New English Translation
Psalms 8:4
4Of what importance is the human race, that you should notice them? Of what importance is mankind, that you should pay attention to them,
Psalms 8:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
- New International Version (NIV)what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?
- English Standard Version (ESV)what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?
- New King James Version (NKJV)What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?
Context of Psalms 8:4
2From the mouths of children and nursing babies you have ordained praise on account of your adversaries, so that you might put an end to the vindictive enemy. 3When I look up at the heavens, which your fingers made, and see the moon and the stars, which you set in place, Of what importance is the human race, that you should notice them? Of what importance is mankind, that you should pay attention to them, 5and make them a little less than the heavenly beings? You grant mankind honor and majesty; 6you appoint them to rule over your creation; you have placed everything under their authority,
Read all of Psalms 8Psalms 8:4 word by word
מָֽה־אֱנ֥וֹשׁ כִּֽי־תִזְכְּרֶ֑נּוּ וּבֶן־אָ֝דָ֗ם כִּ֣י תִפְקְדֶֽנּוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 8:4
- Psalms 144:3O Lord, of what importance is the human race, that you should notice them? Of what importance is mankind, that you should be concerned about them?
- 2 Chronicles 6:18“God does not really live with humankind on the earth! Look, if the sky and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this temple I have built!
- Job 7:17“What is mankind that you make so much of them, and that you pay attention to them?
- Job 25:6how much less a mortal man, who is but a maggot – a son of man, who is only a worm!”
- Isaiah 40:17All the nations are insignificant before him; they are regarded as absolutely nothing.
- Hebrews 2:6Instead someone testified somewhere: “What is man that you think of him or the son of man that you care for him?
- Psalms 4:2You men, how long will you try to turn my honor into shame? How long will you love what is worthless and search for what is deceptive? (Selah)
- Psalms 80:17May you give support to the one you have chosen, to the one whom you raised up for yourself!
- Psalms 146:3Do not trust in princes, or in human beings, who cannot deliver!
- Isaiah 51:12“I, I am the one who consoles you. Why are you afraid of mortal men, of mere human beings who are as short-lived as grass?
- Ezekiel 8:15He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will see even greater abominations than these!”
- Matthew 8:20Jesus said to him, “Foxes have dens, and the birds in the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
- Psalms 106:4Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people! Pay attention to me, when you deliver,
- Genesis 21:1The Lord visited Sarah just as he had said he would and did for Sarah what he had promised.
- Exodus 4:31and the people believed. When they heard that the Lord had attended to the Israelites and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed down close to the ground.
- Luke 1:68“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, because he has come to help and has redeemed his people.
Commentaries on Psalms 8:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4What is man - אנוש מה mah enosh, what is wretched, miserable man; man in his fallen state, full of infirmity, ignorance, and sin? That thou art mindful of him? - That thou settest thy heart upon him, keepest him continually in thy merciful view. And the son of man - אדם ובן uben Adam, and the son of Adam, the first great rebel; the fallen child of a fallen parent. See the note on Job 7:17. Some think eminent men are here intended. What is man in common…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4What is man - What claim has one so weak, and frail, and short-lived, to be remembered by time? What is there in man that entitles him to so much notice? Why has God conferred on him so signal honor? Why has he placed him over the works of his hands? Why has he made so many arrangements for his comfort? Why has he done so much to save him? He is so insignificant his life is so much like a vapor, he so soon disappears, he is so sinful and polluted, that…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. 4son of man (literally son of Adam): This means "a human being." Through the influence of Daniel 7:13–14, son of man became a title with divine meaning in the New Testament. See Hebrews 2:6–8, where this passage is quoted.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 8:4
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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