Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible · Psalms Capitolo 8

Psalms 8:0.

God's glory is magnified by his works, and by his love to man.

To the chief musician upon Gittith. A Psalm of David.

Title. Gittith.— lamnatseach al haggittith הגתית על למנצח The word גתית gittith, signifies wine-presses; Ληνων, the LXX. As to what is meant by these wine-presses, says Houbigant, we are utterly ignorant. Some interpreters, however, think that a musical instrument brought from Gath is implied; for the Chaldee renders it, "On the harp which David brought from Gath." And, agreeably hereto, this triumphal Psalm is thought to have been composed by David upon his victory over Goliath. See Dr. Hammond's first note upon it. It relates, however, more eminently to our Blessed Saviour's victorious resurrection from the grave, and his triumphal ascension into heaven, whereby our human nature was exalted above all the creatures in the world. In this view of it, Fenwick supposes that Gittith refers to Christ suffering, and to his consequent trampling his enemies in the wine-press of God's wrath. Comp. Isaiah 1:3.

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Psalms 8:2. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, &c.— The first and most natural signification of these words is an allusion to the case of David himself; who, in comparison of Goliath, was but a mere child; and God's enabling him to gain a complete victory over this gigantic champion, was not only a proper punishment for his defiance of the armies of the living God, but likewise sufficient to make the whole army of the Philistines adore the omnipotence of the God of Israel in reverential silence. Our Saviour applies it to himself, Matthew 21:16., and it may with great propriety be applied to the first preachers of the Gospel; who, though ignorant, illiterate, and void either of power or interest, triumphed over the wisdom of the wise, and put to silence the cavils of the subtle: though some imagine that this quotation was applied by Christ to children, literally such; yet it is plain, that the Scribes and Pharisees were not offended so much at the people, as at their expressions: When they cried Hosanna to the Son of David, they were displeased, and said unto Jesus, Hearest thou what these say? i.e. "How they ascribe the power of salvation to thee, who art but a mere man? Is that acclamation, Hosanna, which signifies save now, and is often used in our addresses to God, fit to be given to thee?" Our Saviour replies, "Yes: for have ye not read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast ordained strength? and though, in this low and abject state, I appear as a man, and seem, in my present condition, to be as incapable of such power as a sucking child is of the greatest enterprise; yet am I to save my faithful disciples, and to subdue the enemies of my mission, according to the sense of that prophetic passage." Though the Evangelist cites these verses according to the Septuagint version, Thou hast perfected praise; yet it is most probable that our Saviour used the Hebrew phrase, which renders the sense clearer; and, though the persons crying Hosanna are called children in our version, yet it is most likely that they were grown persons; for they were the persons or multitude who conducted Jesus to Jerusalem. The Greek word which we render children, is generally applied to menial servants of all ages; and in Mat 14:2 it is applied to Herod's courtiers, or servants. See Mede's Discourses, and 2 Kings 2:23.

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Psalms 8:4. What is man—and the son of man?— Bishop Patrick, in his preface to the Paraphrase on the Psalms, has made a remark which we here subjoin, as it gives light to this, and several other passages of Scripture: "The son of man, and the sons of men, (says he,) are phrases which often occur, and which in Scripture-language seem to belong to princes, and sometimes the greatest of princes; see Psa 80:17 where it signifies Hezekiah; Psa 146:2 where it signifies any prince, however great in dignity, or eminent in power: so Psa 58:1 the counsellors of Saul are called the sons of men. The original of this language, I conceive, is to be drawn from the common manner of speech among the Hebrews, who called the chief of any kind by the whole kind. So they call man creature, Mar 16:15 because he is the prime creature here below: so a king, or eminent person, they call the son of man, because he is the prime, or chief among the sons of men: hence we may learn what to understand by that title which the Blessed Saviour so often gives himself; The Son of Man, or rather, That Son of Man: i.e. the Messiah, the Lord's Anointed; that great prince, whom God promised to send into the world."

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Psalms 8:5. Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels— Him, that is, the Son of Man, spoken of in the preceding verse. This, as well as the following verse, is applied by the apostle to the Hebrews to our Saviour, chap. Psa 2:7 where we shall enlarge upon it: see also 1 Corinthians 15:27. Instead of a little lower, &c. some would render the Hebrew word, מעט meat, for a little time lower than the angels: for, say they, as it is Jesus Christ who is here treated of, and as the words relate to the time of his abasement, we cannot say that he was made but a little lower than the angels, since he then appeared under the form of a servant, and was a worm rather than a man; but he was so only for a little time. See Philippians 2:6-8.

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