Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 8:2

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 8:2. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings — We have seen how our Lord applied this passage to the Jewish children, who, seeing his miracles, cried out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" Matthew 21:16. And we have seen how the enemy and the avenger-the chief priests and the scribes-were offended because of these things; and as the Psalm wholly concerns Jesus Christ, it is most probable that in this act of the Jewish children the prophecy had its primary fulfilment; and was left to the Jews as a witness and a sign of the Messiah, which they should have acknowledged when our Lord directed their attention to it.

There is also a very obvious sense in which the mouths of babes and sucklings show forth the praises of God; viz., the means by which they derive their first nourishment. In order to extract the milk from the breasts of their mothers, they are obliged to empty their own mouths entirely of air, that the eternal air, pressing on the breast, may force the milk through its proper canals into the mouth of the child, where there is no resistance, the child having extracted all air from its own mouth which in this case resembles a perfectly exhausted receiver on the plate of an airpump; and the action of sucking is performed on the same principle that the receiver is exhausted by the working of the airpump. Of this curious pneumatic action the child is capable the moment it breathes; and, its strength considered, performs it as perfectly the first hour as it does in any other period of its childhood or infancy. What does all this argue? Why instinct. And pray what is instinct? You cannot tell. But here is an operation by which the pure Boylean vacuum is made; and this by an infant without any previous teaching! Do you suppose that this is an easy operation, and that it requires little skill? You are mistaken. You have done this yourself while an infant, under the sole guidance of God. Can you do it now? You are startled! Shall I tell you what appears to you a secret? There is not one in ten thousand adults, who have had their first nourishment from the breasts of their mothers who can perform the same operation again! And those who have had occasion to practise it have found great difficulty to learn that art which, in the first moment of their birth, they performed to perfection! Here is the finger of God; and here, out of the mouths of babes and sucklings, he has ordained such a strength of evidence and argument in favour of his being, his providence, and his goodness, as is sufficient to still and confound every infidel and atheist in the universe, all the enemies of righteousness, and all the vindicators of desperate and hopeless causes and systems.

The words may also be applied to the apostles and primitive preachers of the Gospel; to the simple and comparatively unlearned followers of Christ, who, through his teaching, were able to confound the wise among the Jews, and the mighty among the heathens: and in this sense our Lord uses the term babes, Matthew 11:25: "I thank thee, O Father-because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to babes."

We may also witness, in the experience of multitudes of simple people who have been, by the preaching of the Gospel, converted from the error of their ways, such a strength of testimony in favour of the work of God in the heart, and his effectual teaching in the mind, as is calculated to still, or reduce to silence, every thing but bigotry and prejudice, neither of which has either eyes or ears. This teaching, and these changing or converting influences, come from God. They are not acquired by human learning; and those who put this in the place of the Divine teaching never grow wise to salvation. To enter into the kingdom of heaven, a MAN must become as a little child.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalms 8:0 Divine glory and human dignity

God is so great in majesty and power that nothing in the universe can challenge his sovereign rule. The praises of children may appear to be weak and simple, but they are sufficient to silence God’s enemies. God uses what appears to be powerless to overcome all the hostile forces that his enemies can gather (1-2).

This majestic power of God is seen also in the vastness of the universe that he created. How amazing, therefore, that God should give to feeble insignificant human beings a position of dignity that makes them unique among all created things; for they alone are made in the image of God (3-5; cf. Genesis 1:26-30).

Human beings have a God-given authority that places them in charge of the physical world in which they live. Having been made in God’s image, they rule as God’s representatives (6-8). But they are not God; they are merely the image and representatives of God. Their first duty is always to bring homage, worship, praise and glory to the Lord and God whom they serve (9).

Because of sin, the human race never fulfilled God’s purposes for it. Only in Christ can people be lifted out of the shame and hopelessness of sin, and enter into the glory that God intended for them (Hebrews 2:6-9; 1 Corinthians 15:21-28; 1 Corinthians 15:21-28).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

"O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth, Who hast set thy glory upon the heavens! Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou established strength, Because of thine adversaries, That thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger."

It will be noted that we went back to the KJV in the first line of Psalms 8:1. As I have grown older, I have found my respect for the word "Jehovah" as used in place of "God" or 'Lord" more and more difficult to maintain. In no sense whatever is it an inspired word. It is a scholarly guess at what the word actually was; and there are more and more variations of it available in the scholarly writings continually demanding our attention. Another "guess" is "Yahweh"; but neither of these is as glorious, meaningful, or acceptable as "Lord."

Furthermore, the American Standard Version of 1901 made no improvement at all in the second line of Psalms 8:1, when they substituted the word "upon" for "above," but retained the latter in the margin. The KJV is the superior rendition, because the glory of the Creator is not merely upon the heavens, it is likewise above them.

"Out of the mouth of babes, etc." Jesus Christ himself quoted from this passage in Matthew 21:16, where we find the account of the Pharisees' objection that the children in the temple were chanting Hosannas to Christ, singing of him as "The Son of David." Christ responded, saying, Yea, have ye not read that, "Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou perfected praise."Launcelot C. L. Brenton, The Septuagint (LXX) (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1970), p. 702. This, of course is a verbatim quotation from the LXX; and, by reason of Jesus' acceptance of that rendition, it may be considered superior to other translations of the passage.

