Psalm 8:2-3
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
2 O Lord, our Lord,
how awesome is your name through all the earth!
I will sing of your majesty above the heavens
3 with the mouths of babes(A) and infants.[a]
You have established a bulwark against your foes,
to silence enemy and avenger.
Footnotes
- 8:3 With the mouths of babes and infants: the psalmist realizes that his attempts to praise such an awesome God are hopelessly inadequate and amount to little more than the sounds made by infants. Established a bulwark: an allusion to lost myth telling how God built a fortress for himself in the heavens in primordial times in his battle with the powers of chaos. This “bulwark” is the firmament. Enemy and avenger: probably cosmic enemies. The primeval powers of watery chaos are often personified in poetic texts (Ps 74:13–14; 89:11; Jb 9:13; 26:12–13; Is 51:9).
Psalm 8:4-5
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
4 When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and stars that you set in place—
5 [a]What is man that you are mindful of him,(A)
and a son of man that you care for him?(B)
Footnotes
- 8:5 Man…a son of man: the emphasis is on the fragility and mortality of human beings to whom God has given great dignity.
Psalm 8:6-7
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
6 Yet you have made him little less than a god,[a]
crowned him with glory and honor.
7 You have given him rule over the works of your hands,(A)
put all things at his feet:
Footnotes
- 8:6 Little less than a god: Hebrew ‘elohim, the ordinary word for “God” or “the gods” or members of the heavenly court. The Greek version translated ‘elohim by “angel, messenger”; several ancient and modern versions so translate. The meaning seems to be that God created human beings almost at the level of the beings in the heavenly world. Hb 2:9, translating “for a little while,” finds the eminent fulfillment of this verse in Jesus Christ, who was humbled before being glorified, cf. also 1 Cor 15:27 where St. Paul applies to Christ the closing words of Ps 8:7.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.