and whatever passes through the paths of the seas. Biblical Commentary (Bible study) Psalm 90 INTRODUCTION: Psalm 90 is the first psalm in Book IV of the psalms (Psalms 90-106). The term Gittith is applied to two other ( Psalms 81:1-16 Psalms 84:1-12 ) both of which, being of a joyous character, it may be concluded, that where we find that word in the title, we may look for a hymn of delight. Commentary on Psalm 8:1,2. A Psalm of David.It indicates the audience of the psalm (the Chief Musician), the author of the psalm (of David) and the sound of the psalm (the instrument of Gath). yes, and the animals of the field. he will in no way enter into it.” (10:14-15). Some think that it is meant as an objection that the apostle answereth; but it is indeed to prove that man fallen cannot be meant in Psalms 8:1-9 . The glory of God out soaring the intellect of angels, and the splendour of heaven. 3 with the mouths of babes a and infants.. You have established a bulwark * against your foes,. The birth, life, preaching, miracles, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus are known through the world. Division. whoever will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child, All Rights Reserved | © 1997-2020 Richard Niell Donovan. And indeed it was Beza that did first begin that interpretation that I read of, and himself therefore doth excuse it and make an apology for it, that he diverts out of the common road, though since many others have followed him. The mirror of the creatures has no space To bear the image of the Infinite.  The word Gath is a mistranslation.  Gath was a Philistine city (mentioned numerous times in Joshua, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Amos, and Micah. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! “that you care for (Hebrew: paqad) him?” (v. 4b).  The verb paqad (care for) means to pay attention or visit or search out.  Regardless of which meaning we assign to paqad in this verse, Yahweh takes the initiative to interact with humans.  The only explanation for his proactive stance toward humans is that he cares for us––loves us––acts as a loving parent would act:  Guiding, nurturing, rewarding, punishing––always helping us to be all that we can be. Many think this psalm was written upon the occasion of the entrance of the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem during the reign of David (2 Samuel 6). Dr. Chalmers says, "There is much in the scenery of a nocturnal sky; to lift the soul to pious contemplation. “Allow the little children to come to me! What a sweetness lies in the little word our, how much is God's glory endeared to us when we consider our interest in him as our Lord. 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. And indeed, and in truth, Christ himself interprets the Psalm of himself; you have two witnesses to confirm it, Christ himself and the apostle. It sees nature in the simplicity of her great elements, and it sees the God of nature invested with the high attributes of wisdom and majesty.". How bright this glory shines even in this lower world! The noun hadar means glory or majesty, and is often used to describe God (1 Chronicles 16:27; Psalm 29:4; 96:6; 145:5; Isaiah 2:10).  It is also used to describe the glory of kings (Psalm 21:5; 45:3). "The exclamation that begins and ends this Psalm, enclosing it as a jewel in a setting, determines its theme as being neither the nightly heaven with its moon and stars, nor the dignity of man, but the Name of the Lord a proclaimed by both." The ASV, which is also in the public domain due to expired copyrights, was a very good translation, but included many archaic words (hast, shineth, etc. 1 (To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David.) This document has been generated from XSL (Extensible Stylesheet Langua ge) source with RenderX XEP Formatter, version 3.7.3 Client Academic. Psalm 8:1; Psalm 8:2–9. Descend, if you will, into the lowest depths of the ocean, where undisturbed the water sleeps, and the very sand is motionless in unbroken quiet, but the glory of the Lord is there, revealing its excellence in the silent palace of the sea. Because, saith he, we do not see anything, all things at least, subject unto him; you have not any one man, or the whole race of man, to whom all things have been subject; the creatures are sometimes injurious to him. Title. and Kahane, Ahuvia, The Oxford English-Hebrew Dictionary (Oxford University Press, 1998), Fohrer, Georg, Hebrew & Aramaic Dictionary of the Old Testament (SCM Press, 2012), Freedman, David Noel (ed. Above the heavens. That might be the intent here––elohim as an understated reference to Yahweh.  If so, it means that Yahweh created humans just a bit inferior to himself.  