Original PSA 8:1: Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal Speaker(s)=Narrator (All still tentative.)

UHB 1 לַ⁠מְנַצֵּ֥חַ עַֽל־הַ⁠גִּתִּ֗ית מִזְמ֥וֹר לְ⁠דָוִֽד׃ ‡

BrLXX (PSA 8:1) Εἰς τὸ τέλος, ὑπὲρ τῶν ληνῶν, ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυίδ.
(Eis to telos, huper tōn laʸnōn, psalmos tōi Dawid.)

ULT For the chief musician; psalm David.

UST This is a note for the worship leader: the song a stringed instrument. wrote psalm.

BSB & MSB For the choirmaster. According to Gittith.[fn] A Psalm of David.

8:1 Gittith is probably a musical or liturgical term; here and in Psalms 81 and 84.

OEB For the leader: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by a stringed instrument.

WEBBE & WMBB For the Chief Musician; on an instrument of Gath. A Psalm by David.

NET For the music director, according to the gittith style; a psalm of David.

FBV For the music director. On the gittith. A psalm of David.

LEB For the music director, on the Gittith.[fn] A psalm of David.[fn]

8:? Meaning uncertain

8:? The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm; the English verse number is reduced by one

BBE To the chief music-maker on the Gittith. A Psalm. Of David.

Moff From the Choirmaster’s collection. Set to a vintage melody. A song of David.

JPS (PSA 8:1) (8-1) For the Leader; upon the Gittith. A Psalm of David. (8-2) O LORD, our Lord, how glorious is Thy name in all the earth! whose majesty is rehearsed above the heavens.

ASV For the Chief Musician; set to the Gittith. A Psalm of David.

DRA (PSA 8:1) Unto the end, for the presses: a psalm of David.

Drby To the chief Musician. Upon the Gittith. A Psalm of David.

RV For the Chief Musician; set to the Gittith. A Psalm of David.

KJB-1769 To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David.

KJB-1611 ¶ To the chiefe Musicion vpon Gittith, a Psalme of Dauid.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation)

Wycl (PSA 8:1) The title of the eiythe salm. To the ouercomere, for pressours, the salm of Dauid.
(The title of the eighth psalm. To the overcomer, for presses, the psalm of David.)

Luth (PSA 8:1) Ein Psalm Davids, vorzusingen auf der Githith.
(A Psalm David’s, to_sing_to on/in/to the/of_the Gittith.)

ClVg (PSA 8:1) In finem, pro torcularibus. Psalmus David.[fn]
(In the_end, for the_winepress. Psalm/Song David.)

8.1 In finem, pro torcularibus, etc. Pro torcularibus, id est, Ecclesiis, etc., usque ad animæ in requiem emanant.

8.1 In the_end, for the_winepress, etc. For the_winepress, that it_is, Assemblies/churches, etc., until to soul in/into/on rest/repose they_flow_out.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Psalm 8 Introduction

Structure and Formatting

1. Superscription 2. Introduction (1–2) 3. Question (3–4) 4. Answer (5–8) 5. Closing (9)

About the Psalm

1. Purpose: to praise Yahweh for his majesty throughout all the earth 2. Content: Your name is majestic in all the earth! You bestow your glory on the heavens above, and you bestow glory on weak humans below. 3. Message: Yahweh’s majesty is revealed in weakness.

Translation Issues in This Psalm

1. The psalm begins and ends with the exact same exclamation—this serves to point out the purpose of the psalm. 2. The psalm progresses from top to bottom several times.A. In verse 1b–2 it goes from the heavens down to the weakest of humans.B. Verses 3–4 again go down from the heavens to man.C. Verses 5–8 move from the heavenly beings through man, who is exalted and crowned with glory as Yahweh’s representative ruler of all creation, and down and out into creation, moving away from man’s primary spheres of dominion (domestic animals) progressively outward. 3. There are many echoes of Genesis 1. References include: the heavens as created by Yahweh’s fingers (3), the animals as made by his hands (6), the dominion of man over creation (6–8, see also [Genesis 1:26](../../gen/01/26.md)). 4. Magnificent, Majesty, Splendor, Glory: Yahweh gives his weak representative (humans) many of his glorious attributes, and humans rule for Yahweh.See: writing-poetry

CCBYSA

Portions of the ULT, UST, and TNs for this psalm are derivative from “Psalms, Layer by Layer” ([https://psalms.cdbr.org/w/Welcome](https://psalms.cdbr.org/w/Welcome)), “Psalm 8” ([https://psalms.cdbr.org/w/Psalm_8](https://psalms.cdbr.org/w/Psalm_8)) by Cambridge Digital Bible Research, Katie Frost, Meaghan Smith, Nikki Mustin et al, used under [CC BY](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)See their top three exegetical issues in Psalm 8 video ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5-NpONilOs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5-NpONilOs)) for discussion of verses 1, 2, and 5 and their top three poetic features of Psalm 8 video ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcRob_g2g2Q](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcRob_g2g2Q)) on YouTube.

Note 1 topic: translate-unknown

לַ⁠מְנַצֵּ֥חַ

(Some words not found in UHB: to,choirmaster on/upon the,Gittith song of,David )

The word translated as chief musician likely refers to the person in charge of music for worship. Some languages may have a term for a music leader. Alternate translation: [For the music director] or [For the leader of worship music]

Note 2 topic: translate-unknown

עַֽל־הַ⁠גִּתִּ֗ית

on/upon (Some words not found in UHB: to,choirmaster on/upon the,Gittith song of,David )

The exact meaning of the term Gittith is uncertain. The word could be related to the name of the Philistine city of Gath or to a term relating to wine production, which was accompanied by singing. It could refer to: (1) a musical instrument. Alternate translation: [accompany with a Philistine lute] or (2) the tune. Alternate translation: [use the winepress tune]

Parallel PSA 8:0

Psalm 8 Introduction

Structure and Formatting

About the Psalm

Translation Issues in This Psalm

CCBYSA