Excellent is Your Name O Lord – Psalm 8

“To the Chief Musician. On the instrument of Gath. A Psalm of David.”

Some think that this psalm was composed by David to be played on a musical instrument that was invented in Gath a city of the Philistines. Thus, the introduction: “On the instrument of Gath.” The Hebrew word “gittith” in the text of the introduction is either the first word of some song; or rather of the musical instrument to which this psalm was set and sung.” [1]

Psalm 8:4 is quoted in Hebrews 2:6 as referring to Jesus Messiah. So, this is a psalm like many others that is about Christ our Redeemer. [2]


“O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your Name in all the earth. You have set Your glory above the heavens!” Psalm 8:1

In a sense, the Name of the Lord is the Gospel. The Name “Jesus” means “The Lord saves.” The Gospel excels the law in glory. The Gospel is excellent "in all the earth.” Jesus Christ sent His apostles and continues to send the servants of His Word into all the world. This clause shows that what David wrote was prophetic. For not in his time, nor in any period under the Old Testament, was the Name of the Lord more gloriously and excellently spread to all the earth as it was in the Book of Acts and still until this day.

God set His glory above the heavens. Hebrews 7:26 says in reference to Jesus Messiah, “For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become HIGHER THAN THE HEAVENS.” Thus, Psalm 8:2 is a reference to God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Messiah, the brightness of God’s glory, became flesh and dwelt among us. In Him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. Angels, principalities, and powers are subject to our Lord Jesus Christ.

The majesty of the Name of Jesus is greater than the majesty of all other names. He who created the heavens is worthy of more glory than the heavens that He created.

“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.” Psalm 8:2

In Matthew 21:15-16, our Lord Jesus Christ applied this passage to the children in the temple, crying Hosanna to the Son of David, out of whose mouths God perfected the praise of the Messiah. The Pharisees had asked Him to silence the children from singing His praise.

Spiritual babes and infants had enough sense to praise Jesus and praise Him loudly. The religious leaders of Jerusalem lacked the spiritual discernment to do so. His disciples and followers knew what they were doing. God put it in their hearts to praise Him.

In John 17:6, Jesus said to the Father, “I have revealed You to those whom You gave Me out of the world. They were Yours; You gave them to Me and they have obeyed Your Word.”

Our Lord Jesus Christ ORDAINED STRENGTH out of the mouth of babes. The strength is the Gospel, the power of God unto salvation. The babes are the apostles and first ministers of the Gospel. They were preaching a new message to the world. This new message was greatly opposed by some who heard it, but they could not stop Christ’s “baby” messengers from being strong and effective for Him. By God’s power, they subdued enemies of God and brought them to the obedience of Christ.

“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon, and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the Son of Man that You visit Him? For You have made Him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned Him with glory and honor. You have made Him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under His feet, all sheep and oxen—even the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas.” Psalm 8:3-7

The sun is not mentioned, because it cannot be looked upon, as the moon and the stars may, nor be seen when they are. It is thought that David composed this psalm in the night when the moon and stars were visible. It may have been while he was keeping his father’s sheep, since sheep are mentioned first.

“What is man, that You are mindful of him?” This is to be understood of the man (the human nature of) Christ Jesus, as it is interpreted in Hebrews 2:6-9. Isaiah 53:2-3 says of Jesus’ earthly form, “He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.”

“What is the Son of Man, that You visit Him?” The name “Son of Man" is a reference to Messiah in Psalms 80:17, Daniel 7:13 and used by Him of Himself in the New Testament. Jesus, though He appeared outwardly as any other man, He had God’s Spirit in Him without measure.

“You have made Him a little lower than the angels.” This passage is to be understood of the human nature of Christ. He was made but a little lower than the angels in regards to being given a body of flesh that was subject to pain and death. This clause refers to the humiliation of Christ in His human nature, as it is interpreted in Hebrews 2:9.

Philippians 2:5-9 says of Christ, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the Name which is above every name.”

Hebrews 5:7 says that in the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death and was heard because of His godly fear.

“You have crowned Him with glory and honor.” God did this by raising Jesus from the dead, and setting Him at His own right hand, committing all judgment to Him; and requiring all creatures, angels and men, to give worship and adoration to Him. After He had run the race, and endured a fight of afflictions, He is said to be “crowned” glory and honor.

“You made Him to have dominion over the works of Your hands.” In Matthew 28:18, Jesus told us, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” He is now at the right hand of God. He is the King of kings, and Lord of lords. All things in heaven and earth are made to serve His cause and glory, and for the good of His people. Jesus Christ has a greater dominion than was given to Adam in Genesis 1:25.

“You hast put all things under His feet.” All things are subject to Him. All creatures in the earth, air, and sea, are subject to Him. Sheep and oxen are tamed creatures that are useful for food and clothing production. At times, His wild beasts devour His enemies, but He restrains them from harming His people to which Daniel 6:22 testifies.

“The fowl of the air” are His! The Lord rained quail from heaven about the tents of the Israelites in Psalms 78:27. He commanded ravens to feed Elijah in 1 Kings 17:4-6.

“The fish of the sea” are His. Jesus commanded the fish to serve His apostles in Matthew 17:27, Luke 5:5-6 and in John 21:6. One fish jumped on Peter’s hook. Others jumped into their nets.

“O Lord our Lord, how excellent is Your Name in all the earth!” Psalms 8:9

The psalm ends with the same words with which it begins. David was resolved to think of the Lord’s Name with the highest of regards.

O that all of us, God’s people, would regard the Name of the Lord Jesus with the highest regard! To praise Him! To speak of Him with love and adoration! Be ready to turn off any movie or music that misuses His Name. According to Exodus 20:7 and Deuteronomy 5:11, the third commandment of God’s Ten Commandments is, “You shall not take the Name of the Lord Your God in vain. For the Lord will not hold Him guiltless that takes His Name in vain.”

Psalm 34:3-4 says, “Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His Name together. I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” Thus, let us highly regard the Name of Jesus Christ. He is Lord over heaven and earth!


[1] Matthew Henry Commentary
[2] Ibid

Many of the explanations of the verses in this article, came to me as I read the Matthew Henry Commentary. I really appreciate the revelations that Christ provided me through this work.