7 You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, And set him over the works of Your hands.
Verse 7 continues the quotation begun in verse 6 from Psalm 8.
7 You [God the Father] have made him a little lower than the angels;
The Hebrew word for “angels” is elohim—that is, the qualities of God that angels possess but in an inferior way. It is possible to translate elohim as either god or angels. Angels are incorporeal.
God made man lower than angels. When Jesus emptied Himself of His incommunicable attributes (attributes that belong only to God) and took on a human body, He was made “lower than the angels” (Php 2:6,7). The Father put Him at a lower station than angels.
You have crowned him with glory and honor,
Although Jesus was put at a lower station than angels, the Father exalted Him. He crowned Jesus in His humanity with “glory and honor.” He authenticated Him as King Jesus, King of the World.
The word “crowned” is the victor’s crown, not the royal crown.
“Glory” is the excellence of something.
And set him over the works of Your hands.
As God set Adam over creation, so He will set Jesus over creation at some point in the future.
PRINCIPLE:
God promised that a man would gain universal sovereignty over earth.
APPLICATION:
God made man lower than angels in his capacities. Angels do not have bodies, people do. Man is earthbound while angels are heavenly creatures. Mankind has lower rank than angels.
The promise of kingship relates to the line of David (or the Davidic Covenant). This psalm states the promise as already fulfilled from the viewpoint of God’s eternal purpose; that is, it is certain to be fulfilled.
