What is man

[paulnoel]

This earth on which we live for a little while is one of a swarm of planets ever circiling the sun. These planets move in and out of the galaxy which, astronomers tell us, is millions of millions of millions miles across, and is believed to comprise at least 500,000,000 worlds, most of them vastly bigger than ours; and all this mighty universe is but one of millions upon millions of universes....

So amid such immensities of matter and space, what is man?​

When I look at the sky, which you
have made,
at the moon and the stars, which
you set in their places-
what are human beings, that you
think of them;
mere mortals, that you care for them?

Yet you made them inferior only to
yourself;
you crowned them with glory
and hounour.
You appointed them rulers over
everything you made;
you placed them over all creation;
sheep and cattle, and the wild
animals too;
the birds and the fish
and the creatures in the sea.


O LORD, our LORD
your greatness is seen
in all the world.

(PSALM 8 vs 3-9)
From the Good News Bible​

 

[TrevorL]

Howdy paulnoel,

Greetings. I was interested in the quotation that you gave from the Good News Bible.

Yet you made them inferior only to
yourself;
you crowned them with glory
and hounour.
You appointed them rulers over
everything you made;
you placed them over all creation;

(PSALM 8)
From the Good News Bible

It appears to speak of man in general, but a more literal translation such as the KJV shows that the Psalmist has the Messiah in mind. This is confirmed by the application of these words in the Book of Hebrews to Jesus. Also note that the writer to the Hebrews confirms the translation of the Hebrew word "Elohim" in Psalm 8 as "angels" in the KJV is correct, not as per the Good News Bible "yourself". The GNB has "them", KJV "him" again a reference to Jesus, not mankind in general.
Psalm 8:4-6 (KJV): "4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:"

Hebrews 2:5-9 (KJV): "5 For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. 6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him? 7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: 8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him. 9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man."

Kind regards
Trevor