2 Out of the mouth H6310 of babes H5768 and sucklings H3243 hast thou ordained H3245 strength H5797 because of thine enemies, H6887 that thou mightest still H7673 the enemy H341 and the avenger. H5358
Then the angel H4397 of the LORD H3068 went forth, H3318 and smote H5221 in the camp H4264 of the Assyrians H804 a hundred H3967 and fourscore H8084 and five H2568 thousand: H505 and when they arose early H7925 in the morning, H1242 behold, they were all dead H4191 corpses. H6297 So Sennacherib H5576 king H4428 of Assyria H804 departed, H5265 and went H3212 and returned, H7725 and dwelt H3427 at Nineveh. H5210 And it came to pass, as he was worshipping H7812 in the house H1004 of Nisroch H5268 his god, H430 that Adrammelech H152 and Sharezer H8272 his sons H1121 smote H5221 him with the sword; H2719 and they escaped H4422 into the land H776 of Armenia: H780 and Esarhaddon H634 his son H1121 reigned H4427 in his stead.
And G2532 he said G2046 unto me, G3427 My G3450 grace G5485 is sufficient G714 for thee: G4671 for G1063 my G3450 strength G1411 is made perfect G5048 in G1722 weakness. G769 Most gladly G2236 therefore G3767 will I G2744 rather G3123 glory G2744 in G1722 my G3450 infirmities, G769 that G2443 the power G1411 of Christ G5547 may rest G1981 upon G1909 me. G1691 Therefore G1352 I take pleasure G2106 in G1722 infirmities, G769 in G1722 reproaches, G5196 in G1722 necessities, G318 in G1722 persecutions, G1375 in G1722 distresses G4730 for G5228 Christ's G5547 sake: G5228 for G1063 when G3752 I am weak, G770 then G5119 am G1510 I strong. G1415
Now therefore, O LORD H3068 our God, H430 save H3467 us from his hand, H3027 that all the kingdoms H4467 of the earth H776 may know H3045 that thou art the LORD, H3068 even thou only. Then Isaiah H3470 the son H1121 of Amoz H531 sent H7971 unto Hezekiah, H2396 saying, H559 Thus saith H559 the LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel, H3478 Whereas thou hast prayed H6419 to me against Sennacherib H5576 king H4428 of Assyria: H804 This is the word H1697 which the LORD H3068 hath spoken H1696 concerning him; The virgin, H1330 the daughter H1323 of Zion, H6726 hath despised H959 thee, and laughed thee to scorn; H3932 the daughter H1323 of Jerusalem H3389 hath shaken H5128 her head H7218 at thee. H310 Whom hast thou reproached H2778 and blasphemed? H1442 and against whom hast thou exalted H7311 thy voice, H6963 and lifted up H5375 thine eyes H5869 on high? H4791 even against the Holy One H6918 of Israel. H3478 By H3027 thy servants H5650 hast thou reproached H2778 the Lord, H136 and hast said, H559 By the multitude H7230 of my chariots H7393 am I come up H5927 to the height H4791 of the mountains, H2022 to the sides H3411 of Lebanon; H3844 and I will cut down H3772 the tall H6967 cedars H730 thereof, and the choice H4005 fir trees H1265 thereof: and I will enter H935 into the height H4791 of his border, H7093 and the forest H3293 of his Carmel. H3760 I have digged, H6979 and drunk H8354 water; H4325 and with the sole H3709 of my feet H6471 have I dried up H2717 all the rivers H2975 of the besieged places. H4693 Hast thou not heard H8085 long ago, H7350 how I have done H6213 it; and of ancient H6924 times, H3117 that I have formed H3335 it? now have I brought H935 it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste H7582 defenced H1219 cities H5892 into ruinous H5327 heaps. H1530 Therefore their inhabitants H3427 were of small H7116 power, H3027 they were dismayed H2865 and confounded: H954 they were as the grass H6212 of the field, H7704 and as the green H3419 herb, H1877 as the grass H2682 on the housetops, H1406 and as corn blasted H7709 before H6440 it be grown up. H7054 But I know H3045 thy abode, H3427 and thy going out, H3318 and thy coming in, H935 and thy rage H7264 against me. Because thy rage H7264 against me, and thy tumult, H7600 is come up H5927 into mine ears, H241 therefore will I put H7760 my hook H2397 in thy nose, H639 and my bridle H4964 in thy lips, H8193 and I will turn thee back H7725 by the way H1870 by which thou camest. H935
Blessed H835 is the man H120 whose strength H5797 is in thee; in whose heart H3824 are the ways H4546 of them. Who passing H5674 through the valley H6010 of Baca H1056 H1057 make H7896 it a well; H4599 the rain H4175 also filleth H5844 the pools. H1293 They go H3212 from strength H2428 to strength, H2428 every one of them in Zion H6726 appeareth H7200 before God. H430
And she said H559 unto the men, H582 I know H3045 that the LORD H3068 hath given H5414 you the land, H776 and that your terror H367 is fallen H5307 upon us, and that all the inhabitants H3427 of the land H776 faint H4127 because H6440 of you. For we have heard H8085 how the LORD H3068 dried up H3001 the water H4325 of the Red H5488 sea H3220 for you, H6440 when ye came out H3318 of Egypt; H4714 and what ye did H6213 unto the two H8147 kings H4428 of the Amorites, H567 that were on the other side H5676 Jordan, H3383 Sihon H5511 and Og, H5747 whom ye utterly destroyed. H2763 And as soon as we had heard H8085 these things, our hearts H3824 did melt, H4549 neither did there remain H6965 any more courage H7307 in any man, H376 because H6440 of you: for the LORD H3068 your God, H430 he is God H430 in heaven H8064 above, H4605 and in earth H776 beneath.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 8
Commentary on Psalms 8 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 8
Ps 8:1-9. Upon [or according to the] Gittith, probably means that the musical performance was directed to be according to a tune of that name; which, derived from Gath, a "wine-press," denotes a tune (used in connection with gathering the vintage) of a joyous character. All the Psalms to which this term is prefixed [Ps 8:1; 81:1; 84:1] are of such a character. The Psalmist gives vent to his admiration of God's manifested perfections, by celebrating His condescending and beneficent providence to man as evinced by the position of the race, as originally created and assigned a dominion over the works of His hands.
