Psalms 8:1

_O LORD OUR LORD, HOW EXCELLENT IS THY NAME IN ALL THE EARTH! WHO HAST SET THY GLORY ABOVE THE HEAVENS._ Title. - UPON GITTITH. The Gittith was an instrument, or possibly a tune, invented in Gath, whence David brought it after his sojourn there with Achish (1 Samuel 27:2); or else it is derived from _ GAT_ (H1660), a wine-press, being used on occasions of joy, like the vintage. All the three psalms, Psalms 8:1; Psalms 81:1; Psalms 84:1, which have this title, are of the joyful kind. There may be an enigmatical reference to Messiah treading the wine-press ...

Whether גתית, _Gittith, _signifies a musical instrument or some particular tune, or the beginning of some famous and well-known song, I do not take upon me to determine. Those who think that the psalm is so called because it was composed in the city of Gath, give a strained and far-fetched explanation of the matter. Of the other three opinions, of which I have spoken, it is not of much importance which is adopted. The principal thing to be attended to is what the psalm itself contains, and what is the design of it. David, it is true, sets before his eyes the wonderful power and glory of God in the creation and government of the material universe; but he only slightly glances at this subject, as it were, in passing, and insists principally on the theme of God’s infinite goodness towards us. There is presented to us in the whole order of nature, the most abundant matter for showing forth t...

1,2 The psalmist seeks to give unto God the glory due to his name. How bright this glory shines even in this lower world! He is ours, for he made us, protects us, and takes special care of us. The birth, life, preaching, miracles, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus are known through the world. No name is so universal, no power and influence so generally felt, as those of the Saviour of mankind. But how much brighter it shines in the upper world! 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; yet he is exalted far above even their blessing and praise. Sometimes the grace of God appears wonderfully in young children. Sometimes the power of God brings to pass great things in his church, by very weak and unlikely instruments, that the excellency of the power might the more evidentl...

PSALM VIII _The glory and excellence of God manifested by his works_, 1, 2; _particularly in the starry heavens_, 3; _in man_, 4; _in his formation_, 5; _and in the dominion which God has given him over the earth, the_ _air, the sea, and their inhabitants_, 6-8: _in consequence of which God's name is celebrated over all the_ _earth_, 9. NOTES ON PSALM VIII The inscription to this Psalm is the following: _To the chief_ _Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David_. This has been metaphrased,

O LORD - Hebrew, יהוה _Yahweh_. It is an address to God by his chosen and special title, Exodus 3:14. Compare the notes at Isaiah 1:2. OUR LORD - The word used here - אדני _'âdônay_ - means properly master, lord, ruler, owner, and is such a title as is given to an owner of land or of slaves, to kings, or to rulers, and is applied to God as being the ruler or governor of the universe. The meaning here is, that the psalmist acknowledged Yahweh to be the rightful ruler, king, or master of himself and of all others. He comes before him with the feeling that Yahweh is the universal ruler - the king and proprietor of all things. How excellent

EXPOSITION Psalm VIII. is altogether a psalm of praise and thanksgiving. Its primary idea is the condescending love and goodness of God towards man. That God, who had made the heavens, and sot his glory on them, should have a regard for man, and "visit him,"_ _and not only so, but give him so lofty a position, so exalted a destiny, is a thought that is well-nigh overwhelming. The psalmist, filled with the thought, can do no less than pour out his feelings of love and gratitude in song. The Davidical authorship is generally allowed. What "upon Gittith' means is very uncertain, but the most probable conjecture is that a melody, or musical style, which David had learnt at Gath, is intended. PSALMS 8:1 O LORD OUR LORD. In the original, _Jehovah Adoneynu_;_ i.e._ "Jehovah, who art our sovereign Lord and

O LORD OUR GOD,.... Jehovah, the one God, who is Lord of all angels and men, and in an especial manner Lord and King of saints; HOW EXCELLENT [IS] THY NAME IN ALL THE EARTH! by the "name" of God is not meant any particular name of his, by which he is called; but either himself, his nature and perfections; or rather that by which he is made known, and particularly his Gospel; see John 17:6; this is excellent in its nature, it being good news, and glad tidings of good things, which display the love, grace, mercy, and kindness of God to men, as well as his wisdom, power, truth, and faithfulness; and in the subject matter of it, Christ and his righteousness, and life and salvation by him, the spiritual blessings of grace it publishes, and the exceeding great and precious promises it contains; and in its usefulness for the enlightening, quickening, and converting sinners, and for the

8 _:_ 1. _O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens._ They are very high, but thy glory is higher than the heavens. Psalms 8:2. _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. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?_ He, whose voice rolls the stars along, who makes those bright worlds to fly like sparks from the anvil of his omnipotence, how can he stoop so low as to regard his fallen creature, man, who is so small, so insignificant? Psalms 8

"GITTITH", means "winepress," and so, of the harvest, in the sense of judgment (Isaiah 63:3); (Revelation 19:15); (Psalms 7:1); to which the title of Psalm 8 properly belongs, is a Psalm of judgment....

Psalms 8 THE SON OF MAN: ALL THINGS PUT UNDER HIS FEET _ 1. A little lower than the angels; crowned with glory (Psalms 8:1)_ 2. All things put under Him (Psalms 8:6) 3. How excellent is Thy Name over all the earth (Psalms 8:9) Psalms 8:1. In this Psalm we behold Christ again, and here as Son of Man. Three times this Psalm is quoted in the New Testament; in Matthew 21:16,...