Our Common Prayerbook: Psalm 8-2

We continue in our series on the Psalms, thinking especially about “God” in the prayers of Israel. Our companion is John Goldingay’s commentary (Psalms, Vol. 1: Psalms 1-41 (Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms). Along with Goldingay I’m giving looks at Robert Alter, The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary

We are looking at Psalm 8 (after the jump you can read the full text), and we are at verse 3 where a most interesting set of words occurs: “When I look up at the heavens, which your fingers made, and see the moon and the stars, which you set in place.”

There is clearly here an emphasis on the immensity of God’s creation in the heavens and the moon and the stars, which might be little more than a reference to the scheduling of time (like Genesis 1). But the contrasting words that emerge out of verse 4 make this more about immensity than about time.

But what seems most interesting to me is the odd expression “which your fingers made.” I quote Goldingay because he draws out of this expression a powerful observation: “Reference to Yhwh’s fingers underlines the hands-on nature of creation — God did not merely utter orders and leave someone else to do the work, but became personally involved in the most delicate and intricate way” (158).

Creation is immense and intricate, shaped at the most intimate of levels by a God-who-is-involved.

8:1 O Lord, our Lord,

how magnificent is your reputation throughout the earth!

You reveal your majesty in the heavens above!

8:2 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.

8:3 When I look up at the heavens, which your fingers made,

and see the moon and the stars, which you set in place,

8:4 Of what importance is the human race, that you should notice them?

Of what importance is mankind, that you should pay attention to them,

8:5 and make them a little less than the heavenly beings?