Psalm 8 — O Lord our Lord, how wonderful is your name

^8:1^ Unto the end, a psalm of David for the presses. ^8:2^ O Lord our Lord, how wonderful is your name in the whole earth! For your magnificence is elevated above the heavens.

^8:3^ Out of the mouth of infants and of sucklings you have perfected praise, because of your enemies, that you may destroy the enemy and the avenger.

^8:4^ For I will behold your heavens, the works of your fingers: the moon and the stars which you have founded.

^8:5^ What is man that you are mindful of him? Or the son of man that you visit him?

^8:6^ You have made him a little less than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor: ^8:7^ and have set him over the works of your hands. ^8:8^ You have subjected all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the fields. ^8:9^ The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, that pass through the paths of the sea. ^8:10^ O Lord our Lord, how wonderful is your name in all the earth!

52. Above, he put a psalm in which David prayed because of his persecution;

here he puts a psalm of thanksgiving.

First, he puts forward a psalm for the favors bestowed upon the whole human race;

second, another for the favors he received in the destruction of his enemies and for the good things granted to him;

and a third, for the evil things that have been removed: I will give praise (Ps 9:2).

For here he expresses the feelings of a man who considers the favors of God bestowed upon the whole human race and gives thanks.

I will explain here only the last word of the title—unto the end, a psalm of David for the presses—since the rest of it has been explained above.

Here, what was said in Deuteronomy should be considered: you shall celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days, when you have gathered in your fruit of the barn floor and of the wine press (Deut 16:13). For it should be known that David celebrated the feasts with special devotion, and he would do something special to praise God.

Now the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles was a command. And it took place during the grape harvest, in commemoration of the divine favors that occurred when he led the sons of Israel out of Egypt in tents, and led them into the promised land where there are fruits. And so it was appropriate that they have beautiful fruits at the time of pressing; and so it says, for the presses. This is the meaning according to the literal sense. But in a spiritual sense, the wine press is the Church. (See Augustine, Expositions on the Psalms 8.1 (Corpus Christianorum Series Latina, 38:49).) He planted choice vines, and built a tower in it (Isa 5:2). He planted a vineyard . . . and built a tower in it (Matt 21:33).

Therefore, he says, for the presses, that is, for the churches of the world; and the Church is called a wine press because just as in a wine press the wine is separated from the grape skins, so in the Church the good are separated from the bad by the work of the ministers, although they are not separated physically, but in disposition. The same principle also applies to the threshing floor, since the wheat is separated from the chaff.

Likewise, the spiritual sense is separated from the words set down literally. Likewise, the presses are martyrdoms, in which the separation of soul from the body takes place, while the bodies of those who were crushed by affliction and persecution for the sake of Christ’s name remain in the earth for a time, but their souls go forth to rest in the heavens.

This psalm is divided into two parts.

The psalmist first wonders at the divine excellence.

Second, he wonders at his mercy, at what is man?

Regarding the first, he makes two points.

First, he shows that the majesty of God is wonderful;

second, that it is clear, at out of the mouth of infants.

Regarding the first, he makes two points.

First, he describes him as wonderful.

Second, he shows the reason for saying this, at for I will behold your heavens.

Therefore, he calls him Lord of all. You are Lord of all (Esth 13:11). But he is particularly our Lord, of us who worship and are devoted to you.

Jerome has, our ruler. I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you, but the Lord shall rule over you (Judg 8:23).

How wonderful is your name: that is, of your divinity. Wonderful are the surges of the sea; wonderful is the Lord on high (Ps 92:4). Why do you ask my name which is wonderful? (Gen 32:29; Judg 13:18). Likewise, the name of Christ incarnate is wonderful. His name shall be called wonderful (Isa 9:6).

But surely it is not wonderful only in Judea, as the Jews say, or in Africa, as the Donatists say? (Cf. Peter Lombard, Magna glossatura (Patrologia Latina [Migne], 191:123).) No, but in the whole earth. From the rising of the sun even to the going down, my name is great among the gentiles (Mal 1:11).

The reason for wonder is given next: for your magnificence is elevated, since your greatness appears in the heavens. Wonder occurs when someone sees an effect without knowing the cause. (Aristotle, Metaphysics, 1.2, 982b; ST III, q. 15, a. 8, obj 1.)

Therefore, a cause can be wonderful in two ways, either because it is completely unknown, or because it produces an effect that does not manifest the cause perfectly.

The first does not apply to God, since he produces the effect. The invisible things of God . . . are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made (Rom 1:20).

