Psalm 8 is a hymn of praise to God as Creator, and a meditation on man's place in the cosmos as revealed in Genesis 1.
The psalmist marvels at the fact that God, Creator of the vast universe, has given people dominion over the earth (Gen 1:28). People are "made a little lower than the heavenly beings," created out of dust and returning to dust. And yet God has entrusted us with a great responsibility.
The New Testament presents Jesus as the one who has most fully carried out God's intention for humans and paved the way for the rest of us to fulfill what God has in mind for us---Heb 2:5-9. For our sake he became "for a little while lower than the angels" (v 7), but has now through his work on the cross been "crowned with glory and honor." God has placed "all things under his feet" (Eph 1:22; 1 Cor 15:25-28), and we are destined to rule with him (Rev 5:10).
Psalm 8:2 contains the remarkable image of the praise of children silencing and defeating the enemies of God. Psalms commentator Derek Kidner has written, "The free confession of love and trust is a devastating answer to the accuser and his arsenal of doubts and slanders." Through each new generation of children the human race and its connection to God continue, thwarting the purposes of those who oppose God.
Jesus quoted Psalm 8:2 when some chief priests and scribes were distressed by the praise Jesus was receiving from children after his triumphal entry of Jerusalem (Matt 21:14-16). The children had picked up on something that some religious leaders were slower to grasp.
Significantly, Jesus applied Psalm 8:2, a verse about praise of God, to a situation where he was receiving praise. This is one of those situations where Jesus implicitly affirmed his deity.
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