Summary

As we read it in the English Bible translations, this verse makes us think of the well-known words in Psalm 8:5: You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. But be careful, because different words are used in the original language. That suggests that there is a distinct purpose behind it and that is indeed the case. Psalm 8 compares the insignificant person with the mighty creation and that is not the case in Psalm 144. Added to that, Psalm 8:5 (in the Septuagint’s version) is quoted in the New Testament in Hebrews 2:6–9 and the writer applies it to Jesus Christ. In our verse it is David’s cry of amazement, that to him—just a shepherd boy—is given so much power and protection. In Psalm 144:1–15, the insignificance of man is more specific and less general than in Psalm 8:1–9.