Psalms 8:4

8:4 Of what importance is the human race, ¹  that you should notice ²  them?

Of what importance is mankind, ³  that you should pay attention to them, ⁴ 

Job 7:17

Insignificance of Humans

7:17 “What is mankind ⁵  that you make so much of them, ⁶ 

and that you pay attention ⁷  to them?

Job 15:14

15:14 What is man that he should be pure,

or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?

Hebrews 2:6

2:6 Instead someone testified somewhere:

“What is man that you think of him ⁸  or the son of man that you care for him?

[8:4]  ¹ 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.

[8:4]  ² tn Heb “remember him.”

[8:4]  ³ 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.

[8:4]  ⁴ tn The two imperfect verbal forms in v. 4 describe God’s characteristic activity.

[7:17]  ⁵ tn The verse is a rhetorical question; it is intended to mean that man is too little for God to be making so much over him in all this.

[7:17]  ⁶ tn The Piel verb is a factitive meaning “to magnify.” The English word “magnify” might not be the best translation here, for God, according to Job, is focusing inordinately on him. It means to magnify in thought, appreciate, think highly of. God, Job argues, is making too much of mankind by devoting so much bad attention on them.

[7:17]  ⁷ tn The expression “set your heart on” means “concentrate your mind on” or “pay attention to.”

[2:6]  ⁸ tn Grk “remember him.”