I say he produces an effect, but one which does not perfectly manifest the cause, and so he remains wonderful. (Cf. ST I, q. 2, a. 2, ad 3.) And this is why he says, your magnificence, that is, your praise or your power, which is able to do great things, is elevated above the heavens, disproportionately exceeding the making of the heavens.

Here he excludes the error of those who say that God is the form of the heavens. For if that were true, he would be proportionate to the heavens. He also excludes the error of those who say that he acts out of a necessity of his nature; if this were true, he would not extend himself beyond the heavens, (Cf. ST I, q. 25, a. 5, resp.) but he can do more, to infinity. (Cf. ST I, q. 25, a. 2.)

Or the heavens is the Scriptures, since he is even more than is told in the Scriptures. Glorify the Lord as much as ever you can, for he will far exceed it and his magnificence is wonderful (Sir 43:32).

Or, your magnificence, that is, the Son of God made man, is elevated above the heavens, in the Ascension*. He who descended is the same also who ascended above all the heavens* (Eph 4:10).

53. Afterwards, when he says, out of the mouths, he shows that God’s magnificence is very clearly manifest.

And first, he shows the manifestation;

second, its reason: for I will behold your heavens.

He shows that it is manifest because what is manifest is imparted to all, however simple, as though by a kind of natural knowledge.

For there are two kinds of people who follow the natural and correct impulses: the simple and the wise. That the wise should know God is not a great thing, but that the simple do is.

But there are some who pervert natural impulses, and these reject the knowledge of God. They have not known, that is, they desired not to know, nor did they understand (Ps 81:5). Who have said to God, “Depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of your ways” (Job 21:14).

Now, God makes it so that, through them—that is, through the simple who follow natural impulses—those who pervert the natural impulses are confounded. By infants he indicates the simple. As newborn babes, desire the rational milk without guile (1 Pet 2:2). Therefore, he says, wonderful indeed is your name, so that out of the mouth of infants and of sucklings you have perfected praise, you who move men interiorly to this, and you have done this because of your enemies, who oppose themselves to the knowledge and understanding of you, enemies of the Cross of Christ (Phil 3:18). That you may destroy the enemy and the avenger, whoever is a persecutor.

Or Pharaoh, who wishes to wreak vengeance against the one confessing your name: destroying counsels and every height that exalts itself against the knowledge of God (2 Cor 10:4–5).

Or the tyrant, who fights with arms against your holy name: that by doing well you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men (1 Pet 2:15).

Christ did this, for Christ answered in Matthew 21, referring to the children of the Hebrews, that praise would be perfected from their words, who praised by the movement of the Holy Spirit, although they seemed to act childishly. This takes place when the simple recognize God, and others pervert the tendency of their natural understanding so that they do not know God. The same was so in the case of the Apostles, who were illiterate and ignorant men (Acts 4:13), simple as doves . . . as sheep in the midst of wolves (Matt 10:16), and destroyed all the enemies of Christ. The foolish things of the world has God chosen, that he may confound the wise; and the weak things of the world . . . that he may confound the strong (1 Cor 1:27).

54. Next, he adds the reason for this manifestation, saying, for I will behold your heavens.

Cicero says in his book On the Nature of the Gods, and it was said also by Aristotle (although it is not in the books of his which we have with us), that if some man were to enter a palace which he would see was well laid out, no one would be so crazy to deny that it had been made by someone, even if he did not see how it was made. (Cicero, On the Nature of the Gods 2.2.) We come into the world and we do not see how it was made; but from the fact that it is well-ordered we should perceive that it was made by someone. And the order of the heavenly bodies especially shows this. (Cf. ST I, q. 2, a. 3, resp.)

Indeed, there were some people in error who attribute the causes of things to the necessity of matter; so they say that all things were made because of warmth and coldness, dryness and moistness, the elements which came together thus. Now, even if this appears to be the case in regard to some things, it is in no way possible of the heavenly bodies, since they cannot be attributed to the necessity of matter, which is so distant from them, and they complete their course in such a length of time. One can deduce from this only an intelligent cause. And so, when Scripture wants to show the power of God, it brings us back to the consideration of the heavens. Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created this (Isa 40:26). That is to say, for I will behold your heavens, the works of your fingers.

Now, he says, the works of your fingers, for three reasons:

since what we make with our fingers we make with attention and precision. And the things to be considered about the heavenly bodies can lead back only to an intelligent cause, and so he says, the works of your fingers. Psalm 135:5 says: who made the heavens in understanding.

Or it connects to elevated. When someone elevates something heavy, he supports it on his shoulders, but when he elevates something light, he supports it on his fingers, and so he says, the works of your fingers, as if making the heavens was light work for him. Who has poised with three fingers the bulk of the earth, and weighted the heavens with his palm? (Isa 40:12).

