Psalms 8:3

Psalms 8:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
• New International Version (NIV)When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
• English Standard Version (ESV)When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
• New King James Version (NKJV)When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,

Context of Psalms 8:3

1O Jehovah, our Lord, How excellent is thy name in all the earth, Who hast set thy glory upon the heavens! 2Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou established strength, Because of thine adversaries, 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; 4What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5For thou hast made him but little lower than God, And crownest him with glory and honor.

Psalms 8:3 word by word

כִּֽי־אֶרְאֶ֣ה שָׁ֭מֶיךָ מַעֲשֵׂ֣י אֶצְבְּעֹתֶ֑יךָ יָרֵ֥חַ וְ֝כוֹכָבִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר כּוֹנָֽנְתָּה׃Read the interlinear

Cross-references for Psalms 8:3

• Psalms 19:1The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament showeth his handiwork.
• Psalms 111:2The works of Jehovah are great, Sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.
• Job 22:12Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the height of the stars, how high they are!
• Job 36:24Remember that thou magnify his work, Whereof men have sung.
• Romans 1:20For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse:
• Psalms 33:6By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made, And all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
• Genesis 1:1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
• Exodus 8:19Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as Jehovah had spoken.
• Exodus 31:18And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, the two tables of the testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
• Luke 11:20But if I by the finger of God cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come upon you.
• Psalms 104:19He appointed the moon for seasons: The sun knoweth his going down.
• Psalms 136:7To him that made great lights; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
• Psalms 148:3Praise ye him, sun and moon: Praise him, all ye stars of light.
• Genesis 1:16And God made the two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he madethe stars also.
• Deuteronomy 4:19and lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun and the moon and the stars, even all the host of heaven, thou be drawn away and worship them, and serve them, which Jehovah thy God hath allotted unto all the peoples under the whole heaven.
• Job 25:3Is there any number of his armies? And upon whom doth not his light arise?

Commentaries on Psalms 8:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3When I Consider thy heavens - אראה כי ki ereh ; Because I will see. He had often seen the heavens with astonishment, and he purposes to make them frequent subjects of contemplation; and he could not behold them without being affected with the skill, contrivance, and power, manifested in their formation. The work of thy fingers - What a view does this give of the majesty of God! The earth is nearly eight thousand English miles in diameter: but to form an…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3When I consider thy heavens - When I contemplate or look upon. They are called his heavens because he made them - because he is the proprietor of them - perhaps because they are his abode. The work of thy fingers - Which thy fingers have made. The fingers are the instruments by which we construct a piece of work - perhaps indicating skill rather than strength; and hence so used in respect to God, as it is by his skill that the heavens have been made. The…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 3-9Verses 3-9 We are to consider the heavens, that man thus may be directed to set his affections on things above. What is man, so mean a creature, that he should be thus honoured! so sinful a creature, that he should be thus favoured! Man has sovereign dominion over the inferior creatures, under God, and is appointed their lord. This refers to Christ. In He 2:6-8, the apostle, to prove the sovereign dominion of Christ, shows he is that Man, that Son of man…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3Many nations near Israel worshiped the sun, moon, and stars as gods. They thought these objects controlled life and events. The psalmist reminds us that, while the sun, moon, and stars are great and beautiful, they are only created by God. Because these things are his creation, they point to God’s power and majesty. They give a reason to praise the Almighty, who alone is worthy of worship.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-43-4. The allusion to the magnificence of the visible heavens is introduced for the purpose of illustrating God's condescension, who, though the mighty Creator of these glorious worlds of light, makes man the object of regard and recipient of favor.Read the comment

Topics related to Psalms 8:3

• Astronomy
• God
• Heaven
• Humility
• Man
• Moon
• Power
• Religion
• Stars

In the dictionaries

• Astronomy
• Crown
• Gittith
• Moon
• Music, Instrumental
• Suckling
• Adoration
• Consider
• Finger (1)
• God, Image of

Commentaries on Psalms 8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• The Treasury of David
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings