On Psalm 8

H/T: Mode of Life

From the Greek Archdiocesan "Discovering Orthodox Christianity" series, Abp. Demetrios speaks on Psalm 8. You can see that the seminary professor in him is still alive and well. In my own seminary not a class went by that we were not entreated to read and study the Psalms; it was a panacea for spiritual illness, theological instruction, and times of difficulty. That petition was it however and we were left to find our own books to study with. I'm quite fond of these titles, but welcome any other recommendations.

• "Commentary on the Psalms of David," (1950), Apostolos Makrakis
• "Praying the Psalms in the Byzantine Church," (2011), Jack Custer
• “The Psalterion According to the Seventy,” (2010), Holy Apostles Convent
• "Treatise on the Inscriptions of the Psalms," St. Gregory of Nyssa

I've added the translations below the video for reference. The Greek is not there just to be pedantic, but because Abp. Demetrios is quite liberal in his use of Greek whenever he teaches or when he delivers homilies.

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Septuagint (English and Greek)

1 [For the end, concerning the wine-presses, a Psalm of David.] O Lord, our Lord, how wonderful is thy name in all the earth! for thy magnificence is exalted above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou perfected praise, because of thine enemies; that thou mightest put down the enemy and avenger.
3 For I will regard the heavens, the work of thy fingers; the moon and stars, which thou hast established.
4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?
5 Thou madest him a little less than angels, thou hast crowned him with glory and honour;
6 and thou hast set him over the works of thy hands: thou hast put all things under his feet:
7 sheep and all oxen, yea and the cattle of the field;
8 the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea, the [creatures] passing through the paths of the sea.
9 O Lord our Lord, how wonderful is thy name in all the earth!

1 Εἰς τὸ τέλος, ὑπὲρ τῶν ληνῶν· ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυΐδ. -
2 ΚΥΡΙΕ ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν, ὡς θαυμαστὸν τὸ ὄνομά σου ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ· ὅτι ἐπήρθη ἡ μεγαλοπρέπειά σου ὑπεράνω τῶν οὐρανῶν.
3 ἐκ στόματος νηπίων καὶ θηλαζόντων κατηρτίσω αἶνον ἕνεκα τῶν ἐχθρῶν σου τοῦ καταλῦσαι ἐχθρὸν καὶ ἐκδικητήν.
4 ὅτι ὄψομαι τοὺς οὐρανούς, ἔργα τῶν δακτύλων σου, σελήνην καὶ ἀστέρας, ἃ σὺ ἐθεμελίωσας·
5 τί ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος, ὅτι μιμνῄσκῃ αὐτοῦ; ἢ υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου, ὅτι ἐπισκέπτῃ αὐτόν;
6 ἠλάττωσας αὐτὸν βραχύ τι παρ᾿ ἀγγέλους, δόξῃ καὶ τιμῇ ἐστεφάνωσας αὐτόν,
7 καὶ κατέστησας αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν σου· πάντα ὑπέταξας ὑποκάτω τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ,
8 πρόβατα, καὶ βόας ἁπάσας, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὰ κτήνη τοῦ πεδίου,
9 τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἰχθύας τῆς θαλάσσης, τὰ διαπορευόμενα τρίβους θαλασσῶν.
10 Κύριε ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν, ὡς θαυμαστὸν τὸ ὄνομά σου ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ!


NKJV (Masoretic with LXX influence)

1 O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens!

2 Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,

4 What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?

5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, (the Hebrew reads "God")
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,

7 All sheep and oxen—
Even the beasts of the field,

8 The birds of the air,
And the fish of the sea
That pass through the paths of the seas.

9 O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!