Psalms 8:2

“From the mouth of children and of nursing infants you have founded strength because of your adversaries, to put an end to the enemy and the one who takes vengeance.”
Psalms 8:2 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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David is amazed at how magnificent the name of YHWH is across the earthWho God Is

With the Hebrew beneath

From the mouthמִפִּיof childrenעוֹלְלִיםand of nursing infantsוְיֹנְקִיםyou have foundedיִסַּדְתָּstrengthעֹזbecause ofלְמַעַןyour adversaries,צוֹרְרֶיךָto put an end toלְהַשְׁבִּיתthe enemyאוֹיֵבand the one who takes vengeance.וּמִתְנַקֵּם

Quotation · Matthew 21:16

Go to Matthew 21:16

Where the Hebrew says “you have founded strength,” Matthew says “you have prepared praise.”

Formula: Οὐδέποτε ἀνέγνωτε ὅτι “have you never read…?” (Matthew 21:16)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ Ἀκούεις τί οὗτοι λέγουσιν ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς λέγει αὐτοῖς Ναί οὐδέποτε ἀνέγνωτε ὅτι Ἐκ στόματος νηπίων καὶ θηλαζόντων κατηρτίσω αἶνον

Hebrew (Masoretic text): מִפִּי עוֹלְלִים וְיֹנְקִים יִסַּדְתָּ עֹז לְמַעַן צוֹרְרֶיךָ לְהַשְׁבִּית אוֹיֵב וּמִתְנַקֵּם

Septuagint (Psalms 8:3 in the Septuagint numbering): ἐκ στόματος νηπίων καὶ θηλαζόντων κατηρτίσω αἶνον ἕνεκα τῶν ἐχθρῶν σου, τοῦ καταλῦσαι ἐχθρὸν καὶ ἐκδικητήν.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 7 consecutive words: “Ἐκ στόματος νηπίων καὶ θηλαζόντων κατηρτίσω αἶνον.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Psalms 8:2, word by word

From the mouthפִּיpi

mouth

The part of the face with which one speaks, eats and kisses.

Where else “pi” appears

of childrenעוֹלְלִיםollim

young child

A small child, an infant. Said of young children, often together with "the nursing child."

Where else “ollim” appears

and of nursing infantsיֹנְקִיםyonkim

suck

For a baby to take milk from his mother's breast.

Where else “yonkim” appears

you have foundedיִסַּדְתָּyisadta

found

To lay the foundations of something on which it will be raised.

Where else “yisadta” appears

strengthעֹזoz

strength

Power to act or to withstand, attributed above all to God.

Where else “oz” appears

your adversariesצוֹרְרֶיtsorre

harass

To be someone's enemy.

Where else “tsorre” appears

to put an end toהַשְׁבִּיתhashbit

put an end

To make something end, remove it.

Where else “hashbit” appears

the enemyאוֹיֵבoyev

enemy

Enemy, foe: one who hates and opposes another.

Where else “oyev” appears

and the one who takes vengeanceמִתְנַקֵּםmitnakem

avenge

Avenge: make someone pay for the wrong done; take vengeance.

Where else “mitnakem” appears

Translation note

Jesus quotes this verse in Matthew 21:16 with the word “praise” where the Hebrew says “strength.”

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Matthew 21:16

Where the Hebrew says “you have founded strength,” Matthew says “you have prepared praise.”

See them side by side

Psalms 8:2

²From the mouth of children and of nursing infants you have founded strength because of your adversaries, to put an end to the enemy and the one who takes vengeance.

Matthew 21:16

¹⁶and said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus says to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?”

The context

1For the director. On the Gitit. A psalm of David. YHWH, our Lord, how magnificent is your name in all the earth, you who have set your splendor above the heavens.

2 · This verse (above)

3When I see your heavens, the works of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established,

Read all of Psalms 8

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