Psalm 8:1 kjv
O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
Psalm 8:1 nkjv
To the Chief Musician. On the instrument of Gath. A Psalm of David. O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
Psalm 8:1 niv
For the director of music. According to gittith. A psalm of David. LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens.
Psalm 8:1 esv
O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.
Psalm 8:1 nlt
O LORD, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!
Your glory is higher than the heavens.
Psalm 8 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 6:4 | "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!" | God's singular sovereignty and uniqueness. |
| Exo 3:14-15 | "I AM WHO I AM." ... "The LORD...is My name forever..." | God's self-existence and covenant name (YHWH). |
| Psa 24:1 | The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. | God's universal ownership and dominion. |
| Psa 57:5 | Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be over all the earth. | A parallel prayer echoing God's supreme glory. |
| Psa 113:4 | The LORD is high above all nations; His glory is above the heavens. | Directly reiterates God's transcendence. |
| Isa 6:1 | ...I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted... | Vision of God's majestic and exalted position. |
| Isa 9:6 | ...His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God... | Titles revealing God's glorious character. |
| Isa 45:22 | "...I am God, and there is no other." | God's absolute uniqueness across all creation. |
| Mal 1:11 | "My name will be great among the nations..." | Prophecy of God's future universal renown. |
| Hab 2:14 | For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD... | Universal spread of God's manifest glory. |
| Num 14:21 | "As surely as I live and as the glory of the LORD fills the whole earth—" | God's oath concerning the filling of earth with His glory. |
| 2 Chr 6:18 | "...even heaven and the highest heavens cannot contain You..." | Emphasizes God's infinite transcendence. |
| Matt 6:9 | "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name..." | Acknowledges God's transcendent holiness and power. |
| Phil 2:9-11 | God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name... | Jesus' name recognized as supremely glorious. |
| Heb 1:4 | ...He became as much superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is superior. | Christ's name superior, reflecting His glory. |
| 1 Tim 6:15-16 | ...the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords... | Declaration of God's ultimate supreme reign. |
| Rev 1:8 | "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." | God's eternal sovereignty and omnipotence. |
| Rev 15:3-4 | "Great and marvelous are Your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are Your ways, King of the nations. Who will not fear You, Lord, and glorify Your name?" | Heavenly worship acknowledging God's deeds and name. |
| Neh 9:5 | "...blessed be Your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise!" | Emphasizes the supreme excellence of God's name. |
| Gen 1:26-28 | "Let us make mankind in Our image...Let them rule..." | Foundation for human dignity in God's creation. |
| Heb 2:6-8 | "What is man... You crowned him with glory and honor and placed everything under his feet." | Cites Psa 8 and applies it to Christ and humanity. |
| 1 Cor 15:27 | "For He 'has put everything under his feet.'" | Paul quoting Psa 8 to emphasize Christ's dominion. |
Psalm 8 verses
Psalm 8 1 Meaning
Psalm 8:1 declares the supreme and unrivaled majesty of God throughout the entire creation. It exalts His character, power, and renown as utterly glorious, extending His authority and fame from the farthest reaches of the cosmos to every part of the earth. The verse functions as a magnificent opening declaration of praise, setting the stage for contemplation of God's works and His design for humanity.
Psalm 8 1 Context
Psalm 8 is a royal psalm attributed to King David, reflecting a profound sense of awe at God's majestic glory evident in creation. It contrasts the infinite greatness of God, revealed in the vastness of the heavens, with the seemingly humble position of humanity, yet marvels at God's decision to crown humanity with dignity and dominion. The psalm's placement within the Psalter often sees it as the opening psalm of Book 1 that begins to focus on God's kingdom and His anointed. It moves from God's transcendent glory in verse 1, to His use of the weak to silence adversaries in verse 2 (in Hebrew counting), then shifts to contemplation of the cosmos, leading to profound questions about humanity's purpose (vv. 3-4), before celebrating humanity's divinely appointed role and dominion (vv. 5-8), and concludes, like its opening, with a reaffirmation of God's excellent name (v. 9). The context is one of adoration and wonder at the Creator, fostering humility and praise in the worshipper.
Psalm 8 1 Word analysis
- O LORD: Represents the Hebrew name YHWH (יהוה), often called the Tetragrammaton, the personal, covenant name of God. It signifies His self-existent, eternal nature and His active presence and redemption within His people. This emphasizes the psalmist's personal relationship with the infinite God.
