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Psalms

About this book
Psalm 8

1 For the music director, according to the gittith style; a psalm of David. O Lord, our Lord, how magnificent is your reputation throughout the earth! You reveal your majesty in the heavens above.⁠ 2 From the mouths of children and nursing babies you have ordained praise on account of your adversaries, so that you might put an end to the vindictive enemy.⁠ 3 When I look up at the heavens, which your fingers made, and see the moon and the stars, which you set in place, 4 Of what importance is the human race, that you should notice them?⁠ Of what importance is mankind, that you should pay attention to them?⁠ 5 You made them a little less than the heavenly beings. You crowned mankind with honor and majesty.⁠ 6 you appoint them to rule over your creation; you have placed everything under their authority,⁠ 7 including all the sheep and cattle, as well as the wild animals,⁠ 8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that moves through the currents of the seas. 9 O Lord, our Lord, how magnificent is your reputation throughout the earth!

Texts in conversation

Compare Psalm 8:6 and 1 Corinthians 15:27

Hebrew Bible · New Testament

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Summary

In 1 Corinthians, Paul echoes Psalm 8 to describe everything under divine authority, blending it with Psalm 110 and its vision of enemies under a ruler’s feet. These two royal psalms create a portrayal of Jesus creating cosmic order and justice.

Passages

Psalm 8:6

Hebrew Bible
4 Of what importance is the human race, that you should notice them? Of what importance is mankind, that you should pay attention to them? 5 You made them a little less than the heavenly beings. You crowned mankind with honor and majesty. 6 you appoint them to rule over your creation; you have placed everything under their authority, 7 including all the sheep and cattle, as well as the wild animals, 8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that moves through the currents of the seas.
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

1 Corinthians 15:27

New Testament
25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be eliminated is death. 27 For he has put everything in subjection under his feet. But when it says “everything” has been put in subjection, it is clear that this does not include the one who put everything in subjection to him. 28 And when all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all. 29 Otherwise, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, then why are they baptized for them?
55–57 CE (scholarly estimate) Read in 1 Corinthians

References

"... Seeing Jesus on the heavenly throne is a significant pointer to how the earliest Christians viewed Jesus, beginning from Peter at Pentecost ... 1 Corinthians 15:25-27 brings together Psalm 110:1 and Psalm 8:6. Williams considers the reference to Psalm 110 to be an allusion rather than a citation. There is no introductory formula, and only the words ‘enemy’ and ‘foot’ correspond directly to Psalm 110:1. “God’s right hand” is not mentioned explicitly. Psalm 8 is more clearly a citation. It is followed by the comment: “Now when it says”, although once again there are textual differences between Psalm 8:6 and 1 Corinthians 15:27 ..."
Iain Gibb, “Paul and the Psalms: Paul's Hermeneutic and Worldview” (MTh(R) diss., University of Glasgow, 2017), 109–110.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

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Psalm 8:6 and 1 Corinthians 15:27

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