Regarding the "babes and sucklings," the passage may be a metaphor for all mankind, who in their frailty and weakness are as "babes and sucklings" in the eyes of God. Jesus' application of the words to children singing his praises in the temple falls far short of a contradiction of that view.

There is another view also which more strongly commends itself to us, namely, that –

(1)    when God decided to rescue Israel from Egyptian slavery, it was a babe, indeed a suckling, that was placed in the little ark of bulrushes and cast upon the boundless waters of the Nile river. That "babe" was Moses, and through him, God destroyed the enemy and the avenger.

(2)    Once more, when the third judicial hardening of humanity had taken place, and the whole world lay "in the evil one," as an apostle expressed it, "a babe," "a suckling," indeed THE BABE of Bethlehem entered our earth life in a stable, was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. He did indeed destroy Satan himself, "the great enemy." The Prince of this world was cast out by the Christ; and, it seems to us, that in such examples as those of Moses and of our Lord, we have the true and eternal fulfillment of this second verse.

Dummelow noted that "God's employment of such feeble instruments to display his glory (and to achieve his purposes on earth, J.B.C.) puts his adversaries to silence."J. R. Dummelow, Ibid. Paul made mention of this very principle in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Out of the mouth - This passage is quoted by the Saviour in Matthew 21:16, to vindicate the conduct of the children in the temple crying, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” against the objections of the Pharisees and Scribes, and is perhaps alluded to by him in Matthew 11:25. It is not affirmed, however, in either place, that it had an original reference to the times of the Messiah, or that it was meant, as used by the psalmist, to denote that children would be employed in the praise of God. The language sufficiently expressed the idea which the Saviour meant to convey; and the princip e or great truth involved in the psalm was applicable to the use which he made of it. The language would, perhaps, most naturally denote that infant children would give utterance to the praises of God, as the word “mouth” is used; but still it is not quite certain that the psalmist meant to convey that idea. It is probable, as we shall see, that he meant to say, God had conferred great honor on men - men so humble and weak that they might be compared to infants - by making them the means of overthrowing his enemies, thus showing the greatness of the divine condescension.

Babes - The word used here - עולל ‛ôlêl - means properly a boy or child, and is usually connected with the word rendered sucklings, Jeremiah 44:7; Lamentations 2:11. It is applied to a boy playing in the streets, Jeremiah 6:11; Jeremiah 9:21; asking for bread, Lamentations 4:4,; carried away captive, Lamentations 1:5; borne in the arms, Lamentations 2:20; and once to an unborn infant, Job 3:16. It refers here to a child, or to one who is like a child; and the idea is that those to whom it is applied were naturally unable to accomplish what was done by them, and that God had honored them, and had shown his own condescension, by making them the instruments of doing what they had done.

And sucklings - The word used here - יונק yôneq - means a suckling, or a suckling child, a babe, Deuteronomy 32:25. It may be used literally, or employed to denote one who, in respect to strength, may be compared with a babe. The latter is probably the use made of it here.

Hast thou ordained strength - The word rendered ordained - יסד yâsad - means to found, to lay the foundation of, as of a building, Ezra 3:12; Isaiah 54:11. Then it means to establish, appoint, ordain, constitute, etc. The meaning here is, that in what is referred to, there was, as it were, some basis or foundation for what is called “strength;” that is, that what is here meant by “strength” rested on that as a foundation - to wit, on what was done by babes and sucklings. The word “strength” is rendered by the Septuagint as “praise” - αἷνον ainon - and this is followed in the quotation in Matthew 21:16. The same rendering is adopted in the Latin Vulgate and in the Syriac. The Hebrew word - עז ‛ôz - properly means strength, might; and the idea here would seem to be, that even from babes and sucklings - from those who were in themselves so feeble - God had taken occasion to accomplish a work requiring great power - to wit, in “stilling the enemy and the avenger;” that is, he had made those who were so feeble the instruments of accomplishing so great a work.

Because of thine enemies - In respect to thine enemies, or in order to accomplish something in regard to them, namely, in stilling them, as is immediately specified. The idea is, that there were those who rose up against God, and opposed his government and plans, and that God, in overcoming them, instead of putting forth his own power directly, had condescended to employ those who were weak and feeble like little children. Who these enemies were is not specified, but it is most natural to suppose that the reference is to some of the foes of the author of the psalm, who had been subdued by the prowess of his arm - by strength imparted to him, though in himself feeble as an infant.

That thou mightest still - Mightest cause to rest, or to cease. The original word - שׁבת shâbath - from which our word Sabbath is derived, means to rest; to lie by; to sit down; to sit still; and in the Hiphil, to cause to rest, or to cause to desist; to put an end to, Ezekiel 34:10; Joshua 22:25; Psalms 46:9; Proverbs 18:18. Here it means to bring to an end the purposes of the enemy and the avenger; or, to cause him to desist from his designs.

The enemy - The enemy of the writer, regarded also as the enemy of God.

And the avenger - One who was endeavoring to take revenge, or who was acting as if determined to avenge some imaginary or real wrong. This, too, may refer either to some one who was seeking to revenge himself on the author of the psalm, or who, with the spirit of revenge, stood up against God, and had set himself against him.