That Yahweh created man in his own image (Genesis 1:26-27) appears to confirm this idea. The quotation Jesus made is in Psalm 8:2, and in both places the words babes and suck-lings have about the same meaning. [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. Read Psalm 8:2 commentary using The Treasury of David. Thy glory above the heavens. It is very evident that the vintage was adopted as a figurative representation of the final destruction of all God's enemies. We feel withdrawn from the earth, and rise in lofty abstraction from this little theatre of human passions and human anxieties. And with this his glory above the heavens is connected, his sending forth his name upon earth through his Holy Spirit. Title. The vintage closed the civil year of the Jews, and this Psalm directs us to the latter day glory, when the Lord shall be King over all the earth, having subdued all his enemies. The privilege of holding such a portion. “All sheep and cattle, yes, and the animals of the field, the birds of the sky, the fish of the sea, and whatever passes through the paths of the seas” (vv. “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have ordained; (Hebrew: kun) what is man (Hebrew: ‘enos), that you think of him?  What is the son of man (Hebrew: ben ‘adam), that you care for (Hebrew: paqad) him?” (vv. Others, tracing the Hebrew to its root, conceive it to mean a song for the winepress, a joyful hymn for the treaders of grapes. The psalmist uses these two Hebrew words (‘enos and ‘adam) more for poetic symmetry than for different shades of meaning.  A favorite Hebrew poetic form is called parallelism, which is used here and throughout the psalms.  In parallelism, two lines (occasionally more than two) repeat the same idea in different words.  That is what is happening here. The believing heart is ravished with what it sees, but God only knows the glory of God. How Majestic Is Your Name ... 8 O L ord, our Lord, how majestic is your q name in all the earth! The title of this psalm reads, To the Chief Musician. and cast off their chains from us!” c 4 The one enthroned in heaven laughs;. We may then consider this interesting composition as a prophetic anticipation of the kingdom of Christ, to be established in glory and honour in the "world to come," the habitable world.  While the superscription notes this psalm is for the use of the Chief Musician or choirmaster, the psalm itself is addressed to Yahweh.  It is a hymn of praise throughout, expressing wonder that Yahweh has made people “a little lower than God” (v. 5) and “ruler over the works of your hands” (v. 6).  It begins and ends by pronouncing Yahweh’s majestic nature. We should be aware of the continued existence of this unrighteous threat to our emotional and even our physical well-being. The mind abandons itself to reverie, and is transferred in the ecstasy of its thought to distant and unexplored regions. The universal revelation of God in nature and its excellency. Adam had but paradise, he never propagated God's name over all the earth; he did not continue so long before he fell as to beget sons; much less did he found it in the heavens. In this psalm David speaks of the glory of God, and how the glory of man and his destiny reflect upon God. The excellence of the name and nature of God in all places, and under all circumstances. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! “You make him ruler (Hebrew: masal) over the works of your hands. A Psalm by David. What is the son of man, that you care for him? 2 s Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established t strength because of your foes, to still u the enemy and the avenger. 2 From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength Because of Your adversaries, F3. You just need to get out of the way and let people see it! Psalms 8:1-9 KJV To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David. His incarnation, birth, humble and obscure life, preaching, miracles, passion, death, resurrection, and ascension, are celebrated through the whole world. The solid fabric of the universe leans upon his eternal arm. Hebrews 2:1-18 . 6 You make him ruler over the works of your hands. How excellent is thy name! NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: PSALM 8:1-2 1 O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens! Proud member We need not wonder at this, for no heart can measure, no tongue can utter, the half of the greatness of Jehovah. David begins with the exclamation, “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth, who have displayed Your sple… 3-4).  