֹרְרֶ֑יךָ לְהַשְׁבִּ֥ית א֜וֹיֵ֗ב וּמִתְנַקֵּֽם |
| 4 | כִּֽי־אֶרְאֶ֣ה שָׁ֖מֶיךָ מַֽעֲשֵׂ֣ה אֶצְבְּעֹתֶ֑יךָ יָרֵ֥חַ וְ֜כֽוֹכָבִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר כּוֹנָֽנְתָּה |
| 5 | מָֽה־אֱ֖נוֹשׁ כִּֽי־תִזְכְּרֶ֑נּוּ וּבֶן־אָ֜דָ֗ם כִּ֣י תִפְקְדֶֽנּוּ |
| 6 | וַתְּחַסְּרֵ֣הוּ מְ֖עַט מֵֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְכָב֖וֹד וְהָדָ֣ר תְּעַטְּרֵֽהוּ |
| 7 | תַּמְשִׁילֵֽהוּ בְּמַֽעֲשֵׂ֣י יָדֶ֑יךָ כֹּ֜ל שַׁ֣תָּה תַֽחַת־רַגְלָֽיו |
| 8 | צֹנֶ֣ה וַֽאֲלָפִ֣ים כֻּלָּ֑ם וְ֜גַ֗ם בַּֽהֲמ֥וֹת שָׂדָֽי |
| 9 | צִפּ֣וֹר שָׁ֖מַיִם וּדְגֵ֣י הַיָּ֑ם עֹ֜בֵ֗ר אָרְח֥וֹת יַמִּֽים |
| 10 | יְהֹוָ֥ה אֲדֹנֵ֑ינוּ מָֽה־אַדִּ֥יר שִׁ֜מְ֗ךָ בְּכָל־הָאָֽרֶץ |
King James Version
- O, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
Uses
Judaism
Psalm 8 is said during Yom Kippur Katan. In the Gra siddur, Psalm 8 is the Song of the Day for Simchat Torah in the Diaspora. In the Siddur Avodas Yisrael, this psalm is said after Aleinu during the weekday evening prayer.Verse 2 is recited during the Kedushah of Mussaf on Rosh Hashanah and Jewish holidays. This verse also appears in the Hoshanot on Sukkot.
Verse 10 appears as the corresponding verse for the second mention of the name "Adonai" in the Priestly Blessing.
New Testament
Some verses of Psalm 8 are referenced in the New Testament:- Verse 2 is quoted by Jesus in Matthew in reference to children praising him in the temple.
- Verses 4-6 are quoted in Hebrews in reference to Jesus' incarnation.
- Verse 6 is quoted in 1 Corinthians ; Ephesians
Catholic Church
Previously, according to the rule of St. Benedict, this psalm was sung or recited on Tuesday at the office of prime.In the Liturgy of the Hours, the psalm is recited to Lauds on Saturday of second and in the fourth week. It often appears in the Eucharistic liturgy: it is found in the feast of the Trinity, the Easter octave, the first Tuesday of Ordinary Time, the 5th Tuesday of Ordinary Time and Saturday 28th in Ordinary Time.
Pope Paul VI cited this psalm in his message on the Apollo 11 goodwill disk.
Musical settings
Psalm 8 inspired hymn lyrics such as Folliott Sandford Pierpoint's "For the Beauty of the Earth" which first appeared in 1864 and "How Great Thou Art", based on a Swedish poem written by Carl Boberg in 1885.Michel Richard Delalande, composer of King Louis XIV, wrote an extended Latin motet setting this psalm, which was performed at the Royal Chapel of Versailles for royal offices.
Gospel singer Richard Smallwood set a version to music in 1990.
In 2019, Seth Pinnock & A New Thing recorded a song entitled Psalms 8 which is featured as the first track on the Album: “Seth Pinnock & A New Thing Live”