The Book of Psalms

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 8 -

How majestic is your name!

Unto the end. For the oil and wine presses. A Psalm of David.(a)

(b)

O Lord, our Lord, how admirable is your name throughout all the earth! For your magnificence is elevated above the heavens.

Out of the mouths of babes and infants, you have perfected praise, because of your enemies, so that you may destroy the enemy and the revenger.(c)

For I will behold your heavens, the works of your fingers: the moon and the stars, which you have founded.

What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you visit him?

You reduced him to a little less than the Angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor,

and you have set him over the works of your hands.

You have subjected all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and in addition: the beasts of the field,

the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, which pass through the paths of the sea.

O Lord, our Lord, how admirable is your name throughout all the earth!

Footnotes

(a)8:1 The word ‘torcularibus’ refers to oil and wine presses. This psalm is a prayer praising God’s magnificence as displayed in the abundance that comes to us from nature.(Conte)

(b)8:1 The presses:In Hebrew, Gittith, supposed to be a musical instrument.(Challoner)

(c)8:3 The word ‘lactentium’ literally refers to infants who are still nursing; and the word ‘infantium’ more generally refers to young children. Despite the similarity to the English word ‘infant,’ the word ‘infantium’ is better rendered as babes or toddlers, and ‘lactentium’ is a better fit for ‘infants.’(Conte)

How majestic is your name!

LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens!

From the lips of babes and infants you have established strength, because of your adversaries, that you might silence the enemy and the avenger.

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have ordained,

what is man, that you think of him? What is the son of man, that you care for him?

For you have made him a little lower than the angels,(a) and crowned him with glory and honor.

You make him ruler over the works of your hands. You have put all things under his feet:

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.

LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Footnotes

(a)8:5 Hebrew: Elohim. The word Elohim, used here, usually means “God”, but can also mean “gods”, “princes”, or “angels”. The Septuagint reads “angels” here. See also the quote from the Septuagint in Hebrews 2:7 .