Psalm 8, “O Lord our Lord, how admirable is thy name in the whole earth!”, is a hymn of wonder at God’s glory in creation and at the dignity he has given to human beings. Looking up at the moon and stars, the psalmist asks, “What is man that thou art mindful of him?”, and answers that God has crowned him “with glory and honour.” Below is the full Catholic text, what the psalm means, how the Church uses it, and a prayer.
Psalm 8 in the Douay-Rheims Bible
Unto the end, for the presses: a psalm of David.
O Lord our Lord, how admirable is thy name in the whole earth! For thy magnificence is elevated above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of infants and of sucklings thou hast perfected praise, because of thy enemies, that thou mayst destroy the enemy and the avenger.
For I will behold thy heavens, the works of thy fingers: the moon and the stars which thou hast founded.
What is man that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man that thou visitest him?
Thou hast made him a little less than the angels, thou hast crowned him with glory and honour:
And hast set him over the works of thy hands.
Thou hast subjected all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen: moreover the beasts also of the fields.
The birds of the air, and the fishes of the sea, that pass through the paths of the sea.
O Lord our Lord, how admirable is thy name in all the earth!
Psalm 8: the same number in every Bible
Psalm 8 has the same number in the Douay-Rheims and in modern Bibles: the Greek and Latin numbering used by the Douay only differs from the Hebrew numbering between Psalms 10 and 147. In Latin the psalm begins Domine, Dominus noster, quam admirabile est nomen tuum. See how many psalms are there?
Jesus and Psalm 8
When the children in the Temple cried “Hosanna to the son of David” and the chief priests objected, Jesus answered with this psalm:
And said to him: Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus said to them: Yea, have you never read: Out of the mouth of infants and of sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
The Letter to the Hebrews (2:6–9) applies “What is man that thou art mindful of him?” to Jesus, made “a little lower than the angels” in his Passion and now “crowned with glory and honour.”
What the psalm means
- God’s name fills the earth: the psalm begins and ends with the same cry of praise.
- Praise from little ones: “Out of the mouth of infants and of sucklings thou hast perfected praise.” God is honored by the humble.
- The wonder of creation: “thy heavens, the works of thy fingers: the moon and the stars which thou hast founded.”
- “What is man?”: compared to the universe we are small, yet God is “mindful” of each person.
- Human dignity: made “a little less than the angels” and set over the works of God’s hands, we are called to care for creation as God’s stewards.
How the Church uses Psalm 8
- On Trinity Sunday (Year C), with the response “O Lord, our God, how wonderful your name in all the earth!” See Trinity Sunday.
- In the Liturgy of the Hours, as a psalm of praise for creation.
- On feasts of children and the Holy Innocents, because of the praise “out of the mouth of infants.”
A prayer with Psalm 8
Written for this page:
O Lord, our Lord, how wonderful is your name in all the earth!
When I look at the heavens, the work of your fingers,
I marvel that you are mindful of me.
Help me to live with the dignity you have given me and to care for all you have made. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of Psalm 8?
It praises God’s glory in creation and marvels that he gives human beings such dignity and care.
Where is “What is man that you are mindful of him?”
Psalm 8:5 in the Douay-Rheims and the New American Bible (8:4 in some Bibles), quoted in Hebrews 2:6.
Did Jesus quote Psalm 8?
Yes. He quoted “Out of the mouth of infants and of sucklings thou hast perfected praise” when children praised him in the Temple (Matthew 21:16).
More psalms and prayers
Texts and sources
- Scripture: Psalm 8; Matthew 21:16; Hebrews 2:6–9, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- The prayer was written for this page.