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._ Sucklings - children until the third year, up to which the Hebrew women used to suckle their children (1 Samuel 1:22). Even tender children can, by their admiration of God's works, put to shame the folly of the 'enemies of God' and of Christ; as the children did the chief priests, who were "sore displeased" at their 'Hosannas to the Son of David' (Matthew 21:15). But this was only one exemplification of the general principle in this verse-namely, that it is by man's lowliest weakness that God in redemption overthrows man's great "enemy;" for "God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty" ...

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 distin

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...

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

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 o

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

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

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

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,...

VIII. A NATURE PSALM. Psalms 8:1 f. The majesty of God. In Matthew 2 defies the rudiments of Heb. grammar and all attempt at translation. Of many emendations the following is the most ingenious and does least violence to the text, Let me sing, I pray thee, of thy glory above the heavens, [though] with the mouth of babes and sucklings. Thou hast founded a stronghold because of thine enemies, to still the foe and the avenger. The reference may be to the chaotic power of darkness dispelled by the God of light, whom the Hebrews identified with Yahweh. Psalms 8:3 f. The insignificance of man. [Observe that son of man is equivalent to man. It has not the special significance it bears in the apocalyptic literature and the NT. Probably it bears the same significance in the quotation in Heb. as in the Ps. The