Psalms 8 - Introduction

Heading ‘For the chief musician, set to the Gittith. A psalm to/for David.'

‘Gittith may refer to a musical instrument named after its origin in Gath. The Septuagint, however, has ‘for the winepresses (gittoth)' suggesting that it was sung in connection with the feast of Tabernacles, and as ‘gath' means winepress it could possibly be right.

The psalm is a hymn of worship to the Creator, and a description of man's intended higher status in that creation, exceeding that of the physical heavens and of all other created things, but only once he is returned to innocence.

Two sections of humanity are in mind, on the one hand the ‘innocent' and on the other ‘the enemy and the avenger'. Man restored to innocence, as pictured by the innocent babe, is seen as the one through whom God's final purposes will come to fruition, the establishment of righteousness. The enemy and the avenger, unless returning and being restored, are excluded from this hope of future blessing.