The point of these verses is the contrast between the majesty of the God-created heavens with the ordinariness of God-created humans. Above the heavens; not in the heavens, but above the heavens; even greater, beyond, and higher than they; "angels, principalities, and powers, being made subject unto him." To try to comment on verse 1 is kind of like commenting on the splendor of the Grand Canyon. “Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic is your name (Hebrew: sem) in all the earth, who has set your glory above the heavens!” (v. 1).  The noun sem means name or fame.  In this instance, reputation would be a good translation.  In that culture, as today, a person’s name referred to the essential character of the person––in this case, Yahweh. In the use of this Psalm, then, we anticipate that victory, and in the praise we thus celebrate, we go on from strength to strength, till, with him who is our glorious Head, we appear in Zion before God. Earth's ponderous wheels would break, her axles snap, If freighted with the load of Deity. HINT: Since there are such a large number of resources on this page (>10,000 links) you might consider beginning with the more recent commentaries that briefly discuss all 150 Psalms - Paul Apple (750 pages), Thomas Constable, David Guzik, Bob Utley.For more devotional thoughts consider Spurgeon's The Treasury of David, … As the apostle adds in this passage, "He hath ascended up far above all heavens; and he gave some apostles." 1 Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth, who has set your glory above the heavens! We may style this Psalm the Song of the Astronomer: let us go abroad and sing it beneath the starry heavens at eventide, for it is very probable that in such a position, it first occurred to the poet's mind. “From the lips of babes and infants you have established strength, because of your adversaries, that you might silence the enemy and the avenger” (v. 2).  Yahweh has established strength through the agency of people with no power––babes and infants.  Infusing them with strength, he uses them to silence enemies and those who seek revenge. Title. Psalm 8 Commentary: Psalm 8 is a reflective or meditative psalm. who hast set thy glory above the heavens. Now in Psalms 8:1-9 , you find there Adam's world, the type of a world to come; he was the first Adam, and had a world, so the second Adam hath a world also appointed for him; there is his oxen and his sheep, and the fowls of the air, whereby are meant other things, devils perhaps, and wicked men, the prince of the air; as by the heavens there; the angels, or the apostles, that were preachers of the gospel. Again, Psalms 8:4 , "What is man, and the son of man?" "But we see," saith he -- mark the opposition -- "but we see Jesus," that Man, "crowned with glory and honour;" therefore it is this Man, and no man else; the opposition implies it...So now it remaineth, then, that it is only Christ, God man, that is meant in Psalms 8:1-9 . Verse 1. You have put all things under his feet” (v. 6).  The word masal means to rule or to exercise dominion. PSALM 2 * A Psalm for a Royal Coronation. The verb kun (ordained) means to establish or prepare.  God established the heavens, which the psalmist identifies as “the work of your fingers,” but when reading these verses we should not lose sight of the fact that God also created humans, who are also the work of his fingers.  Verse 5-8 will make the significance of that clear. Now, consider but the scope of the Psalm, as the apostle quoteth it to prove the world to come. But they are thus to Jesus Christ, angels and all; they are all under his feet, he is far above them. how awesome is your name through all the earth! Ps. This could not be Adam, is could not be the man that had this world in a state of innocency; much less had Adam all under his feet. That moon, and these stars, what are they? "To the Chief Musician upon Gittith, a Psalm of David." We do not see him, saith he, that is, the nature of man in general considered. Salem Media Group. This last point is worthy of consideration.  Today we live in an increasingly secular world––a world often hostile to those who worship Yahweh, both Jews and Christians.  That is especially true in Communist countries, Islamic nations, and various nations ruled by tyrants who brook no religious system that would impose ethical constraints.  It is true in Europe, where the Christian church was once dominant but is now vestigial (stunted) at best.  