1Ó Senhor, nosso Senhor, quão admiravel é o teu nome em toda a terra, pois pozeste a tua gloria sobre os céus!
2Tu ordenaste força da bocca das creanças e dos que mamam, por causa dos teus inimigos, para fazer calar ao inimigo e ao vingador.
3Quando vejo os teus céus, obra dos teus dedos, a lua e as estrellas que preparaste;
4Que é o homem mortal para que te lembres d'elle? e o filho do homem, para que o visites?
5Pois pouco menor o fizeste do que os anjos, e de gloria e de honra o coroaste.
6Fazes com que elle tenha dominio sobre as obras das tuas mãos; tudo pozeste debaixo de seus pés:
7Todas as ovelhas e bois, assim como os animaes do campo,
8As aves dos céus, e os peixes do mar, e tudo o que passa pelas veredas dos mares.
9Ó Senhor, nosso Senhor, quão admiravel é o teu nome sobre toda a terra!
📖 Chapter study
Summary
David contemplates the greatness of God revealed in the heavens and marvels that, though so small, humankind was crowned with honor and given dominion over creation.
Explanation
This is one of the best-known psalms of praise for creation, and its central question — 'what is man, that thou art mindful of him?' — expresses the wonder of realizing one's own smallness before the universe and, at the same time, the dignity God has granted to humanity. The psalm echoes the creation account in Genesis 1, where humankind receives dominion over the animals. Today's application is twofold: humility before the greatness of God, and responsibility to care well for the world entrusted to humanity.
Fun facts
- Verse 2 ('out of the mouth of babes and sucklings') is quoted by Jesus in Matthew 21:16 when the children praise him in the temple, showing the long life these texts have had in use.
- Psalm 8 is the first psalm in the Psalter devoted entirely to praise for creation, a theme that reappears in expanded form in Psalms 19 and 104.