For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

PSALMS 8:5KJV
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Psalms 8:5 (KJV)

What does Psalms 8:5 mean?

Psalms 8:5 says that God has given human beings a high place in creation. In the KJV, the speaker addresses God and says that humanity stands only a little below the angels and has been given glory and honour.

After asking why God pays attention to people in verse 4, the speaker pictures God placing a crown on a person’s head. The crown is an image of dignity and high status, not a description of a literal object.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 8:5

  • “angels” — אֱלֹהִים (elohim): This Hebrew word can refer to God or to divine beings. The KJV renders the comparison as “angels,” while some translations understand the word here as “God.”
  • “crowned” — עָטַר (atar): This word means to surround or crown. Here, the image presents glory and honour as a crown given by God.

Why Psalms 8:5 matters

  • The verse speaks about humanity as a whole, not just a king. The “him” in verse 5 follows the question about “man” and “the son of man” in verse 4.
  • Human dignity is joined to responsibility for other creatures. Verse 6 goes on to speak of people having charge over the works of God’s hands, including the animals named in verses 7–8.
  • The speaker treats human importance as something God gives. The words “thou hast made” and “hast crowned” both address God as the one who grants humanity its place.

Where else these words appear

“crowned” Hebrew H5849 · used in 7 verses

  • 1 Samuel 23:26 And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain: and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them.
  • Psalms 65:11 Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness.
  • Song of Solomon 3:11 Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart.

“lower” Hebrew H2637 · used in 21 verses

  • Genesis 8:3 And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated.
  • Deuteronomy 15:8 But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.
  • Ecclesiastes 4:8 There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.

“honour” Hebrew H1926 · used in 29 verses

  • Leviticus 23:40 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.
  • Psalms 96:6 Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
  • Isaiah 2:10 Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty.

“little” Hebrew H4592 · used in 92 verses

  • Genesis 18:4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
  • 1 Samuel 14:29 Then said Jonathan, My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.
  • Proverbs 10:20 The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth.