Psalms 8:3

3 When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have put in their places;

Psalms 8:3 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 8:3

When I consider thy heavens
Where God dwells, and which he has made; the airy and starry heavens, which are to be seen with the bodily eye; and the heaven of heavens, which is to be beheld and considered by faith:

the work of thy fingers;
being curiously wrought by his power, and garnished by his Spirit: for the finger of God is the Spirit of God; see ( Matthew 12:28 ) ; compared with ( Luke 11:20 ) ;

the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained,
or "prepared" F8, for various uses to the earth, and the inhabitants of it. The sun is not mentioned, because it cannot be looked upon, as the moon and the stars may, nor be seen when they are. And it is generally thought that David composed this psalm in the night, When these celestial bodies were in view; and, it may be, while he was keeping his father's sheep, since, in the enumeration of the creatures subject to man, sheep are mentioned first, as being in view, ( Psalms 8:7 ) . The heavenly bodies are very glorious creatures, and are worthy of the consideration and contemplation of man, and even of a saint; whereby he may be led to observe the wisdom, power, goodness, and greatness of God.


FOOTNOTES:

F8 (tnnwk) "praeparasti", Pagninus, Montanus; "parasti", Musculus, Piscator, Gejerus, Michaelis.

Psalms 8:3 In-Context

1 O Lord, our Lord, whose glory is higher than the heavens, how noble is your name in all the earth!
2 You have made clear your strength even out of the mouths of babies at the breast, because of those who are against you; so that you may put to shame the cruel and violent man.
3 When I see your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have put in their places;
4 What is man, that you keep him in mind? the son of man, that you take him into account?
5 For you have made him only a little lower than the gods, crowning him with glory and honour.
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