For you have made him a little lower than the angels, and have crowned him with glory and honor.
All Commentaries on Psalms 8:5 Go To Psalms 8
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Angels. Elohim means also "God "as St. Jerome, explain it. Thou hast placed man like a deity upon earth. But St. Paul adopts the sense of the Septuagint. (Calmet)
St. Jerome doubted whether the epistle to the Hebrews belonged to him or he would have done the same. Some of the Fathers suppose, (Berthier) that the prophet speaks of man before the fall. (Theodoret)
Yet he has Christ principally in view. (Calmet)
A little less may be better rendered, "for a little while: "brachu ti, Acts v. 34., and Isaias x. 25.; modico, Hebrews ii. Notwithstanding the prerogatives of Adam, before his fall, what is said by the prophet and St. Paul can be true of none but Christ; who was subject to death only for a short space, and quickly rose from the tomb, Lord of all, 1 Corinthians xv. 26. If we do not see it yet, (Hebrews ii. 8., and Psalm lxix. 2.) our faith must not waver. He is crowned, and will one day assert his dominion. (Berthier) (Matthew xxviii. 18., and Ephesians i. 19.) (Calmet)
In his assumed nature, Christ became less than the angels; but he has raised it above them, and is appointed Lord of angels, men, and creatures of every description. The sea and the winds obey him, Matthew viii. (Worthington)