In regard to the meaning of this verse, which I apprehend is the key to the whole psalm, and which contains the original germ of the psalm, or the thought which suggested the train of reflection in it, the following remarks may be made:

(a) There is no evidence that it was designed to refer originally to infants, or to children of any age, as stating anything which they would do in contributing to the praise of God, or as defeating sceptics and cavillers by “their instinctive recognition of God’s being and glory,” as is supposed by Calvin, DeWette, Prof. Alexander, and others. What is said here to be done by “babes and sucklings” has reference to some mighty enemy that had been overcome, not to anything which had been effected by the influence of the recognition of God by little children. It may be doubted, also, whether there is any such “instinctive admiration of his works, even by the youngest children,” as would be “a strong defense against those who would question the being and glory” of God, as is supposed by Prof. Alexander and others; and, at all events, that is not the manifest thought in the passage.

(b) Nor does it refer merely to praise as proceeding from children, as being that by which the effect referred to is accomplished. It is true that this idea is in the translation by the Septuagint, and true that it is so quoted in Matthew 21:16, and true, also, that, as quoted by the Saviour, and as originally applied, it was adapted to the end which the Saviour had in view - to silence the chief priests and Scribes, who objected to the praises and hosannas of the children in the temple, for the psalm, on any interpretation, originally meant that God would accomplish good effects by those who were feeble and weak as children, and this principle was applicable to the praises of the children in the temple. But it does not appear that it originally referred to praise, either of children or others. It was to some manifested strength or prowess, by which some enemy, or some one who was seeking revenge, was overcome by the instrumentality of those who might be compared with children on account of their feebleness. From this the psalmist takes occasion to make his reflections on the exalted honor conferred in general on a creature so weak and feeble as man, especially in the wide dominion granted him over the inferior creation.

(c) This was, not improbably, some enemy of the author of the psalm; but who it was is not mentioned. David was often, however, in the course of his life, in such circumstances as are here supposed. Might it not refer to Goliath of Gath - a mighty giant, and a formidable enemy of the people of God, overcome by David, quite a stripling - a child? Would not the language of the psalm agree with that? Was it not true that he was an “enemy” and an “avenger,” or one socking revenge? and was it not true that God had, from one who was a mere child, “ordained strength” to subdue him?

(d) God had, then, condescended to honor one who was in himself weak and feeble as a child - who had no power of himself to accomplish what had been done.

(e) This was great condescension on the part of God; and especially was it to be so regarded when the eye looked out - as the author of the psalm appears to have done at the time of its composition - on the starry heavens, and contemplated their greatness and grandeur. What astonishing condescension was it that he who marshalled all those hosts should bestow such honor on man!

(f) It was not, therefore, unnatural to reflect on the greatness of the honor which God had actually bestowed on man, and the dignity to which God had exalted him; and the psalmist is thus, from a particular act of his condescension, led into the beautiful train of reflections on the exalted dominion of man with which the psalm concludes. Thus understood, the psalm has no orignal reference to the Messiah, but still it contains the principle on which the apostle reasons in Hebrews 2:0, for the dignity of man is most seen in the Redeemer, and the actual conferring of all the dignity and honor referred to in the psalm - the actual and entire subjugation of the earth to man - will be found only in the universal dominion conceded to Him. At the same time, however, there is a foundation for all that the psalmist says in respect to the honor originally conferred on man, and in his actual dominion over the inferior creation.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

He now enters upon the proof of the subject which he had undertaken to discourse upon, ⁽¹³²⁾ declaring, that the providence of God, in order to make itself known to mankind, does not wait till men arrive at the age of maturity, but even from the very dawn of infancy shines forth so brightly as is sufficient to confute all the ungodly, who, through their profane contempt of God, would wish to extinguish his very name. ⁽¹³³⁾

The opinion of some, who think that מפי, mephi, out of the mouth, signifies כפי, kephi, in the mouth, cannot be admitted, because it improperly weakens the emphasis which David meant to give to his language and discourse. The meaning, therefore, is, that God, in order to commend his providence, has no need of the powerful eloquence of rhetoricians, ⁽¹³⁴⁾ nor even of distinct and formed language, because the tongues of infants, although they do not as yet speak, are ready and eloquent enough to celebrate it. But it may be asked, In what sense does he speak of children as the proclaimers of the glory of God? In my judgment, those reason very foolishly who think that this is done when children begin to articulate, because then also the intellectual faculty of the soul shows itself. Granting that they are called babes, or infants, even until they arrive at their seventh year, how can such persons imagine that those who now speak distinctly are still hanging on the breast? Nor is there any more propriety in the opinion of those who say, that the words for babes and sucklings are here put allegorically for the faithful, who, being born again by the Spirit of God, no longer retain the old age of the flesh. What need, then, is there to wrest the words of David, when their true meaning is so clear and suitable? He says that babes and sucklings are advocates sufficiently powerful to vindicate the providence of God. Why does he not entrust this business to men, but to show that the tongues of infants, even before they are able to pronounce a single word, speak loudly and distinctly in commendation of God’s liberality towards the human race? Whence is it that nourishment is ready for them as soon as they are born, but because God wonderfully changes blood into milk? Whence, also, have they the skill to suck, but because the same God has, by a mysterious instinct, fitted their tongues for doing this? David, therefore, has the best reason for declaring, that although the tongues of all, who have arrived at the age of manhood, should become silent, the speechless mouth of infants is sufficiently able to celebrate the praise of God. And when he not only introduces babes as witnesses and preachers of God’s glory, but also attributes mature strength to their mouth, the expression is very emphatic. It means the same thing as if he had said, These are invincible champions of God who, when it comes to the conflict, can easily scatter and discomfit the whole host of the wicked despisers of God, and those who have abandoned themselves to impiety. ⁽¹³⁵⁾ We should observe against whom he imposes upon infants the office of defending the glory of God, namely, against the hardened despisers of God, who dare to rise up against heaven to make war upon God, as the poets have said, in olden time, of the giants. ⁽¹³⁶⁾

