| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
| 1 To the chief Musician. Upon the Gittith. A Psalm of David. Jehovah our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy majesty above the heavens. |
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| 2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou established praise because of thine adversaries, to still the enemy and the avenger. |
The mouth of babes – Foreshadowing the multitude's shouting Jesus' praise as the Messiah, the Son of David. R4670:4
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| 3 When I see thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and stars, which thou hast established; |
Consider thy heavens – When we realize that the countless stars are each one a solar system we are amazed and feel our own littleness. CR188:5; R4972:2
Gaining thereby a high conception of the divine character. R3313:4
Our solar system is a small fraction of God's creation. Astronomers count 125 million suns and estimate that there are millions of others further distant. SM467:2
How much more profitable is the consideration of the still higher things revealed to the Gospel Church through the holy Spirit since Pentecost. R3313:4
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| 4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? |
What is man – Man is of the earth, earthy, an earthly copy of his heavenly Maker. "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." (Gen. 1:26) R1266:1; OV288:1
How little is man, how small a speck in the universe. CR188:5
Orthodoxy falsely teaches that he is of two indestructible, indistinguishable parts, soul and spirit, enclosed in a prison-house of flesh. E302
Science says he is merely an animal of the highest type known, and has evolution hopes. E304
The Bible says that he is a Nephesh, soul, sentient being, composed of a body animated by Ruach, life-power, sometimes called the spirit or breath of life, because sustained by breathing. E308
Adam was the man preeminently in that he was the head of the race of men, and in him resided the title to earth and its dominion. E152
Art mindful of him – In his present deplorable, fallen, sinful condition. HG670:3
Not having forsaken the original plan. A175
God has provided a Savior, a way of restoration to divine favor. CR317:5; CR189:6; R5140:3
And the son of man – The posterity of Adam, the fallen human race. E426
Thou visitest him – Carest for him. R5291:4
Eventually, in the Times of Restitution. E426
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| 5 Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and splendour. |
Thou hast made him – Claimed by Popists to refer to the Pope. B309
A little lower – In intelligence and capacity. R3922:2
Only a little lower. CR189:2; R4972:3, R453:5
Not a little while, as if a matter of time; but clearly and distinctly a little lower in degree. A175; R329:1; HG670:4
Not lower in the sense of being less than perfect, but a totally different kind of being. R329:1
Consequently mortal. E390; R1879:4
On the earthly plane instead of the heavenly. R5837:3
God designed an order of beings adapted to the earth by nature. R363:3, R470:3
Therefore the Redeemer must be on the same plane. R5025:5
Because Adam was not a spirit being he could not die a spiritual death. CR131:1
As there is a vast difference between the conditions of existence of a fish and a bird, so we may reasonably suppose that there is just as wide a difference between the human and the angelic conditions. Q769:5
Restored perfect men will still be a "little lower" than the angels, while the glorified Church will be "so much better than the angels." (Heb. 1:4) R637:5, R2317:5, R4176:1, R616:2*, R852:4
Jesus was made alive from the dead in the divine nature, far higher than the angels, while manhood is a little lower than the angelic nature. R1228:2, R486:1; Q838:4
Than the angels – Elohim, a name frequently applied to Jehovah. E67, SM497:2
Like them, mortal; where death is a possibility. E390; R4972:3
The highest of earthly creatures, and but a little removed in intelligence from the angelic hosts. R2836:4
Fallen man cannot cope with the cunning of fallen angels. R2172:5
Angels are the lowest in rank on the spirit plane and man is the highest of all earthly beings. But man, even when perfect, was a little lower than the angels because he was an earthly and not a spiritual being. OV137:1; Q502:6; SM53:3; R4774:3, R5837:3, R456:6, R506:6
Orders of spirit beings (all perfect) were made before men. R5057:6, R4972:3; OV15:T
Man is lower than the angels as far as nature is concerned, but this Psalm speaks of man as superior in that he has a dominion. R4972:5
Man was not an angel, so he could not fall from the condition of angels or fall from heaven; therefore he will not be restored to being as an angel. CR279:2; CR269:4
Neither was Jesus a combination of the two natures, human and spiritual. A179
Crowned him – An earthly crown. SM153:3
As the king of all creatures on the animal plane. SM469:1
