Psalms 8 · Verse 5

Psalms 8:5

For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
Psalms 8:5, King James Version

Psalms 8:5 in other translations

BSBYou made him a little lower than the angels; You crowned him with glory and honor.
WEBFor you have made him a little lower than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honor.
ASVFor thou hast made him but little lower than God, And crownest him with glory and honor.
YLTAnd causest him to lack a little of Godhead, And with honour and majesty compassest him.
DARBYThou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and splendour.
BBEFor you have made him only a little lower than the gods, crowning him with glory and honour.
WebsterFor thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor.

What does Psalms 8:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 8:5-8
5-8. God has placed man next in dignity to angels, and but a little lower, and has crowned him with the empire of the world. glory and honour--are the attributes of royal dignity (Psa 21:5; 45:3). The position assigned man is that described (Ge 1:26-28) as belonging to Adam, in his original condition, the terms employed in detailing the subjects of man's dominion corresponding with those there used. In a modified sense, in his present fallen state, man is still invested with some remains of this original dominion. It is very evident, however, by the apostle's inspired expositions (He 2:6-8; 1Co 15:27, 28) that the language here employed finds its fulfilment only in the final exaltation of Christ's human nature. There is no limit to the "all things" mentioned, God only excepted, who "puts all things under." Man, in the person and glorious destiny of Jesus of Nazareth, the second Adam, the head and representative of the race, will not only be restored to his original position, but exalted far beyond it. "The last enemy, death," through fear of which, man, in his present estate, is "all his lifetime in bondage" [He 2:15], "shall be destroyed" [1Co 15:26]. Then all things will have been put under his feet, "principalities and powers being made subject to him" [1Pe 3:22]. This view, so far from being alien from the scope of the passage, is more consistent than any other; for man as a race cannot well be conceived to have a higher honor put upon him than to be thus exalted in the person and destiny of Jesus of Nazareth. And at the same time, by no other of His glorious manifestations has God more illustriously declared those attributes which distinguish His name than in the scheme of redemption, of which this economy forms such an important and essential feature. In the generic import of the language, as describing man's present relation to the works of God's hands, it may be regarded as typical, thus allowing not only the usual application, but also this higher sense which the inspired writers of the New Testament have assigned it.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 5 Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels - The original is certainly very emphatic: ותחסרחו מעט מאלהים vattechasserchu meat meelohim, Thou hast lessened him for a little time from God. Or, Thou hast made him less than God for a little time. See these passages explained at large in the notes on Heb 2:6 (note), etc., which I need not repeat here.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 8:3-9

We are to consider the heavens, that man thus may be directed to set his affections on things above. What is man, so mean a creature, that he should be thus honoured! so sinful a creature, that he should be thus favoured! Man has sovereign dominion over the inferior creatures, under God, and is appointed their lord. This refers to Christ. In He 2:6-8, the apostle, to prove the sovereign dominion of Christ, shows he…

Read the full comment on Psalms 8:3-9 →

Psalms 8:5 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַתְּחַסְּרֵ֣הוּva.te.cha.se.Re.huand you have made lack himH2637
מְּ֭עַטMe.'atlittleH4592
מֵאֱלֹהִ֑יםme.'E.lo.Himfrom GodH430
וְכָב֖וֹדve.kha.Vodand honorH3519
וְהָדָ֣רve.ha.Darand majestyH1926
תְּעַטְּרֵֽהוּ\׃te.'a.te.Re.huyou crown himH5849

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Psalms 8:5

  • Hebrews 2:7

    Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:

  • Hebrews 2:9

    But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

  • Genesis 1:26-27

    And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

  • Hebrews 2:16

    For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

  • Philippians 2:7-11

    But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; …

  • Ephesians 1:21

    Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

  • Psalms 103:4

    Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

  • Psalms 21:3-5

    For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head. He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever. His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him.

  • Genesis 2:7

    And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

  • 1 Peter 1:20-21

    Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

  • John 13:31-32

    Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.

  • Psalms 103:20

    Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
thou.
103:20; Ge 1:26,27; 2:7; 2Sa 14:29; Job 4:18-20; Php 2:7,8
Heb 2:7,9,16
hast.
21:3-5; 45:1-3,6; Joh 13:31,32; Eph 1:21; Php 2:9-11; Heb 2:9
1Pe 1:20,21

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Psalms 8:4

    What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

  • Psalms 8:5

    For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

  • Psalms 8:6

    Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:

Read all of Psalms 8

Psalms 8:5 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Pues le has hecho poco menor que los ángeles, y coronástelo de gloria y de lustre.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Qu’est-ce que l’homme, que tu te souviennes de lui, et le fils de l’homme, que tu le visites?
German
Elberfelder 1871
Denn ein wenig hast du ihn unter die Engel erniedrigt; und mit Herrlichkeit und Pracht hast du ihn gekrönt.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Quid est homo, quod memor es ejus? aut filius hominis, quoniam visitas eum?