几周前下午的敬拜中，有弟兄对新版NIV译本中下面几节经文提出问题，主要该围绕着单数还是复数。如果是单数那么正好与希伯来书对耶稣解经对应。

在这里列出不同的译本，看看其他的译本怎么翻译的。除了新版NIV以外都是单数，这也包括中文译本。「NET版圣经」的解释，大体说这里在希腊原文中是单数，作为一个集合名词。「KJV学习版圣经」中，这这里的解释也是该单数代表整个人类。如果按照单数名词继续解释下去，那么这里人的指向会有两个。要么亚当要么耶稣，这两个分别也是人类的代表。一个犯了罪的，一个没犯罪的。看时态的话，这里是现在完成时，持续的。多个译本中是有翻译为人子的，这里的人子的表达好像没有特指耶稣基督。

新版NIV在这里没有按照传统翻译，尽管解释的通，我还是倾向于单数。保持与原文一致没有什么不妥，读者都可以理解，Biblica翻译委员会把解释后的经文作为译文，反而容易引起读者不适。

NIV

4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?[c]

5 You have made them[d] a little lower than the angels[e] and crowned them[f] with glory and honor.

6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their[g] feet:

Footnotes

Psalm 8:1 In Hebrew texts 8:1-9 is numbered 8:2-10.

Psalm 8:1 Title: Probably a musical term

Psalm 8:4 Or what is a human being that you are mindful of him, / a son of man that you care for him?

Psalm 8:5 Or him

Psalm 8:5 Or than God

Psalm 8:5 Or him

Psalm 8:6 Or made him ruler . . . ; / . . . his

ESV

4 what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

5 Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings[b] and crowned him with glory and honor.

6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet,

NAS 95

4 What is man that You [e]take thought of him,

And the son of man that You care for him?

5 Yet You have made him a little lower than [f]God,

And You crown him with glory and majesty!

6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands;

You have put all things under his feet,

KJV

4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

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

6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:

Geneva 1599

4 What is [f]man, say I, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man that thou visitest him?

5 For thou hast made him a little lower than [g]God, and crowned him with glory and worship.

6 Thou hast made him to have dominion in the works of thine hands, thou hast put all things under his feet:

和合本 1919

4 便 说 ： 人 算 甚 麽 ， 你 竟 顾 念 他 ？ 世 人 算 甚 麽 ， 你 竟 眷 顾 他 ？

5 你 叫 他 比 天 使 （ 或 译 ： 神 ） 微 小 一 点 ， 并 赐 他 荣 耀 尊 贵 为 冠 冕 。

6 你 派 他 管 理 你 手 所 造 的 ， 使 万 物 ， 就 是 一 切 的 牛 羊 、 田 野 的 兽 、 空 中 的 鸟 、 海 里 的 鱼 ， 凡 经 行 海 道 的 ， 都 服 在 他 的 脚 下 。

北京官话译本

4世人算甚麽、你竟垂念他、人子算甚麽、你竟眷顧他。

5你使他比天使微小一點、又加與他尊貴榮耀。

6將你所創造的歸他治理、使萬物都服在他足下

施约瑟浅文理译本

4世人為誰、主竟垂念之、人子為誰、主竟眷顧之、

5主使之稍遜於天使、又加以尊貴榮耀、

6將主所創造者、悉歸其治理、使萬物皆服其足下、

昨晚与B & J 一家吃晚饭和交通。我给B弟兄看了我手里新版的「1599日内瓦圣经」，他对该圣经经文十分熟悉，给我找到一处经文，是诗篇8:5，此处翻译为God而非angels。我查阅了一下几个版本的英文圣经，其中「NASB」和「1599 Geneva Bible」都是这样译的。

参照圣经的其他经文，我们知道受造物当中，唯有人是按照神的形象和样式造的，而天使则是服役的灵。虽然天使的能力比我们大，但尊荣不及人。

其他的英文译本和中文译本都翻译为天使，根据「NASB」的注释，天使来源于「七十士希腊译本」。

和合本

1 耶和华我们的主啊，你的名在全地何其美，你将你的荣耀彰显于天！
2 你因敌人的缘故，从婴孩和吃奶的口中建立了能力，使仇敌和报仇的闭口无言。
3 我观看你指头所造的天，并你所陈设的月亮星宿，
4 便说：“人算什么，你竟顾念他？世人算什么，你竟眷顾他？
5 你叫他比天使[a]微小一点，并赐他荣耀尊贵为冠冕。
6 你派他管理你手所造的，使万物，就是一切的牛羊，田野的兽，空中的鸟，海里的鱼，凡经行海道的，都服在他的脚下。”
9 耶和华我们的主啊，你的名在全地何其美！

