“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.” (Psalm 8:2)

God reveals His glory through the mouths of little ones, such as children, and through Jesus Christ, who humbled Himself, He brings to fulfillment the glory and honor He intended to bestow upon humanity. Psalm 8 celebrates the grace of God, who remembers and cares for human beings, insignificant as they seem before the vast universe. The New Testament shows how these words find their complete fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

The Praise of Children

When Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a young donkey, the crowds cried out, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” These words carried the meaning, “O King promised to David, save us!”

Even after Jesus entered the temple, the children continued crying out, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” When the chief priests and scribes heard them, they became indignant. Jesus then said:

“Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?” (Matthew 21:16)

Jesus directly quoted Psalm 8:2. This shows that God’s work of revealing His power and glory through the mouths of the lowly and little ones was being fulfilled in Jesus.

John the Baptist also said to the Pharisees and Sadducees:

“And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.” (Matthew 3:9)

God is able to raise up children of Abraham even from stones. Therefore, it is no strange thing that such a God should cause children to praise Jesus, who came as the Son of David. Rather, through this, God’s power was revealed even more clearly.

How Excellent Is Your Name in All the Earth

David begins the psalm with these words:

“O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.” (Psalm 8:1)

David praises God as he beholds His glory revealed throughout the earth and the heavens. The things God has created reveal the power and divine nature of the Creator.

Scripture also says:

“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead.” (Romans 1:20)

Yet God’s glory is not revealed only through creation. Through Jesus Christ, God has revealed His love and salvation even more clearly. Therefore, David’s praise, “How excellent is thy name in all the earth!” leads us to contemplate God’s glory and salvation revealed throughout the world through Jesus Christ.

What Is Man, That You Are Mindful of Him?

As David gazes upon the night sky, he asks an astonishing question:

“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?” (Psalm 8:3–4)

Before the vast heavens, the moon, and the stars, human beings seem infinitely small. Yet the God who created all these things remembers and cares for such insignificant creatures.

God first created the heavens, the earth, the seas, and every living creature, and afterward created humanity. Just as an expectant mother prepares everything her child will need before giving birth, God prepared everything necessary for human life before creating human beings.

Therefore, David marvels:

“What is man, that thou art mindful of him?”

But God’s care for humanity did not end there. Even though human beings sinned and departed from God, He did not abandon them. Instead, He sent His only begotten Son into the world to save sinners.

The God who created the heavens, the moon, and the stars not only remembered human beings, who are like dust, but also sent His Son to save humanity after it had fallen into sin. Through this Son, God’s love for humanity was revealed most clearly.

The One Under Whose Feet All Things Have Been Placed

David then praises the glory and honor God bestowed upon humanity:

“For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.” (Psalm 8:5–8)

These words refer first to the position and calling God gave to humanity at creation. God created man and woman in His own image, blessed them, and said:

“Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:28)

God bestowed glory and honor upon humanity and entrusted human beings with dominion over the world He had created. But humanity sinned. Sin entered the world, and death entered with it. As a result, human beings could no longer fully enjoy the glory and honor God had given them.

Yet Jesus, being in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant and becoming like human beings. He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even death on the cross. Therefore, God highly exalted Jesus, gave Him a name above every name, and crowned Him with glory and honor.

The book of Hebrews applies the words of Psalm 8 to Jesus:

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour.” (Hebrews 2:9)

And Ephesians 1:22 says:

“And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church.” (Ephesians 1:22)

Sharing in Glory with Christ

But that glory does not end with Jesus alone. Jesus saves His people and makes them participants in His glory. Therefore, Scripture says:

“And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” (Romans 8:17)

Those who belong to Jesus become joint-heirs with Him and, by grace, share in the glory He has accomplished.

Once Again, in Praise

Thus Psalm 8 ends with the very praise with which it began.

When we consider the God who remembers human beings, infinitely small before the vast universe; the God who did not abandon sinful humanity but sent His only begotten Son; the God who crowned Jesus, who suffered death, with glory and honor and placed all things under His feet; and the God who allows even us to share in that glory in Christ, we cannot help but join David in praise.

The praise that rang out through the lips of children in the temple at Jerusalem now continues on the lips of those of us who have been saved through Christ.

“O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:9)