Psalm 8/Notes/Lexical.V. 3.574425

The meaning of this verse is one of the top three exegetical issues. See The Meaning of Psalm8:3 for a detailed discussion of the issue.
Verse 3 says that YHWH has founded a fortress (יִסַּדְתָּ עֹז).^[1] The previous verse depicted YHWH as a king, and kings would build fortresses and fortifications to protect their domains from attack (cf. 1 Kgs 9:15ff; 2 Kgs 20:20; 2 Chr 17:12).
The word translated "fortress" (עֹז) normally means "strength,"^[2] but here the verb יִסַּד requires us to understand עֹז as a physical structure ("strength">"stronghold").^[3]
Nursing children (עוֹלְלִים וְיֹנְקִים) represent the weakest and most vulnerable part of the human race (cf. 1 Sam 15:3; 22:29; Jer 44:7; Lam 1:16; Joel 2:16). The two nouns (lit: "children" and "nursing babies") are probably a hendiadys: "nursing children."^[4] In ancient Israel, "nursing children" may have included children up to three years of age.^[5]
The parallels between vv. 2-3 and vv. 4-5 suggest that the nursing children (v. 3) stand figuratively for all of humanity (v. 5), of which they are the weakest part. Thus, "we may take 'babes and infants' as a metaphor for the weak and inherently helpless condition of human beings."^[6] More specifically, the nursing children may be an image of Israel and her kings.^[7]
Mouth (פִּי) is metonymic for speech. It is through the helpless cries of children (i.e., through the desperate prayers of his people) that YHWH protects his people.

↑ Cf. NRSV, NIV, GNB, REB, CEV, NJB, RVR95, DHH, EÜ, ZÜR
↑ So e.g., ESV: "you have established strength."
↑ The prototypical meaning of יסד is "to lay the foundations" of a building or some other structure (SDBH, entry a). It may also mean, similarly, "to found -- to build; to rebuild" (SDBH, entry b). The vast majority of occurrences of the verb, in all verbal stems, may be assigned to one of these two entries. In the piel stem and pual stem, the undergoer of the action is almost always a physical structure: a house (1 Kgs 5:31; Zech 4:9; 1 Chr 6:37), a temple (Hag 2:18; Zech 8:9; Ezra 3:6, 10), a city (Josh 6:26 [Jericho]; 1 Kgs 16:34 [Jericho]; Isa 14:32 [Zion]), a stone (Isa 28:16). There is no example of an abstract noun (e.g., "strength") as the undergoer of this action. In just two instances, the verb יסד means "appoint" or "ordain" with reference to installing into office or royal decrees (Esther 1:8 [palace staff] w/על prep.; 1 Chr 9:22 [gatekeepers]). The first example has the preposition על. The second example clearly refers to the establishment of people, though it still occurs within the domain of construction. Both examples are post-exilic. Since יסד nearly always occurs in the domain of the construction of some building, and since עז can mean “a construction that is strong and able to resist attacks” (SDBH entry b; cf. BDB, HALOT, DCH), it is best to interpret the clause in Ps 8:3 to mean “you have laid the foundations for a stronghold” or “you have built a stronghold” (so e.g. BDB, NIV, RSV, CSB, GNT?). Since strongholds are designed to “resist attacks”, this interpretation works well with the following phrase: “because of your adversaries, to stop the enemy and avenger.”
↑ So Zenger 1993, 79 and Brown 2002, 155. Alternatively, עוֹלְלִים וְיֹנְקִים may be a merism for children young and old (cf. 1 Sam 15:3; 22:19; Jer 44:7).
↑ Cf. 2 Macc 7:27: ἐλέησόν με τὴν ἐν γαστρὶ περιενέγκασάν σε μῆνας ἐννέα καὶ θηλάσασάν σε ἔτη τρία. "Have mercy on me, who carried you nine months in the womb and nursed you for three years."
↑ Tate 2001, 351. Cf. Benjamin Sommer: "The words 'babes and infants' are not to be taken literally but are a metaphor for the people who recite this psalm or for all humans who worship God" (Sommer 2020, 14*); cf. Zenger: "der schwächsten und wehrlosesten Gruppe im Volk JHWHs, die inmitten ihrer feindlichen Umgebung am Lobpreis JHWHs festhält" (1993, 79). Görg argues that the image in v. 3 is of humanity as "a royal child," citing Egyptian texts and statues that celebrate the rule of kings even in their infancy ("Der Mensch als königliches Kind nach Psalm 8,3" BLÄTTER ABRAHAMS 17, 2017).
↑ "It is an apt metaphor for ancient Israel who, trapped as a small and insignificant state between the giant superpowers of Egypt and Mesopotamia, found strength in their dependence upon their God" (Waltke 2010, 262).

