Psalm 8

"How majestic is your name"

Purpose: To praise YHWH for his majesty throughout all the earth.

Content: Your name is majestic in all the earth! You bestow your glory on the heavens above, and you bestow glory on weak humans below.

Message: YHWH's majesty is revealed in weakness.

Author: David

Overview

Translation

Click 'Expand' to the right to see our Close-but-Clear translation of Psalm 8.

Expand

1. For the director. On the gittith. A psalm by David.

2. YHWH, our lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth,

you whose glory is bestowed on the heavens.

3. Out of the mouths of nursing children, you have founded a fortress,

because of your adversaries,

in order to put an end to a vengeful enemy.

4. When I see your heavens, that which your fingers made,

the moon and stars which you have established,

5. what is mankind that you should consider them,

or a human being, that you should be mindful of him?

6. And you caused him to lack being a heavenly being by a little,

and you crowned him with honour and majesty.

7. You caused him to rule that which your hands made.

You placed everything under his feet.

8. Sheep and goats and cattle – all of them,

and even wild animals,

9. birds in the sky and fish in the sea,

that which traverses the paths of the sea.

10. YHWH, our lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.

The Close-but-clear translation (CBC) exists to provide a window into the Hebrew text according to how we understand its syntax and word-to-phrase-level semantics. It is not intended to be used as a stand-alone translation or base text, but as a supplement to Layer-by-Layer materials to help users make full use of these resources.

For links to other translations of Psalm 8, click here.

Verse-by-Verse

Click the link to view all of Psalm 8 Verse-by-Verse, or click on an individual verse below.

• v. 1
• v. 2
• v. 3
• v. 4
• v. 5
• v. 6
• v. 7
• v. 8
• v. 9
• v. 10

Layer-by-Layer

Psalm Overview

• Grammar
• Semantics
• Story behind the Psalm
• Discourse
• Poetics

Exegetical Issues

• The Text, Grammar, and Meaning of Ps. 8:2b
• The Meaning of Ps. 8:3
• The Meaning of אלהים in Ps 8:6