ris3n's Apologetics Codex

Psalms 8.3-4

type: passage created: 2026-05-06 updated: 2026-05-06 book: Psalms chapter: 8 verses: "3-4" translation_default: ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT tags: [scripture] citation_count: 1 enriched: false

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Psalms 8.3-4

Book: Psalms · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"1. For the Chief Musician; set to the Gittith. A Psalm of David. O Jehovah, our Lord, How excellent is thy name in all the earth, Who hast set thy glory upon the heavens! 2. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou established strength, because of thine adversaries, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger."

"3. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, The moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4. What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him?"

"5. For thou hast made him but little lower than God, And crownest him with glory and honor. 6. Thou makest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet:" (Psalms 8:1-6, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"1. For the Chief Musician; on an instrument of Gath. A Psalm by David. Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth, who has set your glory above the heavens! 2. From the lips of babes and infants you have established strength, because of your adversaries, that you might 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 think of him? What is the son of man, that you care for him?"

"5. For you have made him a little lower than God, and crowned him with glory and honor. 6. You make him ruler over the works of your hands. You have put all things under his feet:" (Psalms 8:1-6, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"1. To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. 2. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. ordained: Heb. founded"

"3. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4. What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?"

"5. For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 6. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:" (Psalms 8:1-6, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"1. To the Overseer, 'On the Gittith.' A Psalm of David. Jehovah, our Lord, How honourable Thy name in all the earth! Who settest thine honour on the heavens. 2. From the mouths of infants and sucklings Thou hast founded strength, Because of Thine adversaries, To still an enemy and a self-avenger."

"3. For I see Thy heavens, a work of Thy fingers, Moon and stars that Thou didst establish. 4. What [is] man that Thou rememberest him? The son of man that Thou inspectest him?"

"5. And causest him to lack a little of Godhead, And with honour and majesty compassest him. 6. Thou dost cause him to rule Over the works of Thy hands, All Thou hast placed under his feet." (Psalms 8:1-6, YLT)

Setting

  • Speaker: various (David majority; Asaph, Korah, Moses, Solomon, anonymous)
  • Audience: worshipping Israel (corporate + individual devotion)
  • Location: Israel, various periods
  • Time period: composition spans c. 1400 BC (Moses, Ps 90), c. 400 BC; principal Davidic composition c. 1000 BC

Theological reading

Key words

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

  • ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
  • WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
  • KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
  • YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.