John Calvin Commentary Psalms 8:3-4

"When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, The moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him?" — Psalms 8:3-4 (ASV)

As the Hebrew particle כי, ki, often has the same meaning as because or for, and simply affirms a thing, both the Greek and the Latin fathers have generally read the fourth verse as if it were a complete sentence by itself. But it is, doubtless, closely connected with the following verse; and, therefore, the two verses ought to be joined together.

The Hebrew word כי, ki, might be very properly translated into the disjunctive particle, although, making the meaning to be this: Although the infinite majesty of God shines forth in the heavenly bodies, and justly keeps the eyes of men fixed on the contemplation of it, yet his glory is beheld in a special manner, in the great favor which he has for men, and in the goodness which he manifests towards them.

This interpretation would not be at variance with the scope of the passage; but I prefer to follow the generally received opinion. My readers, however, must be careful to mark the design of the Psalmist, which is to enhance, by this comparison, the infinite goodness of God; for it is, indeed, a wonderful thing that the Creator of heaven, whose glory is so surpassingly great as to fill us with profound admiration, condescends so far as graciously to take upon himself the care of the human race.

That the Psalmist makes this contrast may be inferred from the Hebrew word, אנוש, enosh, which we have rendered man, and which expresses the frailty of man rather than any strength or power he possesses. We see that miserable men, in moving upon the earth, are mingled with the vilest creatures; and, therefore, God, with very good reason, might despise them and reckon them of no account if he were to consider only his own greatness or dignity.

The prophet, therefore, speaking interrogatively, abases their condition, intimating that God’s wonderful goodness is displayed the more brightly because so glorious a Creator, whose majesty shines resplendently in the heavens, graciously condescends to adorn a creature so miserable and vile as man is with the greatest glory, and to enrich him with numberless blessings.

If he wished to exercise his liberality towards any, he was under no necessity of choosing men, who are merely dust and clay, in order to prefer them above all other creatures, since he had a sufficient number in heaven towards whom to show himself liberal. Whoever, therefore, is not astonished and deeply affected at this miracle, is more than ungrateful and stupid.

When the Psalmist calls the heavens God’s heavens, and the works of his fingers, he refers to the same subject and intends to illustrate it. How is it that God comes forth from so noble and glorious a part of his works, and stoops down to us, poor worms of the earth, if it is not to magnify and to give a more illustrious manifestation of his goodness?

From this, also, we learn that those are guilty of a very presumptuous abuse of the goodness of God, who take it as an occasion to be proud of the excellence they possess, as if they had either obtained it by their own skill, or as if they possessed it on account of their own merit. Whereas their origin should rather remind them that it has been gratuitously conferred upon those who are otherwise vile and contemptible creatures, and utterly unworthy of receiving any good from God. Whatever estimable quality, therefore, we see in ourselves, let it stir us up to celebrate the free and undeserved goodness of God in bestowing it upon us.

The verb, at the close of the third verse, which others translate to prepare, or to found, or to establish, I have chosen to translate to arrange; for the Psalmist seems to refer to the very beautiful order by which God has so appropriately distinguished the position of the stars, and daily regulates their course.

When it is said, God is mindful of man, it signifies that he has a fatherly love for him, defends and cherishes him, and extends his providence towards him. Almost all interpreters translate פקד, pakad, the last word of this verse, to visit; and I am unwilling to differ from them, since this sense suits the passage very well.

But as it sometimes signifies to remember, and as we often find in the Psalms the repetition of the same thought in different words, it may here be very properly translated to remember; as if David had said, This is a marvelous thing, that God thinks of men, and remembers them continually.