Psalm 8:6 kjv
Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
Psalm 8:6 nkjv
You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,
Psalm 8:6 niv
You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet:
Psalm 8:6 esv
You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet,
Psalm 8:6 nlt
You gave them charge of everything you made,
putting all things under their authority ?
Psalm 8 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 1:26 | Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky..." | Original mandate for human dominion over creation. |
| Gen 1:28 | God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds..." | Command to subdue and rule the earth. |
| Ps 8:4-6 | What is man that You think of him, And the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put everything under his feet, | The direct context, showing humanity's honor and authority bestowed by God. |
| Ps 115:16 | The heavens are the heavens of the LORD, But the earth He has given to the sons of men. | Reinforces God's granting the earth to humanity. |
| Ps 144:3 | LORD, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You think of him? | Echoes Ps 8:4, questioning human worthiness for divine favor. |
| Isa 40:12 | Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand...? | Emphasizes God as the ultimate Creator, putting His works under humanity's care. |
| Hab 2:8 | Because you have plundered many nations, All of the remnant of the peoples will plunder you... | Contextual example of "putting under feet" as subjugation/dominion. |
| Matt 28:18 | And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." | Christ, the ideal Man, receives full dominion. |
| Heb 2:6-8 | But one has testified somewhere, saying, "What is man, that You remember him, Or the son of man, that You care for him? You have made him a little lower than angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, And have appointed him over the works of Your hands; You have put all things in subjection under his feet." For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing unsubjected to him. But now we do not yet see all things subjected to him. | Direct quotation and commentary, applies dominion primarily to Christ, secondarily to redeemed humanity. |
| 1 Cor 15:27 | For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. For when He says, "All things are in subjection," it is clear that He is referring to the One who subjected all things to Him. | Paul's usage regarding Christ's ultimate victory and subjugation of all things. |
| Eph 1:22 | And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, | Christ's supremacy over all creation and as Head of the Church. |
| Php 3:21 | who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. | Christ's power to subject all things, including the physical body. |
| Col 1:16-17 | For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. | Christ as Creator and Sustainer, establishing His foundational authority. |
| Rom 8:19-22 | For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God... in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. | Humanity's future co-rule with Christ in restoring creation. |
| Rev 5:10 | You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth. | Redeemed humanity's reign with Christ over the restored earth. |
| Rev 20:2-3 | And he laid hold of the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and he threw him into the abyss... | Christ's absolute dominion even over evil spiritual forces. |
| Zech 9:10 | And He will speak peace to the nations; And His dominion will be from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth. | Prophetic verse indicating a Messianic dominion over the whole earth. |
| Matt 11:27 | All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father... | All authority of God is vested in the Son. |
| John 13:3 | Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands... | Reinforces Christ's authority directly from the Father. |
| Acts 2:36 | Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified. | Peter proclaiming Christ's Lordship and Christ-ship. |
Psalm 8 verses
Psalm 8 6 Meaning
Psalm 8:6 declares God's unparalleled delegation of authority to humanity over His created world. It reveals that the Lord has sovereignly bestowed upon human beings a kingly and priestly role, giving them governing power and responsibility over all that He has made with His own hands, symbolically placing the entirety of the natural order under humanity's command and control. This verse highlights humanity's exalted position, appointed by God as vice-regents on Earth, mirroring His own rule.
Psalm 8 6 Context
Psalm 8 is a hymn of praise and wonder, contrasting the vast majesty of the Creator with the seemingly insignificant status of humanity, yet culminating in an affirmation of humanity's elevated position. Verses 1-2 establish God's magnificent name throughout the earth. Verses 3-4 then introduce a profound question arising from contemplating the immense heavens: "What is man that You think of him, And the son of man that You care for him?" This rhetorical question highlights the apparent disparity between human frailty and divine grandeur. Verse 5 answers, acknowledging that God has made humanity "a little lower than God" (Elohim) or "angels" (interpreted both ways) and "crowned him with glory and majesty." Psalm 8:6 directly follows this exaltation, elaborating on the "crowning" by detailing the dominion and authority given to this esteemed creation. Historically, this psalm reflects early Israel's understanding of their unique role as God's covenant people, tasked with stewardship over His world, echoing the Creation narrative in Gen 1. It subtly distinguishes the Lord God's authority from the limited powers attributed to surrounding pagan deities, who were often confined to specific natural phenomena.
