Psalm 8: The glory of the Lord in creation
Psalm 8 is an uplifting psalm reflecting on the glory of the Lord’s creation, and the role of humanity in the broader scheme of things. In verse 4, the speaker even asks the Lord,
“What is man, that thou art mindful of him?”
The Lord created us in such a way that we are balanced between the natural and the spiritual world, distinct from all other forms of life, since we can consider God and heaven (see Swedenborg’s work, Doctrine of Life 69 [2]).
The psalm begins grandly: “O Lord, our Lord.” This statement encompasses all of us as children of God, individually and collectively. Then the Lord’s name is exalted as “excellent in all the earth.” Spiritually, the Lord’s name signifies all the qualities of the Lord, shown in everything we see around us and also within us. Verse 1 ends by saying that the Lord’s glory is above heaven and earth (see Divine Providence 230 [2]).
The imagery of infants giving praise to the Lord describes our need for innocence and trust in the Lord for guidance. The Lord strengthens and sustains us so that we can overcome harmful states such as pride and self-love (see Arcana Caelestia 3183).
Verses 3 through 8 convey a sense of humble gratitude for all the Lord’s blessings. When compared with the grandeur of the heavens - the very vastness of God’s creation - our place in the world seems inconsequential. We are made “a little lower than the angels”, but even so, “crowned with glory and honor.” Man in this world is an angel in potential, and every angel is one who has had a natural lifetime in which to regenerate. Yet humanity is the great purpose of divine creation: we are born to come into a relationship with the Lord, and to know His love and truth (see Swedenborg’s work, Heaven and Hell 311).
The final section of the psalm speaks of the Lord granting us dominion over all other living creatures. This is not in any sense a domination or even a superiority, but an acknowledgement that we, unlike other living things, have been created with a spiritual consciousness that allows us to embrace the Lord’s kingdom forever.
The psalm, having gone through momentous realizations, ends with the refrain of the towering opening line, "O Lord, our Lord, how magnificent is thy name in the whole earth!"