Since, therefore, these monsters, ⁽¹³⁷⁾ with furious violence, pluck up by the roots, and overthrow whatever godliness and the fear of God ⁽¹³⁸⁾ there is in the world, and through their hardihood endeavor to do violence to heaven itself, David in mockery of them brings into the field of battle against them the mouths of infants, which he says are furnished with armor of sufficient strength, and endued with sufficient fortitude, to lay their intolerable pride ⁽¹³⁹⁾ in the dust. He, therefore, immediately subjoins, On account of the adversaries God is not under the necessity of making war with great power to overcome the faithful, who willingly hearken to his voice, and manifest a ready obedience, as soon as he gives the smallest intimation of his will. The providence of God, I confess, shines forth principally for the sake of the faithful, because they only have eyes to behold it. But as they show themselves willing to receive instruction, God teaches them with gentleness; while, on the other hand, he arms himself against his enemies, who never submit themselves to him but by constraint. Some take the word founded as meaning, that, in the very birth or generation of man, God lays foundations for manifesting his own glory. But this sense is too restricted. I have no doubt that the word is put for to establish, as if the prophet had said, God needs not strong military forces to destroy the ungodly; instead of these, the mouths of children are sufficient for his purpose. ⁽¹⁴⁰⁾

To put to flight. Interpreters differ with respect to the word השבית, hashebith. It properly signifies, to cause to cease; for it is in the conjugation Hiphil of the neuter verb שבת, shabath, which signifies to cease. But it is often taken metaphorically for to destroy, or to reduce to nothing, because destruction or death brings to an end. Others translate it, that thou mayest restrain, as if David meant that they were put to silence, so that they desisted from cursing or reviling God. As, however, there is here a beautiful allusion to a hostile combat, as I have a little before explained, I have preferred the military phrase, to put to flight. But it is asked, How does God put to flight his enemies, who, by their impious slanders and detractions, do not cease to strike at, and violently to rush forward to oppose all the proofs of a Divine Providence which daily manifest themselves? ⁽¹⁴¹⁾ I answer, They are not routed or overthrown in respect of their being compelled to become more humble and unassuming; but because, with all their blasphemies and canine barkings, they continue in the state of abasement and confusion to which they have been brought. To express the whole in a few words: so early as the generation or birth of man the splendor of Divine Providence is so apparent, that even infants, who hang upon their mothers’ breasts, can bring down to the ground the fury of the enemies of God. Although his enemies may do their utmost, and may even burst with rage a hundred times, it is in vain for them to endeavor to overthrow the strength which manifests itself in the weakness of infancy. A desire of revenge reigns in all unbelievers, while, on the other hand, God governs his own children by the spirit of meekness and benignity: ⁽¹⁴²⁾ but, according to the scope of the present passage, the prophet applies this epithet, the avenger, to the despisers of God, who are not only cruel towards man, but who also burn with frantic rage to make war even against God himself.

I have now discharged the duty of a faithful interpreter in opening up the mind of the prophet. There is only one difficulty remaining, which is this, that Christ (Matthew 21:16) seems to put upon this passage a different meaning, when he applies it to children ten years old. But this difficulty is easily removed. Christ reasons from the greater to the less in this manner; If God has appointed children even in infancy the vindicators of his glory, there is no absurdity in his making them the instruments of showing forth his praise by their tongues after they have arrived at the age of seven years and upwards.

(132) The doctrine proposed to be illustrated in this psalm is the excellence of God’s name, or his power, goodness, and other perfections, as manifested in his providence and government of the world; and this the Psalmist states in the first verse. He then proceeds to establish and illustrate this doctrine: 1. From the case of infants; 2. From the starry heavens; and, 3. From God’s being mindful of man, and visiting him, notwithstanding his unworthiness, sinfulness, and misery.

(133) “Qui voudroyent que son nom fust totalement aboli de la memoire des hommes.” — Fr. “Who would wish that his name were totally extinguished from the memory of men.”

(134) “Que Dieu, pour magnifier et exalter sa providence, n’a pas besoin de la rhetorique et eloquence de grans orateurs.” —Fr. “That God, in order to magnify and exalt his providence, has no need of the rhetoric and eloquence of great orators.”

(135) “Et desconfire toute l’armee des meschans contempteurs de Dieu, et gens adonnez a impiete.” — Fr.

(136) “Comme les poetes ont dit anciennement des geans.” — Fr.

(137) “Cyclopes.” — Latin version. “Ces monstres.” — French version.

(138) “Et crainte de Dieu.” — Fr.

(139) “Leur orgueil intolerable.” — Fr.