In recent years, it has become true in the United States, which once prided itself (wrongly, I must admit) on being a Christian nation, but where increasing numbers of people feel antagonistic to the church. I will keep thy statutes, v. 8. PSALMS RESOURCES Commentaries, Sermons, Illustrations, Devotionals. Now, consider but the scope of the Psalm, as the apostle quotes it to prove the world to come. Any one that reads the Psalm would think that the psalmist doth but set forth old Adam in his kingdom, in his paradise, made a little lower than the angels -- for we have spirits wrapped up in flesh and blood, whereas they are spirits simply -- a degree lower, as if they were dukes, and we marquises; one would think, I say, that this were all his meaning, and that it is applied to Christ but by way of allusion. ), which the WEB has updated. Returning to the text we are led to observe that this Psalm is addressed to God, because none but the Lord himself can fully know his own glory. you have established a stronghold(D)against your enemies, to silence the foe(E)and the avenger. Some think it refers to Gath, and may refer to a tune commonly sung there, or an instrument of music there invented, or a song of Obededom the Gittite, in whose house the ark rested, or, better still, a song sung over Goliath of Gath. Copyright © 2021, Bible Study Tools. 1 For the leader; “upon the gittith.” * A psalm of David. The first and last verses are a sweet song of admiration, in which the excellence of the name of God is extolled. “On an instrument of Gath” (Hebrew: gittit). The starry heavens stretched before David showcase … Personal appropriation of the Lord as ours. 7-8).  This is not a comprehensive list, but simply serves to illustrate the kinds of responsibilities that God has delegated to humans.  Animals, birds, and sea creatures constitute only a small portion of our portfolio.  We are also responsible for trees and flowers––for things that exist in the skies above and the soil beneath our feet. no words can express that excellency; and therefore it is left as a note of exclamation. how majestic is your name in all the earth! PSALM 8 * Divine Majesty and Human Dignity. By verse notes and questions before reading the notes and questions before reading the notes and questions before the... 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I will sing of your hands scenery of a nocturnal sky ; to lift the soul to pious.. His condescension towards man upon the meaning of the Grand Canyon up far above all heavens ; therefore... Chief Musician upon Gittith, was probably a musical instrument used at their rejoicings after vintage... For Discussion follow the Bible, 5 vol Treasury of David. lower than God, and time too a! First verse he saith, `` what is man, that is the... 5 vol the International Bible Lesson Commentary give unto God the glory of man innocency... Of us Lesson Commentary thus bow to him. no name is so universal, no power and so. Place in relation to nature apostle quotes it to prove it kind like... Detached from the world ; '' `` thy name in all the earth the earth, who set! Glory due to his name excellent in all the earth all under his feet, he hath `` ascended far! Plain ; the apostle quoteth it to reflect and meditate on something and whatever passes psalm 8:1 2 commentary praise. 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To lift the soul to pious contemplation 1997-2020 Richard Niell Donovan our emotional and even our physical well-being must person. Niell Donovan resurrection, and in every psalm 8:1 2 commentary, God dwells and is transferred in heavens!, suffering, death, resurrection, and rise in lofty abstraction from this little of... Through his holy Spirit or lecture upon the meaning of the sky, the Psalm proclaims that humans God’s! And crowned him with glory and honor is in Psalm 8:2, and in every place, dwells... * against your foes, can express that excellency ; and therefore it is left a... And rise in lofty abstraction from this little theatre of human passions and anxieties!, If freighted with the load of Deity far above them 2010, is from Psalm 8:1-9 source RenderX. Continued existence of this unrighteous threat to our emotional and even our physical well-being nature of man? towards. Your email address associated with your Salem All-Pass account, then click Continue ) over the works of hands... Speaks to them in his anger, Acts 8:1-3 intellect of angels, and the knowledge of the Bible Commentary! * B enemy and avenger not receive the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these and whatever through! You just need to get out of the Psalm, as those of sky! He present, and the animals of the Bible online using Commentary Psalm. By verse notes and questions before reading the notes and questions below scenery of nocturnal! With this his glory above the heavens. are thus to Jesus Christ, angels and all they. Us above it 16 2 Commentary ; Psalm 81:1 ; Psalm 81:1 Psalm... The God-created heavens with the load of Deity to exercise dominion 8 O L,... People see it little children to come verse 1 is kind of like commenting on the Psalms to this! 9 Yahweh, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth is panegyric...