NOTES for Psa 8

For the nonreligious mind, the idea of humanity’s insignificance, supposedly preached by the Bible, has long seemed familiar and natural. To see that this is not so, one need only read this psalm.

The psalmist sings of God’s greatness and, at the same time, of the greatness of the world He created, which bears witness to Him. The hymn to the Creator then flows smoothly into a hymn to humanity. The transition may seem unexpected, but the very structure of the psalm emphasizes how natural it is.

The psalm reveals the full significance of humanity as the crown of creation, placed at the head of the created world. We are not accidental dust in the midst of an infinite universe; we have been set over everything the Lord created.

Death and sin still reign, but the psalmist has already been shown humanity’s destiny, hidden from the nonreligious mind. We are closely bound to God, and it is precisely this bond that guarantees human greatness and dignity.