(140) “Comme si le prophete fust dit que Dieu se sert des bouches des petis enfans, comme d’une puissante armee et bien duite a la guerre et qu’elles luy suffisent pour destruire et exterminer les meschans.” — Fr. “As if the prophet had said, God makes use of the mouths of little children as of a powerful and well-fitted army, and these suffice him to destroy and exterminate the wicked.”

(141) “Lesquels par leurs mesdisances et detractions plenes de sacrilege ne cessent de heurter et choquer impetueusement encontre tout ce en quoy la providence de Dieu se manifeste journellement.” — Fr.

(142) “De douceur et benignite.” — Fr.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Psalms 8:1-9 is to the chief musician upon Gittith. Now Gittith means wine press, and so you have the thought of the harvest in the sense, actually, of judgment. The time of harvest has come.

O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! ( Psalms 8:1 )

The first Lord, all capital letters, signifying that it is a translation of the Hebrew name for God. That name which we do not know exactly how to pronounce. Perhaps it is Yahweh; perhaps it is Jehovah. Nobody really knows for sure. People have taken sides on the issue, but it is a mute question. We really are not certain of the pronunciation of the name. The Jews felt the name was so sacred that they would not write it in their script. They would only write Y H V H, the consonants, so it remained unpronounceable. They didn't want a person to even pronounce it silently as they were reading, so when a Jew would come to this particular verse to read it, "O Lord, our Lord," reading it out of Hebrew, he would just say, "O," and then he would bow his head and then he would say, "The name." But he would not try to pronounce the name, just, "The name," for it was the name of God.

It is a Hebrew verb which means, "I am that I am." Or more literally, "the becoming one." It is a name by which God describes His desired relationship to you. As God desires to become to you whatever you may need. He is become our peace. He is become our righteousness. He is become our healer. He is become our provider. God becomes to us whatever we need. And so it is a beautiful name, because it is a name by which God describes His relationship to you. He wants to become to you whatever you need.

The second Lord here, "Our Lord," capital L, small ord, signifies that it is the translation of the Hebrew word adonai, which means master. And thus, it is a title, and thus, it signifies our relationship to Him. The first one signifies His desired relationship to us, the Becoming One; the second indicates our relationship to Him, Master. "O Jehovah, our Master, how excellent is Thy name." You see, the name Jehovah, how excellent is that name in all the earth.

Now we are told in Philippians, chapter 2, that Jesus, even though He was in the form of God and thought it not robbery or something to be grasped to be equal with God, emptied Himself, or made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Himself the form of a man. And coming in likeness of a man was obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore, God has also highly exalted Him and given Him a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jehovah Shua, the compound name of Jehovah, for He has become, in Jesus Christ, our salvation. The angel said to Joseph when he was worried whether or not to expose Mary or put her away privately, the angel said, "Don't be afraid to take Mary as your wife. That which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She is going to bring forth a son. Thou shalt call His name, Jehovah Shua, (or Yashua in Hebrew). For He shall save His people from their sins." A name that is above all names. "How excellent is Thy name." The name of Jesus, the most excellent name in all of the world. Yashua, Jehovah has become our greatest need, our salvation.

Now in the Kingdom Age He is going to have a new name, Jehovah-Tsidkenu. I would just assume stick with Yashua, cause Tsidkenu is hard to pronounce. But Jeremiah tells us that is the name in the Kingdom Age, which is, "He has become our salvation, Jehovah, our salvation." How excellent is Thy name, a name which is above every name in all the earth.

who has set thy glory above the heavens ( Psalms 8:1 ).

Now the heavens are glorious. The heavens declare the glory of God. They are not the glory of God; they declare the glory of God. His glory is even above the heavens, or higher than the heavens. And yet, perhaps the most glorious thing that we as man can observe are the heavens. But God's glory is even above the heavens.

Out of the mouth babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger ( Psalms 8:2 ).

It is interesting to me that that glorious God has revealed Himself in such simple terms that even a child can comprehend and begin to know God and have faith in God. And to me the purest faith probably that we can find is that faith within a child. How beautiful is that faith of a child. When our kids were growing up, I always wanted them to pray for me when I wasn't feeling well. Such pure faith, the simplicity. As Jesus took a child and put it in the midst of all the scholars, and He said, "Unless you become like a little child, you are not going to catch on. You are not going to enter the kingdom of heaven." Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings God has perfected praise; He has ordained strength.

Then David said,

When I consider thy heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man ( Psalms 8:3-4 ),

Now the philosophers and man today is seeking to understand, "What is man?" That is the basic question of the philosophers, "What is man?" But the mistake that the philosophers make is that they start with man, rather than, as with David, starting with God. "O LORD, our Lord, when I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon, the stars, which Thou hast ordained, what is man?" If I start with God, then I have man in his proper perspective. If I start with man, I have no perspective. I have no place to go. I don't know where to go. I have no perspective. I can't see man in any perspective unless I start with God and then I see man in his proper perspective.