Psalm 8 6 Word analysis
- Thou madest him: This emphasizes God as the sole initiator and grantor of this authority. It points to an active, intentional, and deliberate divine act of placement and designation. "Him" (him) refers to 'ādām (אָדָם), often translated as "man" but encompassing all of humanity collectively, indicating that this dominion is for humankind in general, represented by the first man.
- to have dominion: The Hebrew word is מָשַׁל (mashal), meaning "to rule, to govern, to reign over." It implies kingly authority, management, and control. It's not a license for exploitation or destructive tyranny, but rather a responsible, caring, and wise oversight, akin to a shepherd tending his flock or a righteous king managing his kingdom for its welfare, reflecting God's own rule.
- over the works of thy hands: The phrase מַעֲשֵׂי יָדֶיךָ (ma'aseh yadeykha) refers to all of God's created world, the tangible universe that God actively brought into existence. This includes all living creatures and the natural environment. The implication is that humanity's authority is over all created things, except the Creator Himself.
- thou hast put: A reiteration of the divine initiative. God is the one who "places" or "sets" this authority. The verb 'āshath (שִׁית), "to set, place," highlights a deliberate act of God's sovereign will, reaffirming His gift of authority to humanity.
- all things: A comprehensive term, without exception, highlighting the completeness and totality of the granted authority. This suggests that humanity's dominion is not partial but extends to every aspect of the created order within its designated sphere.
- under his feet: This is a powerful and common ancient Near Eastern idiom symbolizing absolute subjugation, conquest, and complete authority or control. For instance, victorious kings would literally place their foot on the necks of vanquished foes to show complete dominance. Here, it metaphorically depicts humanity's complete supremacy over creation, placed there by divine decree.
Psalm 8 6 Bonus section
The seemingly paradoxical elevation of "man" in Psalm 8:6, considering his weakness and frailty contrasted with God's majesty, is best understood through the lens of God's active bestowing. It is not an inherent quality of man that earns this dominion, but a divine gift of grace. This challenges any worldview that diminishes humanity's value or attributes divine status to other creatures, affirming that humanity uniquely bears the Imago Dei (image of God), which includes the capacity for dominion. The "little lower than God" (Hebrew: 'Elohim, which can also be translated "angels") signifies humanity's distinct place, higher than all other created beings but still beneath God and spiritual beings, while being uniquely crowned with a kingly splendor. This regal aspect foreshadows Christ's eventual kingship as the perfect Human, bringing into focus the profound theological truth that Christ embodies the full dominion humanity was created to exercise.
Psalm 8 6 Commentary
Psalm 8:6 stands as a monumental statement of humanity's designated purpose and dignity. Following the psalmist's awe at the infinite cosmos (Ps 8:3) and the startling question of why such a majestic God would even consider humanity (Ps 8:4), this verse provides the stunning answer: not only does God care, but He elevates humanity to an extraordinary status. He has entrusted us with a viceroyal position, not as mere inhabitants, but as stewards and co-regents over His magnificent creation. This is the fulfillment of the Gen 1:26-28 creation mandate, establishing humanity as the apex of the visible creation, responsible for its governance and care.
However, the full realization of this dominion, tragically compromised by the Fall (Gen 3), is fully and perfectly accomplished only in Jesus Christ. As highlighted by Heb 2:6-8, while humanity was given this dominion, we do "not yet see all things subjected to him." It is in Christ, the ideal Man, who perfectly fulfilled the divine intention for humanity, that this universal authority finds its ultimate expression. He has "all things under his feet" (Eph 1:22; 1 Cor 15:27), signifying His complete and supreme Lordship over all creation, sin, and death. Thus, Psalm 8:6 is both a testament to humanity's original, intended glory and a prophecy ultimately fulfilled in the dominion of the ascended Christ, through whom redeemed humanity will also participate in a restored dominion (Rev 5:10). It calls humanity to remember their noble calling for responsible stewardship, echoing God's own gracious and orderly rule over His cosmos.