Or he says it because those things which we make with our fingers are intricate works. So he says, the works of your fingers to show that these are more intricate than other works.

Now, he names the moon, but not the sun, because of the gentiles who believed that it was a high god, and so he particularly mentions the moon and the stars in which no reason for error was shown. The glory of the stars is the beauty of heaven; the Lord enlightens the world on high (Sir 43:10).

Mystically, the apostles or the Scripture are the works of your fingers. The three fingers are the three persons, as if to say, “The works of the whole Trinity or of the Holy Spirit.” The moon is the Church; the stars are the doctors. And God founded them.

55. What is man. Above, the psalmist marveled at the excellence of the divine majesty, and now he remembers two favors bestowed by God upon the human race.

With the second of these, he ends the psalm in praise: O Lord our Lord, how wonderful is your name.

Regarding the first, he makes three points.

First, he shows the mercy of God to men, by comparison with those beings which are above men.

Second, by comparison with the first man, at you have crowned him with glory and honor.

Third, by comparison with those things which are under man: you have set him over the works of your hands.

Above man there are two natures: the divine and the angelic.

First, therefore, he describes the favors by comparison to God;

second, by comparison to the angels, at you have made him a little less.

The first is explained in regard to what is fitting in relation to natural favors.

Second, in relation to those of grace.

And according to the first way, and concerning it, he makes two points.

First, he describes the special care of man by God;

second, the special familiarity: or the son of man. For it is wonderful that someone who is great should be joined with a particular familiarity to someone little.

And so the psalmist first mentions man’s littleness, from his condition: what is man, such a small thing? Man born of a woman (Job 14:1), and man who is rottenness, and the son of man who is a worm (Job 25:6).

Second, he mentions his littleness in regard to his origin, for it is vile. Who can make him clean who is conceived of unclean seed? (Job 14:4) and have you not milked me as milk and curdled me like cheese? (Job 10:10).

And so he says, or the son of man? But to this one so little, so vile, he says that he does two things: namely, that he is mindful of him and that he visits him.

The first pertains to care;

the second, to particular familiarity.

And the manner of speaking is this: it is as if some artificer were to make great things, and, among them, one small thing, a needle. When he made the needle, he showed that he had knowledge of it. But if in disposing of his works he should have care for the needle, it would be very amazing, and so he says, what is man that you should be mindful of him among the great creatures? Say not, “I shall be hidden from God . . . for what is my soul in such an immense creation?” (Sir 16:16, 17). God has not forgotten you because of your littleness.

But what great work is this? For God has care for all. For there is no other but you, who has care of all (Wis 12:13). It should be said that he has special care for man because he rewards his deeds in judgment. And do you think it meet to open your eyes upon such an one? (Job 14:3).

Further, he has not only care for man, but familiarity with him: that you visit him. Only rational nature is capable of God, by knowing and loving. (Cf. ST I, q. 93, a. 9, resp.) Therefore, God visits us insofar as he is made present to us through love or knowledge. Your visitation has preserved my spirit (Job 10:12). Therefore, God’s mercy is great in the comparison of man to God.

56. What follows is said about man in comparison to the angels, to whom man is found to be close: you have made him a little less than the angels. The image of God is found in the angels through the simple intuition of the truth without inquiry, while in man it is through discursive inquiry, and so it is in man only to a small extent. (Cf. ST I, q. 93, a. 3.) So it is that men are called angels: they shall seek the law at his mouth, because he is the angel of the Lord of hosts (Mal 2:7). And man is corruptible, but only a little, since in the end man will know without discursive reasoning in the fatherland, and this will be because of his incorruptible body. For this corruptible must put on incorruption (1 Cor 15:53).

Next, he shows the mercy of God to man through comparison to man himself, when he says, you have crowned him with glory and honor. To be crowned befits kings. God has made man in a sense the king of all below and this is glory (that is, the splendor of the divine image), and this is a particular crown belonging to man. Man . . . is the image and glory of God (1 Cor 11:7). The light of your countenance, O Lord, is signed upon us (Ps 4:7).

Now, he is honored who is not subjected to another. For man is subject to no natural corporeal creature in regard to his soul, neither in coming into existence nor in his progress. Not in his coming into existence, since he is not produced by any creature, and acts freely. Nor does he perish with the body, and in this the honor of man consists. (Cf. ST I, q. 93, a. 6.) And so it is said, nor esteemed the honor of holy souls; for God created man incorruptible, and to the image of his own likeness he made him (Wis 2:22–23). Man when he was in honor did not understand (Ps 48:13).