1. thy name—perfections (Ps 5:11; 7:17).
who hast set—literally, "which set Thou Thy glory," &c., or "which glory of Thine set Thou," &c., that is, make it more conspicuous as if earth were too small a theater for its display. A similar exposition suits the usual rendering.
2. So manifest are God's perfections, that by very weak instruments He conclusively sets forth His praise. Infants are not only wonderful illustrations of God's power and skill, in their physical constitution, instincts, and early developed intelligence, but also in their spontaneous admiration of God's works, by which they put to shame—
still—or, silence men who rail and cavil against God. A special illustration of the passage is afforded in Mt 21:16, when our Saviour stilled the cavillers by quoting these words; for the glories with which God invested His incarnate Son, even in His humiliation, constitute a most wonderful display of the perfections of His wisdom, love, and power. In view of the scope of Ps 8:4-8 (see below), this quotation by our Saviour may be regarded as an exposition of the prophetical character of the words.
sucklings—among the Hebrews were probably of an age to speak (compare 1Sa 1:22-24; Mr 7:27).
ordained—founded, or prepared, and perfected, which occurs in Mt 21:16; taken from the Septuagint, has the same meaning.
strength—In the quotation in the New Testament, praise occurs as the consequence or effect put for the cause (compare Ps 118:14).
avenger—as in Ps 44:16; one desirous of revenge, disposed to be quarrelsome, and so apt to cavil against God's government.
3, 4. The allusion to the magnificence of the visible heavens is introduced for the purpose of illustrating God's condescension, who, though the mighty Creator of these glorious worlds of light, makes man the object of regard and recipient of favor.
4. man—literally, "frail man," an allusion to his essential infirmity.
son of man—only varies the form of speech.
visitest—in favor (Ps 65:10). This favor is now more fully illustrated.
5-8. God has placed man next in dignity to angels, and but a little lower, and has crowned him with the empire of the world.
glory and honour—are the attributes of royal dignity (Ps 21:5; 45:3). The position assigned man is that described (Ge 1:26-28) as belonging to Adam, in his original condition, the terms employed in detailing the subjects of man's dominion corresponding with those there used. In a modified sense, in his present fallen state, man is still invested with some remains of this original dominion. It is very evident, however, by the apostle's inspired expositions (Heb 2:6-8; 1Co 15:27, 28) that the language here employed finds its fulfilment only in the final exaltation of Christ's human nature. There is no limit to the "all things" mentioned, God only excepted, who "puts all things under." Man, in the person and glorious destiny of Jesus of Nazareth, the second Adam, the head and representative of the race, will not only be restored to his original position, but exalted far beyond it. "The last enemy, death," through fear of which, man, in his present estate, is "all his lifetime in bondage" [Heb 2:15], "shall be destroyed" [1Co 15:26]. Then all things will have been put under his feet, "principalities and powers being made subject to him" [1Pe 3:22]. This view, so far from being alien from the scope of the passage, is more consistent than any other; for man as a race cannot well be conceived to have a higher honor put upon him than to be thus exalted in the person and destiny of Jesus of Nazareth. And at the same time, by no other of His glorious manifestations has God more illustriously declared those attributes which distinguish His name than in the scheme of redemption, of which this economy forms such an important and essential feature. In the generic import of the language, as describing man's present relation to the works of God's hands, it may be regarded as typical, thus allowing not only the usual application, but also this higher sense which the inspired writers of the New Testament have assigned it.
9. Appropriately, the writer closes this brief but pregnant and sublime song of praise with the terms of admiration with which it was opened.