King James Version

What Does Psalms 8:2 Mean?

“Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. ordained: Heb. founded”

Context

To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. ordained: Heb. founded

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?

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Topics in This Verse

Strength

Commentary

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(2) **Babes and sucklings.**—Better, *young children and sucklings. *A regular phrase to describe children from one to three years old (1Samuel 15:3; 1Samuel 22:19). The *yonek, *or suckling, denotes an earlier stage of the nursing period (which, with Hebrew mothers, sometimes extended over three years, 2 Maccabees 7:27, and on Talmudic authority could not be less than two years) than the *ôlel, *which is applied to children able to play about on the streets (Jeremiah 9:21; Lamentations 4:4). (See Dr. Ginsburg on *Eastern Manners and Customs: Bible Educator, *i. 29.) **Ordained strength . . .**—At the first glance, the LXX. translation, as quoted in Matthew 21:16 (see Note, *New Testament Commentary*)*, “*Thou hast perfected praise,” seems to be correct, from a comparison with Psalm 29:1, where *strength *translates the same Hebrew word, and plainly means *homage. *This expresses, doubtless, part of the thought of the poet, that in a child’s simple and innocent wonder lies the truest worship; that God accomplishes the greatest things and reveals His glory by means of the weakest instruments—a thought which was seized upon by our Lord to condemn the want of spirituality in the scribes and Pharisees. But the context, speaking the language of war, seems to demand the primitive meaning, *stronghold *or *defence. *The truth which the Bible proclaims of the innate divinity of man, his essential likeness to God, is the principal subject of the poet; and in the princely heart of innocence of an unspoilt child he sees, as Wordsworth saw, its confirmation. “Trailing clouds of glory do we come, From God who is our home.” Such a proof is strong even against the noisy clamour of apostate men, who rebel against the Divine government, and lay upon God the blame of their aberration from His order. “His merry babbling mouth provides a defence of the Creator against all the calumnies of the foe” (Ewald). Others think rather of the faculty of speech, and the wonder and glory of it. **The avenger.**—Properly, *him who avenges himself.*

Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Psalms. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Psalms 8:2 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.