I’m memorizing Psalm 8 this week and I am awed by the parallelism in this chapter. I know that the book of Psalms is poetry and that parallelism is a main characteristic of this book but I am struck by the beauty of this literary feature in this particular Psalm.  

It begins and ends the same, the first parallelism. 

Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth. 

The next phrase restates this thought. 

You have set your glory in the heavens. 

I love this next part.  I can picture it. 

Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies to silence the foe and the avenger. 

God uses the praise of the most vulnerable to make silent those who harm and hate. 

When I consider your heavens, the works of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place, 

Notice how these phrases restate what was just said but in a different way. 

What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?

More parallelism…

You made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. 

Again…

You made them rulers over the works of your hands 

You have put everything under their feet;

And again…

All flocks and herds

And animals of the wild

Birds in the air

And the fish in the sea 

All that swim in the paths of the seas. 

Do you see how he says the same thing in different ways?  I love this. 

And now the final, macro parallelism that restates the beginning phrase. 

Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth. 

Have a great day!