Footnotes
诗篇 8:5 或作：神。

新译本（环球圣经公会）

1 耶和华我们的主啊！

你的名在全地是多么威严，

你把你的荣美彰显在天上。

2 因你仇敌的缘故，

你从小孩和婴儿的口中，

得着了赞美（“得着了赞美”或译：“建立了能力”），

使仇敌和报仇的无话可说。

3 我观看你手所造的天，

和你所安放的月亮和星星。

4 啊！人算甚么，你竟记念他？

世人算甚么，你竟眷顾他？

5 你使他比天使（“天使”或译：“　神”）低微一点，

却赐给他荣耀尊贵作冠冕。

6 你叫他管理你手所造的，

把万物都放在他的脚下，

7 就是所有的牛羊、

田间的走兽、

8 空中的飞鸟、海里的鱼，

和海里游行的水族。

9 耶和华我们的主啊！

你的名在全地是多么威严。

北京官话译本

1耶和華我主、你的美名傳揚全地、你的榮耀顯現在天。 
2因有抗逆你的、你使方生的嬰兒和吃乳的幼孩也極力頌美、使敵人和報仇的閉口無言。 
3我觀你手所造的天、看你所陳定的星月。

4世人算甚麽、你竟垂念他、人子算甚麽、你竟眷顧他。 
5你使他比天使微小一點、又加與他尊貴榮耀。 
6將你所創造的歸他治理、使萬物都服在他足下。 
7就如羣羊諸牛野獸、 
8空中鳥、海裏魚、和游泳任海中的百物。 
9耶和華我主、你的美名傳揚全地。

施约翰浅文理译本

1耶和華我主歟、主之威名宣揚在地、主之榮耀顯現在天、 
2因有抗逆主者、主使初生之嬰兒與哺乳之幼孩、亦極力頌美、使敵人與報仇者皆緘口無言、 
3我觀主手所造之天、與主所設之星月、

4世人為誰、主竟垂念之、人子為誰、主竟眷顧之、 
5主使之稍遜於天使、又加以尊貴榮耀、 
6將主所創造者、悉歸其治理、使萬物皆服其足下、 
7如諸牛羊野獸、 
8空中鳥、海中魚、並游泳於海中之百物、 
9耶和華我主之威名、在普天下宣揚、

馬禮遜－米憐文理譯本

5蓋爾造之比神使下些、而冠之以榮以勞也。

馬殊曼－拉撒文理譯本

5蓋爾定之略卑于神使。冠之以榮貴。

1599 Geneva Bible

1 O Lord our Lord, how [b]excellent is thy Name in all the world! which hast set thy glory above the heavens.

2 Out of the mouth [c]of babes and sucklings hast thou [d]ordained strength, because of thine enemies, that thou mightest [e]still the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I behold thine heavens, even the works of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained,

4 What is [f]man, say I, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man that thou visitest him?

5 For thou hast made him a little lower than [g]God, and crowned him with glory and worship.

6 Thou hast made him to have dominion in the works of thine hands, thou hast put all things under his feet:

7 All [h]sheep and oxen: yea, and the beasts of the field:

8 The fowls of the air, and the fish of the sea, and that which passeth through the paths of the seas.

9 O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy Name in all the world!

Footnotes

Psalm 8:1 Or, kind of instrument, or tune.

Psalm 8:1 Or, noble, or marvelous.

Psalm 8:2 Though the wicked would hide God’s praises, yet the very babes are sufficient witnesses of the same.

Psalm 8:2 Or, established.

Psalm 8:2 Or, confound.

Psalm 8:4 It had been sufficient, for him to have set forth his glory by the heavens, though he had not come so low as to man, which is but dust.

Psalm 8:5 Touching his first creation.

Psalm 8:7 By the temporal gifts of man’s creation, he is led to consider the benefits which he hath by his regeneration through Christ.

KJV

1 O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

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

6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:

7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;

8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

9 O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

NASB

1 Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
You who have [a]displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
2 From the mouths of infants and nursing babies You have established [b]strength
Because of Your enemies,
To do away with the enemy and the revengeful.

3 When I [c]consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have set in place;
4 What is man that You think of him,
And a son of man that You are concerned about him?
5 Yet You have made him a little lower than [d]God,
And You crown him with glory and majesty!
6 You have him rule over the works of Your hands;
You have put everything under his feet,
7 All sheep and oxen,
And also the animals of the field,
8 The birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

9 Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth!

Footnotes

Psalm 8:1 Lit put

Psalm 8:2 Or a strength

Psalm 8:3 Or see

Psalm 8:5 LXX angels