Biblical Hebrew Forum

[schmuel <schmuel AT nyc.rr.com>]

Hi Folks,

Psalm 138:2 (KJB)
I will worship toward thy holy temple,
and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth:
for thou hast 
** magnified thy word above all thy name. **

Generally Jewish translations agree with the King James Bible with "magnified 
above"
or "magnified over" ..although Rashi refers to 'names', plural, and this is 
in Judaica Press.
Soncino and JPS-1914 are similar to KJB,  an Ibn Ezra note is below.
Also agreeing is ASV, RV, Rotherdam, NKJV, 
while Youngs has "made great Thy saying above all Thy name."  

One Bible scholar agrees that this is what is the Hebrew says, 
yet changes the text for doctrinal reasons.
http://www.bible.org/netbible2/index.php?header=&book=psa&chapter=138#note_3
"The Hebrew Masoretic Text reads ... you have made great over all your name 
your word"

Daniel Wallace radically alters the text in translation
"for you have exalted your promise above the entire sky."

Apparently following the NEB
"thou hast made thy promise wide as the heavens" 

Putting that aside, there are two principle alternative translations.

======================================================

"according to thy name"

NAS - magnified Your word according to all Your name.
Matthews/Tyndale/Rogers - magnified thy word, according unto thy great name. 

The argument is made for "according to" that the grammar and prefix is 
similar to ..

Genesis 43:7 and we told him according to the tenor of these words:
On the other hand, these verses have been mentioned for "above"

Genesis 1:7 - "the waters were above the firmament" 
Genesis 27:39 - "the dew from heaven above." 
Daniel 11:36 - "magnify himself above every god 
Daniel 11:37 - "he shall magnify himself above all"

On b-hebrew "according to" was once given a thumbs-up, but primarily for 
doctrinal reasons.
https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/b-hebrew/2000-May/007391.html

=================================================================
2nd Alternative - The 'and' conjunction versions. 
 
Harold's b-hebrew commentary above says these 
"dropped the maqqeph between "all" and "your name." 

NIV - exalted above all things your name and your word. 
ESV - exalted above all things your name and your word. 
NIV - exalted above all things your name and your word. 
NRSV - exalted your name and your word above everything 
JPS-1985 - exalted Your name, Your word, above all. 

The NIV justification is "theological"
www.ibs.org/niv/accuracy/NIV_AccuracyDefined.pdf 
See page 22.

=========================================================
For completeness, Some oddball translations

Note how these can even reverse the meaning.

Geneva
magnified thy Name above all things by thy word  

==========================
Calvin
http://www.ccel.org/c/calvin/comment3/comm_vol12/htm/xxii.htm
"Thou hast magnified thy name above all thy word"  

"I am satisfied David means to declare that God's name is exalted above all 
things, 
specifying the particular manner in which he has exalted his name"

Coming up .. the reference to the grammar from rabbinics.

"In the end of the verse some supply the copulative, and read --
 'Thou hast magnified thy name and thy word above all things' "

Footnote:
"According to this mode of rendering the passage lk, cal, the word for all, 
is independent of Kms, shimcha, the word for thy name. But "it has been 
properly observed by Aben Ezra, that lk in this case should have a Cholem, 
and not a Kametz Chateph, with which it is found in all copies. Besides, this 
translation is not supported by any of the ancient versions." -- Phillips."

btw, this translation is defended, not particularly ably, at ..
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Reformed_Congregationalists/message/1784?viscount=100

=============================================================
To round out, some more unusuals.

Douay-Rheims
magnified thy holy name above all. 

Greek OT
magnified thy holy name above everything 

Smith and Goodspeed
magnified thy name over all” 

sacred name Bibles (punctuation change)
for thou hast magnified thy word, above all, thy name.  
  
Lamsa
magnified thy word above every name 

HCSB 
exalted Your name and Your promise above everything else. 
  (like the "and" versions, but with 'promise')

Also the NEB and NetBible, above.
===================================================

  Your views on the grammar, word-forms and prefixes, and the proper 
translation ? :-) 

   I am less concerned with the doctrinal thinking, which seems to predominate
in the discussions.  Especially any grammar or word usage imperative or 
preference
leaning towards either ..

magnified thy word above all thy name                      or 
magnified Your word according to all Your name.

  Thanks.

Shalom,
Steven Avery 
Queens, NY

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Messianic_Apologetic