Originally in God's likeness and, as his representative, Adam was the king of the earth. R1510:4
Glory and honour – Of perfect manhood. E427; R1794:1, R5417:3
As a son and heir of God, beloved and owned of God. R1266:3, R5223:3
The moral likeness of his Creator. R2394:5
"Glory"--Adam was made in the image of his glorious Creator. R5229:1; CRI73:1, CR279:3
Man was so grandly formed as to be able to receive and retain life by the use of the means which God supplied, and never grow dim. A208
Lost in sin and degradation, through disobedience. Restitution to "honor" and life in God's favor was redeemed for all by our Lord's sacrifice. R1761:3
Possessed by Jesus at his consecration, originally by Adam before sin and death, and ultimately by the restored race at the close of Jesus' glorious reign. R573:5
Men must discern God by his works, the noblest of which is perfect man, made in his moral image on the earthly plane. R4966:5
Glorious and honorable indeed will be the estate of men when lifted up to perfection in Paradise restored. A191
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| 6 Thou hast made him to rule over the works of thy hands; thou hast put everything under his feet: |
Thou madest him – Mankind, in the person of Adam. A247, R453:3
Both man, the sovereign of the earth, and woman, his joint-heir and queen. R1552:2
It was purposed from the first--the Heavenly Father made man the king of the earth. R5377:1
As a result of Adam's covenant with God. E27; CR326:2
To have dominion – As an earthly representative of the Creator. CR425:1; F722
"And thou, O Tower of the flock (Christ) ... unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion." (Micah 4:8) E152
"Fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion." (Gen. 1:28) B94
The Heavenly Father made man king of the earth. R5377:1, R5403:6; CRI89:3
Adam had dominion over the earth, but none of the angels were ever set over anything. R5290:3, R4972:5; CR189:3
Jesus took the place of father Adam with all his rights and authorities. OV251:T, E152; R4452:1; Q224:T
The "likeness" of God (Gen. 1:26) in which man was created. R2836:3
A likeness of the divine honor and rulership of the earth. R871:3
Man stands related to the lower creatures as God does to the entire universe. R4972:3, R3922:2; A174
Representing man as the crowning masterpiece of mundane creation. R5140:3
Qualities of justice and judgment fitted him to be a ruler; qualities of mercy and love prepared him to be a reasonable, kind and wise ruler. R163:2, R417:1
The specialization in the case of man's creation is shown in his vast superiority over the lower animals. PD7/13
Though Adam was privileged to be a great king, he himself failed to be fully loyal to the Creator. CR425:2
The divine plan ultimately is to have mankind perfect, as the lord of earth, controlling earth and its creatures in harmony with the laws of the divine Creator. E426; HG669:1
With the restitution of perfect mental and moral balance to man, the original king of the earth, will also come a blessing to his subjects, the beasts of the field; and the ordering of the earth itself is likewise promised. HG299:6
Peter, Jesus and all the prophets declare that the human race is to be restored to human perfection and is again to have dominion over earth as Adam had. R612:6, R2606:6, R3572:3, R860:5
In "the fulness of times" there will be on the earthly plane perfect fish, perfect birds, perfect beasts; and over and above them all, their ruler, perfect man. R828:1, R4535:4
Typified by Job with his estate. R1507:4, R5403:6
The father of lies seduced Adam and robbed mankind of the dominion, thus becoming the "prince (ruler) of this world." R453:3
Works of thy hands – The winds and waves, the light and heat, the electric currents, the minerals and gases and liquids, and vegetation in all its varied forms will freely minister to his comfort and blessing. R1267:4
Hast put all things – Divine power will put all things under Messiah. (1 Cor 15:28) HG671:6
Under his feet – The feet in this passage are figurative. B157
All life on earth was subject to Adam. CR173:1; CR326:3
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| 7 Sheep and oxen, all of them, and also the beasts of the field; |
All sheep and oxen – The dominion is not to be over each other, for when love controls there will be no necessity for dominion over one another. R655:2
Beasts of the field – To become docile and obedient to mankind, as originally as a blessing of Christ's Millennial reign. R1352:3
Naturally and without compulsion the beasts, cattle, fish, and fowl will be man's willing servants. R1267:4
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| 8 The fowl of the heavens, and the fishes of the sea, whatever passeth through the paths of the seas. |
Fish of the sea – Claimed by the Pope to refer to those who are in hell, agitated by its waves of affliction. B312
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| 9 Jehovah our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! |
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