- our Lord: Transliterates from the Hebrew 'Adonai' (אֲדֹנָי), meaning Master or Sovereign. It highlights God's absolute authority, rulership, and ownership over all things, including the psalmist and His people. This term acknowledges God as the supreme Lord to whom all submission is due.
- how excellent: From the Hebrew 'addir' (אַדִּיר), which means majestic, magnificent, glorious, or mighty. It conveys an unsurpassed quality of grandeur, strength, and distinction, implying something unique and incomparable.
- is your name: The Hebrew 'shem' (שֵׁם) signifies more than a mere label; it refers to the very essence, character, reputation, authority, and revealed nature of an individual. When applied to God, "Your name" encapsulates His divine attributes, His power, His redemptive history, and His presence.
- in all the earth! This phrase emphasizes the universality of God's dominion and the global reach of His renown. It declares that God's excellent character and authority are not confined to a single nation or region but are recognized or ought to be recognized across the entire globe, evident through creation itself.
- You have set: Implies God's deliberate, sovereign act of establishing or placing His glory.
- your glory: From the Hebrew 'kavod' (כָּבוֹד), referring to the tangible manifestation of God's presence, honor, and majesty. It implies His weight, splendor, and the awe-inspiring visible presence of His nature.
- above the heavens: This points to God's transcendence and His dwelling beyond the created cosmos. It asserts that His glory is not merely displayed in the heavens, but actually surpasses and stands supremely above even the highest celestial realms, emphasizing His infinite, uncreated being.
- O LORD, our Lord: This immediate repetition and coupling of YHWH ('LORD', personal, covenant name) with 'Adonai' ('our Lord', title of sovereignty and mastery) is profoundly significant. It declares that the intimate, covenant-making God of Israel is simultaneously the universal, supreme Sovereign of all creation. It bridges His unique relationship with His people and His overarching authority over everyone and everything.
- how excellent is your name: This exclamatory declaration expresses overwhelming awe. It suggests that God's entire being and reputation are so magnificent that words cannot fully capture it. His very identity, revealed in His actions and character, evokes supreme praise.
- is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens: These two clauses portray both God's immanence and transcendence. His "name" (character/authority) is pervasive "in all the earth," intimately connected with His creation. Yet, His "glory" (manifest splendor) is super-eminently placed "above the heavens," signifying His absolute sovereignty, independent existence, and unapproachable majesty beyond creation. This establishes God as both universally active within His creation and infinitely superior to it.
Psalm 8 1 Bonus section
The structure of Psalm 8, opening and closing with the same declaration ("O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!"), forms an inclusio or a literary embrace. This structural element emphasizes and frames the central theme of God's majesty and humanity's divinely appointed place within that grand design. The shift from "O LORD" (YHWH) to "our Lord" (Adonai) signifies the intimate covenant-keeping God of Israel as the very same universal sovereign. This psalm is cited three times in the New Testament (Matt 21:16, 1 Cor 15:27, Heb 2:6-8), illustrating its messianic and eschatological significance. While Psalm 8 primarily refers to God's creative order, Hebrews 2 explicitly applies it to Christ, highlighting His ultimate authority and fulfillment of humanity's dominion. The excellence of God's "name" being "in all the earth" can also be understood as a missional statement, pointing to the desire that God's fame be known and proclaimed by all peoples.
Psalm 8 1 Commentary
Psalm 8:1 is a breathtaking anthem of adoration for God's incomparable greatness. It commences the psalm with an overflowing recognition that God's very being – His revealed character, power, and reputation (His "name") – is universally magnificent, permeating "all the earth." Simultaneously, the psalmist acknowledges God's transcendent splendor, declaring that His "glory" is supremely exalted "above the heavens," far surpassing even the most vast and glorious aspects of the created universe. The interplay of God as both the personal "LORD" (YHWH) and the supreme "our Lord" (Adonai) grounds this universal majesty in a covenant relationship, inviting the worshiper to gaze in wonder at the God who is both intimately known and infinitely exalted. This verse sets a foundational truth: all glory, praise, and recognition belong solely to the sovereign Creator. It serves as a reminder for believers to magnify God’s greatness in all aspects of life. For instance, when marveling at the vastness of the cosmos, one recognizes the excellent name of God in it, and similarly, in witnessing acts of divine grace and power, His name is exalted on Earth.