Psalms 8:2 - Exposition

Out of the month of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength . By "babes and sucklings" are meant young children just able to lisp God's praises, and often doing so, either through pious teaching or by a sort of natural instinct, since "Heaven lies about us in our infancy" (Wordsworth). These scarce articulate mutterings form a foundation on which the glory of God in part rests. Because of thine enemies . To put them to shame, who, having attained to manhood, refuse to acknowledge God. That thou mightset still the enemy and the avenger . It scarcely seems as if any single individual—either Absalom, or Ahithophel, or even Satan (Kay)—is intended. Rather the words are used generally of all those who are enemies of God, and desirous of revenging themselves upon him. The existence of such persons is well shown by Hengstenberg.