1
The Psalms and their use throughout the OT are essential to the Old Testament and New
Testament’s way of “expression, lyrical diffusion, and divine discourse”1 In the richness of the
Psalms, the reader can be blessed in the expansion of the “forms, genres, themes and styles that
one can see from one psalm to the next one”2 In this paper, the writer will see how Psalm 8 is
interconnected with other psalms and other Scripture passages in the Word of God. Also, Psalm
8 gives the reader an image of a God worthy of all creation’s worship and in verses 4-6, the
reader can dive into God’s love and dedication to His children.
Psalm 8:4-6 (NKJV) 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, And You have crowned
him with glory and honor. 6 You have made him dominion over the works of Your hands; You
have put all things under his feet. This psalm speaks of God’s majesty, and it portrays Him as the
creator of all creation including man. These verses are relevant to the book of Genesis and its
first chapters. God’s glory, majesty, and dedication to His children is seen in Genesis 1:26-28
(NKJV) God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have
dominion over the fish…birds… cattle… ver. 28… have dominion over… every living thing that
moves on the earth.” Dr. Samuel Pagan calls this psalm a beautiful hymn or song of worship
towards God the Creator, who delegated to human beings the responsibility to care for
everything God had created.3 Dr. Schnittjer suggests that Genesis 1 works as the “donor context”
1 Gary Edward Schnittjer, Old Testament Use of the Old Testament: A Book-by-Book Guide. (Grand
Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2021), p. 473.
2 Ibib, 474.
3 Samuel Pagan, De lo Profundo, Señor, A ti Clamo. (Miami, FL: Patmos, 2007), p. 143.
2
In its capacity as the donor passage, the Psalmist’s exegesis goes from the order God created and
confirms human frailty4
One key revelation from this passage is not just the knowledge that humans are to
dominate the animal world but that it is God who made humans a little lower than the heavenly
beings and crowned them, made them rulers, and put everything under humanity’s feet.5 This has
a great impact on time as it has been proven through generations that since God’s Creation, God
has had a plan for His children and there is no hidden agenda. Just as Psalm 8 interacts with
Genesis, God’s Word remains the same today. Psalm 8 as the receptor passage does not have a
6“hidden eschatological sense [but] has an open sense for this age
The receptor passage uses God’s description of Creation in Genesis 1 to point to man not
only to his special place in creation but also to remind man that all honor and glory are due only
to God. Psalm 8:4-5 (NKJV) 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 receptor passage
brings the reader’s attention to what is God’s intention for humanity to be.7 It connects the
Creation experience with the promises that still hold to this day. God created and called on His
children to complete the work which He has called on man to complete. “Our vocation is to work
for the completing of God’s creation project…”8 that is to bring Him all the honor and glory. The
Psalm is a hymn that begins and closes with the phrase “O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is
your name in all the earth!”
4 Gary Edward Schnittjer, Old Testament Use of the Old Testament: A Book-by-Book Guide. (Grand
Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2021), p. 483.
5 Craig Broyles, Psalms. (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1999), p. 66.
6
7 John Goldingay, Psalms: Volume 1 (Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms);
Psalms 1-41. (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2006), p. 161.
8 Ibid.
3
Overall, the central theme of Psalm 8 is to point back to the very beginning of creation
but also points forward to the Messiah. “O Lord, our Sovereign….” In the book of Hebrews, one
can see a clear connection between Psalm 8 and Jesus Christ who was made lower than angels
for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor… (Hebrews 2:9 NIV). Psalm 8 gives the
reader an image of a God worthy of all creation’s worship and in verses 4-6, the reader can dive
into God’s love and dedication to His children.
This psalm is a clear example of the importance of understanding how the OT must be
understood through the lens of the OT itself, but also how important it is to see how the OT has
so much relevance with the NT. All the effort and work that goes into doing scriptural
interpretation in the right manner must completed with “subtle signals of allusions as well as
reduced expectations for many outcomes.”9
Bibliography
Broyles, Craig C. Psalms. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1999. Accessed June 4, 2024. ProQuest
Ebook Central.
Goldingay, John. Psalms: Volume 1 (Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and
Psalms); Psalms 1-41. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2006. Accessed June 4, 2024.
ProQuest Ebook Central.
9 Gary Edward Schnittjer, Old Testament Use of the Old Testament: A Book-by-Book Guide. (Grand
Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2021), p. 474.
