Psalms 8:3-4

Psalms 8:3-4

[3] When I consider  thy heavens,  the work  of thy fingers,  the moon  and the stars,  which thou hast ordained;  [4] What is man,  that thou art mindful  of him? and the son  of man,  that thou visitest 

What does Psalms 8:3-4 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

In view of the insignificance of mankind compared with the rest of creation, especially the heavenly bodies, David marveled that God would even think about human beings (cf. Psalm 144:3-4; Job 7:17; Job 25:4-6).
"The Creator has established two spheres of rule: heaven and earth. He has established the celestial bodies in the firmament and has given them the rule over day and night ( Genesis 1:17-18), whereas he appointed man to govern the earth ( Genesis 1:28)." [1]
The psalmist spoke of the starry host as God"s finger work. This figure stresses God"s care and skill, comparing Him to a sculptor. It was as easy for God to create the universe with His fingers, as it is for a human being to make something with his fingers, rather than by using his arms and whole body-it required so little effort. Genesis 1describes God as creating the whole material universe with just a few words.
"In contrast to God, the heavens are tiny, pushed and prodded into shape by the divine digits; but in contrast to the heavens, which seem so vast in the human perception, it is mankind that is tiny." [2]
The Hebrew word translated "man" is "enosh that elsewhere describes man as a weak mortal being.
"God"s remembering always implies his movement toward the object of his memory." [3]