Why does the psalmist ask, “What is man that you are mindful of him” (Psalm 8:4)?

Answer

When we examine Psalm 8:4 in conjunction with the surrounding verses, we observe that the psalmist (King David) is praising the Lord for bestowing upon humans such an elevated position in His creation. He expresses, “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” (Psalm 8:3-4;ESV).

In this context, the Hebrew term translated as “man” denotes humanity as a whole and underscores the fleeting and feeble nature of humankind. When David gazes upon the vastness and magnificence of the universe, human beings seem diminutive and inconsequential. Contemplating the grandeur and enduring nature of the moon and stars fashioned by God, David ponders, “What is the significance of human beings that You, O God, should consider them?” He then responds to his own query: “Yet you have made them a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor. You have given them dominion over everything you have made, placing all things under their authority” (Psalm 8:5-6;NLT).

Marveling at God’s craftsmanship and the boundlessness of His creation, David is struck by the Lord’s care for human beings and the authority He entrusted to them to govern over creation. The omnipotent God of the universe cares so profoundly for us that He has positioned us just slightly lower than Himself (or, as some translations suggest, than the angels) and granted us dominion over His creation. Psalm 8:4 resonates with Genesis 1:26 and the decision of the triune Godhead to create humans in His own image and likeness, empowering them with dominion over all of God’s creation. Both passages convey a biblical truth—that from the outset, God ordained humans to be His representatives on earth and to exercise authority over every other cr.

Feature in His name.

In the mind and heart of God, people are His foremost concern. Job makes the same observation, but with a different emphasis. Rather than being captivated by God’s attention, Job—caught up in his misery and suffering—wishes the Lord would leave him alone: “What is mankind that you make so much of them, that you give them so much attention, that you examine them every morning and test them every moment? Will you never look away from me, or let me alone even for an instant?” (Job 7:17-19).

The book of Hebrews makes striking use of Psalm 8:4: “For in one place the Scriptures say, ‘What are mere mortals that you should think about them, or a son of man that you should care for him? Yet for a little while you made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You gave them authority over all things.’ Now when it says ‘all things,’ it means nothing is left out. But we have not yet seen all things put under their authority. What we do see is Jesus, who for a little while was given a position ‘a little lower than the angels’; and because he suffered death for us, he is now ‘crowned with glory and honor.’” (Hebrews 2:6-9;NLT). The writer of Hebrews references the Old Testament passage to show that Jesus was truly human, God incarnate. Psalm 8:4 was fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Jesus humbled Himself and became a human being. In His earthly ministry, He was “a little lower than the angels” «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 2:7,9) «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.»

e death for every man. », (Hebrews 2:7,9). As a man, He willingly experienced suffering and death, just as we do. But Jesus “tasted death for everyone” (verse 9, NLT). He took on our nature and became like us, but without the sin and rebellion that tarnish our existence. Through His death, Jesus broke the power of death for us: “Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying” (Hebrews 2:14-15;NLT). Jesus became a human and died to set us free from death.

Who are we mere humans that the supreme God of creation involves Himself so intimately with us? What do we learn from the psalmist’s question?

“What is man that you are mindful of him?” celebrates the dignity and esteem of humans in the eyes of God despite their seeming insignificance. Even in our lowly state, God honors us greatly, so much so that He gave us authority over creation. What’s more, we learn that we are the center of His attention, the apple of God’s eye (see Deuteronomy 32:10;Zechariah 2:8;Psalm 17:8). We are the Lord’s ultimate creation and masterpiece, created “anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” «For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. », (Ephesians 2:10, NLT).