English Standard Version
Psalms 8:3
3When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
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,
- New King James Version (NKJV)When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
- New Living Translation (NLT)When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers— the moon and the stars you set in place—
Context of Psalms 8:3
1O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. 2Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? 5Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.
Read all of Psalms 8Psalms 8:3 word by word
כִּֽי־אֶרְאֶ֣ה שָׁ֭מֶיךָ מַעֲשֵׂ֣י אֶצְבְּעֹתֶ֑יךָ יָרֵ֥חַ וְ֝כוֹכָבִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר כּוֹנָֽנְתָּה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- When I considerרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- thy heavensשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- the workמַעֲשֶׂהma‛ăώeh · deed: workH4639
- of thy fingersאֶצְבַּע'etsba‛ · fingerH676
- the moonיָרֵחַyârêach · moonH3394
- and the starsכּוֹכָבkôkâb · starH3556
- which thou hast ordainedכּוּןkûn · to establish: makeH3559
Cross-references for Psalms 8:3
- Psalms 19:1The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
- Psalms 111:2Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them.
- Job 22:12"Is not God high in the heavens? See the highest stars, how lofty they are!
- Job 36:24"Remember to extol his work, of which men have sung.
- Romans 1:20For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
- Psalms 33:6By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
- Genesis 1:1In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
- Exodus 8:19Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
- Exodus 31:18And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.
- Luke 11:20But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
- Psalms 104:19He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting.
- Psalms 136:7to him who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever;
- Psalms 148:3Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars!
- Genesis 1:16And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars.
- Deuteronomy 4:19And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.
- Job 25:3Is there any number to his armies? Upon whom does his light not 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
In the dictionaries
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
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