Psalms 8:3-4

8:3 When I look up at the heavens, which your fingers made,

and see the moon and the stars, which you set in place, ¹ 

8:4 Of what importance is the human race, ²  that you should notice ³  them?

Of what importance is mankind, ⁴  that you should pay attention to them, ⁵ 

Jeremiah 44:17

44:17 Instead we will do everything we vowed we would do. ⁶  We will sacrifice and pour out drink offerings to the goddess called the Queen of Heaven ⁷  just as we and our ancestors, our kings, and our leaders previously did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, were well-off, and had no troubles. ⁸ 

¹ tn Heb “when I see your heavens, the works of your fingers, the moon and stars which you established.” The verb “[and] see” is understood by ellipsis in the second half of the verse.

² tn Heb “What is man[kind]?” The singular noun אֱנוֹשׁ (’enosh, “man”) is used here in a collective sense and refers to the human race.

³ tn Heb “remember him.”

⁴ tn Heb “and the son of man.” The phrase “son of man” is used here in a collective sense and refers to human beings. For other uses of the phrase in a collective or representative manner, see Num 23:19; Ps 146:3; Isa 51:12.

⁵ tn The two imperfect verbal forms in v. 4 describe God’s characteristic activity.

⁶ tn Heb “that went out of our mouth.” I.e., everything we said, promised, or vowed.

⁷ tn Heb “sacrifice to the Queen of Heaven and pour out drink offerings to her.” The expressions have been combined to simplify and shorten the sentence. The same combination also occurs in vv. 18, 19.

⁸ tn Heb “saw [or experienced] no disaster/trouble/harm.”