"When I consider the heavens, the work of Your fingers the moon, the stars which Thou hast ordained,"

what is man, that thou art mindful of him? ( Psalms 8:4 )

How often I have sat at the seashore watching the sun go down when I was a child. I lived in a seacoast town, Ventura, north of here. I used to love to get my fishing pole and go down and dig for soft-shelled sand crabs and I had a neat corbina hole. And I'd cast out there, and I would watch the surf and I would watch the sun as it would go down. And I would be all alone in the sandy beach, and I felt so small as it was getting dark. I felt so small as Venus would start to come out. And then some of the other stars, and I would look up and I would think, "Wow! I am alone here on the beach, looking out at that portion of the Pacific to the horizon seeing the sun go down." And thinking how vast the Pacific Ocean was, how vast the world was. I knew just to ride my bike the two miles back to my house seemed like a long way at that point. And to realize, you know, just how vast the earth is. And I felt so small in relationship to the earth. But then I thought of the earth in relationship to the sun that had just set, and then the relationship to the earth to the stars that I saw coming out. "What is man that Thou art mindful of him?" Here I am, a speck of dust down on this little planet, and yet, God thinks about me. All the time He thinks about me. And sitting there in the sand, it was exciting, 'cause I would look up the beach and see all of the sand dunes. And my mother had taught me the scripture concerning, "Thy thoughts concerning me, if I should number them are more than the grains of sand in the sea." And I would think of the greatness of God, and I would just sit there just over awed that God, the One who created this vast universe that I was looking at, was mindful of me. This little kid sitting on the sand on a beach by myself.

"What is man that thou art mindful of him?" God is thinking about you all of the time. And His thoughts concerning you are good, not evil. He isn't thinking how He can give you a bad time this week and make it really tough on you. See how much He can make you squirm. God is thinking, "How can I show them how much I love them? How can I show them that I care? What good thing can I do for them this week, that they will know that I am there, that they'll know that I am concerned, that they know that I love them?" He is thinking about you all of the time.

and the Son of man that thou shouldst visit him? ( Psalms 8:4 )

What is man that God should come down to visit him? Who am I that God should seek to visit with me? And yet, He desires to visit with me. I don't always have time for Him. Sometimes He has called to me and said, "Chuck, come, let's have a little visit." And I say, "No, Lord. I don't have time. I'm so busy, Lord. Can't You see how busy I am? Catch you later, Lord." But you know what? He has never once said to me, "I am too busy for you." In fact, He seems always so happy whenever I come around. So glad that I came, as though He was longing for my fellowship. When I had everything to gain from it, and He has so little to gain. O, how excellent, Lord, is thy name in all the earth. Who is a pardoning God like Thee? Who is the God that is so merciful and so kind and so loving, and so concerned as our God? What is man that God should visit him? And yet, He did.

Thou hast made him ( Psalms 8:5 )

Man is not the product of accidental circumstances. Man is not the product of a series of chance, random chance, through billions of years. But the psalmist declares, "Thou hast made him." But brilliant men who don't want to acknowledge God, because they don't want to keep God in their minds, have had to create theories by which they have sought to explain the existence of man, in quote, "scientific terms." And these brilliant men tell us that God was created by man in man's own image and after man's own likeness. That because man needed to believe in something, he created the idea and the concepts of God. But God is only the figment of man's imagination; he was created by man. But the scriptures said, "Not so." "Thou hast made him." God created man in His image and after His likeness. So you have the choice to believe that man created God, or that God created man. But to me, if I am going to have any kind of a logical base for existence, I must believe that God has created me, otherwise life is without purpose. I am living in a puzzle in the middle of a muddle, and there is no reason, rhyme, purpose for existence or being. I came by an accident; I'll go by an accident. Tough! Life becomes completely empty, dehumanizing, if you try to take away from, "Thou hast made him."

Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels ( Psalms 8:5 ),

Now the angels are God's ministering spirits. They have been sent forth to minister to those who are heirs of salvation. We see the order now of beings in the universe. It is: God, angels, man, animals, plants. "Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels,"

but you've crowned him with glory and honor ( Psalms 8:5 ).

I look around the earth in which I live, I see all of the life forms upon the earth, and I realize that I have been crowned with glory and honor. I am the highest order of God's observable creation here on the planet Earth. And I see the accomplishments of man. Think of what the world would be if man wasn't here. Both good and bad, isn't it? If man wasn't on the earth, they wouldn't have polluted streams, polluted skies, and threat of destruction by nuclear warheads. And yet, also, if man wasn't here, there would be no music, no poetry, there would be no beautiful paintings, there would be, the earth would miss so much as God has placed in man the music and the beauty of expression.

"You have crowned him with glory and honor."

You made him to have dominion over the works of thy hands ( Psalms 8:6 );

God has given us dominion over that work of His hands. "The earth showeth forth His handiwork." So we have dominion over the plants, we have dominion over the animals, over the earth. God gave it to Adam, "Have dominion over it." Now, that is dominion in the sense of dressing it, keeping it, taking care of it, developing it. It isn't dominion in the sense that I can destroy it if I please, I can waste it if I please, I can recklessly, carelessly destroy the natural resources if I please because I have dominion. Not at all. The idea is to dress it, to keep it, to take care of it. "You have given him dominion over the works of Thy hands."

you have put all things under his feet ( Psalms 8:6 ):

Crowned him with glory and honor. Now this in a broader sense, of course, applies to Jesus Christ and is used in application to Jesus Christ in the book of Hebrews, the second chapter, verses Psalms 8:6 , and Psalms 8:8 , and has been made to apply to Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death. You see, He was God, not Michael the archangel. If He was Michael the archangel, then He wouldn't have had to have been made a little lower than the angels. He would have been an angel, and He would not have had to been made a little lower than the angels. But He made Him a little lower than the angels, and crowned Him, for the suffering of death. As an angel He could not die; as God He could not die. And thus, He had to be made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death. And God has put all things in subjection unto Him, but the author of Hebrews said, "We do not yet see all things in subjection unto Him, but we see Jesus, made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor."

