“All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;”
The enumeration of flocks and herds and beasts of the field establishes the domains of human dominion, moving from wild animals to domesticated creatures under explicit human control. The progression from larger categories to specific species suggests comprehensive human authority over all animate creation. The mention of beasts of the field evokes Genesis creation accounts where animals similarly appear under human authority, suggesting that this psalm reflects on fulfillment of creation mandates. This verse makes explicit what the preceding verses imply: human sovereignty over creation encompasses its fullness.
Church Fathers on Psalms 8:7
To the end, for the wine-presses, a psalm of David himself. 1. He seems to say nothing of wine-presses in the text of the Psalm of which this is the title. By which it appears, that one and the same thing is often signified in Scripture by many and various similitudes. We may then take wine-presses to be Churches, on the same principle by which we understand also by a threshing-floor the Church. For whether in the threshing-floor, or in the wine-press, there is nothing else…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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