[1] Cf. NRSV, NIV, GNB, REB, CEV, NJB, RVR95, DHH, EÜ, ZÜR

[2] So e.g., ESV: "you have established strength."

[3] The prototypical meaning of יסד is "to lay the foundations" of a building or some other structure (SDBH, entry a). It may also mean, similarly, "to found -- to build; to rebuild" (SDBH, entry b). The vast majority of occurrences of the verb, in all verbal stems, may be assigned to one of these two entries. In the piel stem and pual stem, the undergoer of the action is almost always a physical structure: a house (1 Kgs 5:31; Zech 4:9; 1 Chr 6:37), a temple (Hag 2:18; Zech 8:9; Ezra 3:6, 10), a city (Josh 6:26 [Jericho]; 1 Kgs 16:34 [Jericho]; Isa 14:32 [Zion]), a stone (Isa 28:16). There is no example of an abstract noun (e.g., "strength") as the undergoer of this action. In just two instances, the verb יסד means "appoint" or "ordain" with reference to installing into office or royal decrees (Esther 1:8 [palace staff] w/על prep.; 1 Chr 9:22 [gatekeepers]). The first example has the preposition על. The second example clearly refers to the establishment of people, though it still occurs within the domain of construction. Both examples are post-exilic. Since יסד nearly always occurs in the domain of the construction of some building, and since עז can mean “a construction that is strong and able to resist attacks” (SDBH entry b; cf. BDB, HALOT, DCH), it is best to interpret the clause in Ps 8:3 to mean “you have laid the foundations for a stronghold” or “you have built a stronghold” (so e.g. BDB, NIV, RSV, CSB, GNT?). Since strongholds are designed to “resist attacks”, this interpretation works well with the following phrase: “because of your adversaries, to stop the enemy and avenger.”

[4] So Zenger 1993, 79 and Brown 2002, 155. Alternatively, עוֹלְלִים וְיֹנְקִים may be a merism for children young and old (cf. 1 Sam 15:3; 22:19; Jer 44:7).

[5] Cf. 2 Macc 7:27: ἐλέησόν με τὴν ἐν γαστρὶ περιενέγκασάν σε μῆνας ἐννέα καὶ θηλάσασάν σε ἔτη τρία. "Have mercy on me, who carried you nine months in the womb and nursed you for three years."

[6] Tate 2001, 351. Cf. Benjamin Sommer: "The words 'babes and infants' are not to be taken literally but are a metaphor for the people who recite this psalm or for all humans who worship God" (Sommer 2020, 14*); cf. Zenger: "der schwächsten und wehrlosesten Gruppe im Volk JHWHs, die inmitten ihrer feindlichen Umgebung am Lobpreis JHWHs festhält" (1993, 79). Görg argues that the image in v. 3 is of humanity as "a royal child," citing Egyptian texts and statues that celebrate the rule of kings even in their infancy ("Der Mensch als königliches Kind nach Psalm 8,3" BLÄTTER ABRAHAMS 17, 2017).

[7] "It is an apt metaphor for ancient Israel who, trapped as a small and insignificant state between the giant superpowers of Egypt and Mesopotamia, found strength in their dependence upon their God" (Waltke 2010, 262).

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