So all those things that God has put under man,

The sheep, the ox, the beast of the field; the fowl of the air, the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passes through the paths of the sea ( Psalms 8:7-8 ).

A sea captain was one time in the hospital, and the nurse was reading to him the psalms. And when she came to the eighth psalm, she read the eighth psalm, and when she read that last verse, or the next to the last verse there, verse Psalms 8:8 , he said, "Read that again." She read it again. And he said, "Read it again!" And she read it again. And he said, "That is interesting, paths in the sea. If God has declared that there are paths in the sea, there must be paths in the sea." And so he began to put out bottles and he began to chart the sea currents, and discovered that there are definite paths in the seas, the sea currents. And from that time on the shipping industry began to follow the sea currents, saving thousands upon thousands of dollars in fuel, because they go with the currents. There are paths through the sea.

O LORD [O Jehovah, our master], how excellent is thy name in all the earth! ( Psalms 8:9 ) "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

1. Introductory reflection on God’s majesty 8:1-2

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 8

In this psalm of creation praise (cf. Psalms 33, 104, 145) David marveled at the fact that God had committed the dominion of the earth to man, and he reflected on the dignity of man. Other commonly recognized psalms of praise are 19, 29, 33, 47, 65-66, 68, 93, 96-100, 104-106, 111, 113-114, 117, 134-136, and 145-150. Some students of this psalm have called it a nature psalm, and some see it as messianic. The poet commented on Genesis 1:26-28 by clarifying the importance and role of humanity in creation. [Note: Merrill, "Psalms," p. 411.]

"These psalms of creation provide a sure and bold beginning point for the full world of psalmic faith." [Note: Brueggemann, p. 38.]

"This psalm is an unsurpassed example of what a hymn should be, celebrating as it does the glory and grace of God, rehearsing who He is and what He has done, and relating us and our world to Him; all with a masterly economy of words, and in a spirit of mingled joy and awe." [Note: Kidner, pp. 65-66.]

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

In addition to the earth and the heavens, even the weakest human beings bring praise to their Creator. David’s point was that even small children acknowledge and honor God, whereas older, more sophisticated adults often deny Him (cf. Matthew 21:16). God has chosen to use the weak things of this world to correct the strong (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:27). Reportedly the young child of an atheist couple once asked his parents, "Do you think God knows we don’t believe in Him?"

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings,.... Not literally such, though the Jewish writers e generally so understand it; as do some Christian interpreters, who explain it of the wonderful formation, nourishment, and growth of infants; and of the marvellous care of God in providing the breast for them; in filling it with milk, and teaching them to suck; which, being observed by men, occasion praise to God, to the confusion of atheists and infidels. But this is no other than what is common to brute creatures: rather the words are to be understood in a figurative sense. So Jarchi applies them to the priests and Levites in the temple: but it is best to interpret them of the apostles and first preachers of the Gospel; and of such who received it and professed it; who were in their own eyes, and in the eyes of the world, as babes and sucklings, Matthew 11:25;

hast thou ordained strength: by which is meant the Gospel, the rod of Christ's strength, and the power of God unto salvation; and which being made useful for the conversion of souls, is the cause of much praise and thanksgiving to God: this, by the mouths and means of the apostles and first ministers of the word, God ordained, or "founded" f, settled and established in the world, notwithstanding all the opposition made unto it; so that the gates of hell cannot prevail against it, to root it out of the world; but it will continue the everlasting Gospel;

because of thine enemies: either for the sake of subduing them, and bringing them to the obedience of Christ, that is, the elect of God, who are before conversion enemies to God and Christ; or rather for the sake of confounding the implacable enemies of God and Christ, and of the cause and interest of religion. In order to which God has made choice of instruments the most mean and despicable, 1 Corinthians 1:26; and God's end in this more particularly is expressed in the following clause;

that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger; Satan, the enemy of mankind, the adversary of Christ personal and mystical, who is filled with envy, wrath, and malice, against Christ and his people; him, by the, means of the Gospel and the ministry of it, God has "caused to cease" g, as the word may be rendered; not as to his being, but as to his power and authority, in the Gentile world; out of which, to his great mortification, he was cast, by the mouth and ministry of babes and sucklings. These words are applied by Christ to the children in the temple, crying Hosanna to the son of David, out of whose mouths God perfected the praise of the Messiah; and by which, and Christ's defence of them, the Scribes and Pharisees, the mortal enemies of Christ, and who wanted to revenge themselves on him, were silenced and stilled,

Matthew 21:15.

e Aben Ezra R. Moses in ibid. Kimchi, Obadiah Gaon, Ben Melech in loc. f יסדת "fundasti", Pagninus, Montanus, Piscator, Cocceius, so the Targum "fundatam disposuisti", Junius Tremellius, Rivetus. g להשבית "ad eessare faciendum", Montanus, Vatablus, Piscator "ut facias cessare", Gejerus so Ainsworth.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

To the chief musician upon Gittith. A psalm of David.

