The most obvious feature of Psalm 8 is the repeated refrain seen in verse 1. It connotes that everything in the world is evidence of God’s sovereign activity. This proclamation of God’s reign over the earth frames the psalm. Verse 2 then goes on to explicitly extend the reach of God’s sovereignty beyond all the earth to include all that is above the heavens. The use of God’s name and the evidence of His glory brings to mind language that is often used to describe earthly kings throughout the Old Testament. The distinction here is that God is clearly greater than any earthly king. The psalm makes clear that God is the creator and sustainer of the heavens and the earth. He has established His strength in conquest over His foes. There is none like God!
Psalm 8 is unique in that it addresses God in the second person throughout. It does not consist of an invitation to or reasons for praise but is itself a song of praise to God. In other words, these are not simply theological truths about God for us to reflect upon, but they are a personal declaration of praise to our God. When we read this psalm, we are proclaiming that our Lord reigns over all the earth. We declare that our God has set His glory above the heavens. We proclaim the reign of God and claim that truth personally in our lives regardless of what we are going through.