Next, when he says, you have set him over the works of your hands, he presents God’s mercy to man through comparison with those things which are beneath man, because he willed man to have dominion over these lower things.

And he makes three points about this.

First, he presents the dominion;

second, the ability to dominate;

third, the number of those subjected.

The second, at you have subjected all things under his feet.

The third, at all sheep and oxen.

Therefore, he says that since man is king, you have given him dominion over the works of your hands. Let him have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and the beasts, and the whole earth, and every creeping creature that moves upon the earth (Gen 1:26). He has this dominion through his rationality, because he surpasses all animals in this, and so, after glory and honor, he immediately adds, you have set him over, that is, you have given him dominion. (Cf. ST I, q. 96, a. 1.)

But notice that he says that man has authority over the works of his hands, not of his fingers, since they are not as intricate as the heavens (which are the works of God’s fingers). Man cannot subject them to himself.

And so, second, he lays out the ability to dominate. At you have subjected all things, he says man is preeminent and subjects them to his will. This is signified in Genesis 2 where God leads all of the animals to Adam. And this subjection was complete before sin, but some now resist as a punishment for sin.

Third, when he says sheep and oxen, he enumerates the subjects, and he mentions the animals so that plants are also included.

Now among the animals some whole genera are subject, namely, animals tame and domesticated by nature (like sheep and oxen); and he uses the feminine form of all here since herds are made up largely of female cows and ewes. There are other animals whose whole genera are not subject, and some of these are those which walk; and in regard to these he says, and also the beasts of the fields, that is to say boars, and deer, and animals of this kind; some flying creatures, like birds; and some swimming creatures, like fish.

Now these can also be referred to the favors of grace, and then all the mysteries of Christ are enumerated in these.

First, the Incarnation: what is man?

He touches on two things, the cause of the Incarnation and the Incarnation itself, and says, what is man that you are mindful of him?

Now God seemed to forget man when he cast him out of Paradise. This is recalled when he is brought back to him: remember us, O Lord (Ps 105:4). And so the Incarnation follows, since he visits us; and so he says, or the son of man that you visit him?

Although he visited the whole human race, nevertheless he particularly visited that man assumed in the unity of hypostasis. For nowhere does he take hold of the angels, but of the seed of Abraham he takes hold (Heb 2:16).

Second is the mystery of the Passion. You have made him a little less in the Passion. He was made a little lower than the angels (Heb 2:9). In the Hebrew it has, and you have made him a little less than God, since he was joined to God in the unity of person, but made less by the passibility he assumed.

Third is the favor of the Resurrection in the honor made known to the apostles, which is reckoned through the Passion. In the name of Jesus every knee should bow (Phil 2:10). That all might honor the Son, as they honor the Father (John 5:23).

The fourth mystery is the Ascension: you have set him over the works of your hands. Setting him on his right hand in the heavenly places above every principality, and power, and virtue, and dominion (Eph 1:21).

The fifth mystery is his coming to judge: you have subjected all things under his feet, that is, you have made him judge over all. Now we do not yet see all things subject to him . . . then you will have subjected all things under his feet (Heb 2:8), that is, his humanity, since the head of Christ is God (1 Cor 11:3) and his feet are his humanity. He has given him power to do judgment (John 5:27).

And some of those judged are good people, and certain of these, who are subject, are signified by sheep. These who are the sheep, what have they done? (2 Sam 24:17).

Certain of the good are prelates, and these are signified by the oxen. Where there is much corn, there the strength of the ox is manifest (Prov 14:4).

Some of those judged are evil, and there are three types. All that is in the world, is the concupiscence of the eyes, and the concupiscence of the flesh, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16).

And first, he describes the impure, and these are sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the fields, since they take delight in bestial things. The beasts have rotted in their dung, the barns are destroyed (Joel 1:17). He says this since they walk in the wide way (Matt 7:13).

Second among the evil are the proud: the birds of the air. The birds of the air came and ate them up (Matt 13:4). Birds shall devour them with a bitter bite (Deut 32:24).

Third, the greedy, who pass through the paths of the sea, literally, or of the earth figuratively. The wicked walk round about (Ps 11:9). I have gone round about the earth, and walked through it (Job 1:7).

God is wonderful in the eminence of his majesty, and this is shown through his mercy. And so he concludes his wonderment with O Lord our Lord, how wonderful is your name in all the earth!

Finally, it should be known that this psalm is circular, since it has the same verse at its beginning and at its end.

Some psalms are partially circular, because they do not repeat the entire verse, but part of it, such as, bless the Lord, O my soul (Ps 102:1), which ends, in every place of his dominion (Ps 102:22).