      1 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.   2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

      The psalmist here sets himself to give to God the glory due to his name. Dr. Hammond grounds a conjecture upon the title of this psalm concerning the occasion of penning it. It is said to be upon Gittith, which is generally taken for the tune, or musical instrument, with which this psalm was to be sung; but he renders it upon the Gittite, that is, Goliath the Gittite, whom he vanquished and slew (1 Samuel 17:1-58); that enemy was stilled by him who was, in comparison, but a babe and a suckling. The conjecture would be probable enough but that we find two other psalms with the same title, Psalms 81:1-16; Psalms 84:1-12. Two things David here admires:--

      I. How plainly God displays his glory himself, Psalms 8:1; Psalms 8:1. He addresses himself to God with all humility and reverence, as the Lord and his people's Lord: O Lord our Lord! If we believe that God is the Lord, we must avouch and acknowledge him to be ours. He is ours, for he made us, protects us, and takes special care of us. He must be ours, for we are bound to obey him and submit to him; we must own the relation, not only when we come to pray to God, as a plea with him to show us mercy, but when we come to praise him, as an argument with ourselves to give him glory: and we shall never think we can do that with affection enough if we consider, 1. How brightly God's glory shines even in this lower world: How excellent is his name in all the earth! The works of creation and Providence evince and proclaim to all the world that there is an infinite Being, the fountain of all being, power, and perfection, the sovereign ruler, powerful protector, and bountiful benefactor of all the creatures. How great, how illustrious, how magnificent, is his name in all the earth! The light of it shines in men's faces every where (Romans 1:20); if they shut their eyes against it, that is their fault. There is no speech or language but the voice of God's name either is heard in it or may be. But this looks further, to the gospel of Christ, by which the name of God, as it is notified by divine revelation, which before was great in Israel only, came to be so in all the earth, the utmost ends of which have thus been made to see God's great salvation,Mark 16:15; Mark 16:16. 2. How much more brightly it shines in the upper world: Thou hast set thy glory above the heavens. (1.) God is infinitely more glorious and excellent than the noblest of creatures and those that shine most brightly. (2.) Whereas we, on this earth, only hear God's excellent name, and praise that, the angels and blessed spirits above see his glory, and praise that, and yet he is exalted far above even their blessing and praise. (3.) In the exaltation of the Lord Jesus to the right hand of God, who is the brightness of his Father's glory and the express image of his person, God set his glory above the heavens, far above all principalities and powers.

      II. How powerfully he proclaims it by the weakest of his creatures (Psalms 8:2; Psalms 8:2): Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength, or perfected praise, the praise of thy strength, Matthew 21:16. This intimates the glory of God, 1. In the kingdom of nature. The care God takes of little children (when they first come into the world the most helpless of all animals), the special protection they are under, and the provision nature has made for them, ought to be acknowledged by every one of us, to the glory of God, as a great instance of his power and goodness, and the more sensibly because we have all had the benefit of it, for to this we owe it that we died not from the womb, that the knees then prevented us, and the breasts, that we should suck. "This is such an instance of thy goodness, as may for ever put to silence the enemies of thy glory, who say, There is no God." 2. In the kingdom of Providence. In the government of this lower world he makes use of the children of men, some that know him and others that do not (Isaiah 45:4), and these such as have been babes and sucklings; nay, sometimes he is pleased to serve his own purposes by the ministry of such as are still, in wisdom and strength, little better than babes and sucklings. 3. In the kingdom of grace, the kingdom of the Messiah. It is here foretold that by the apostles, who were looked upon but as babes, unlearned and ignorant men (Acts 4:13), mean and despicable, and by the foolishness of their preaching, the devil's kingdom should be thrown down as Jericho's walls were by the sound of rams' horns. The gospel is called the arm of the Lord and the rod of his strength; this was ordained to work wonders, not out of the mouth of philosophers or orators, politicians or statesmen, but of a company of poor fishermen, who lay under the greatest external disadvantages; yea, we hear children crying, Hosanna to the Son of David, when the chief priests and Pharisees owned him not, but despised and rejected him; to that therefore our Saviour applied this (Matthew 21:16) and by it stilled the enemy. Sometimes the grace of God appears wonderfully in young children, and he teaches those knowledge, and makes those to understand doctrine, who are but newly weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts,Isaiah 28:9. Sometimes the power of God brings to pass great things in his church by very weak and unlikely instruments, and confounds the noble, wise, and mighty, by the base, and weak, and foolish things of the world, that no flesh may glory in his presence, but the excellency of the power may the more evidently appear to be of God, and not of man, 1 Corinthians 1:27; 1 Corinthians 1:28. This he does because of his enemies, because they are insolent and haughty, that he may still them, may put them to silence, and put them to shame, and so be justly avenged on the avengers; see Acts 4:14; Acts 6:10. The devil is the great enemy and avenger, and by the preaching of the gospel he was in a great measure stilled, his oracles were silenced, the advocates of his cause were confounded, and unclean spirits themselves were not suffered to speak.

      In singing this let us give God the glory of his great name, and of the great things he has done by the power of his gospel, in the chariot of which the exalted Redeemer rides forth conquering and to conquer, and ought to be attended, not only with our praises, but with our best wishes. Praise is perfected (that is, God is in the highest degree glorified) when strength is ordained out of the mouth of babes and sucklings.