Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Harold Holmyard <hholmyard AT ont.com>]

B. M. Rocine wrote:

> Hi Steve,
>
> I think I can throw in one translation alternative, which is like the 
> "and" versions that you haven't mentioned, which seems to me preferable, 
> the JPS Tanakh:
>
> "because You have exalted Your name, Your word, above all."
>
> I prefer it grammatically because there seems to be a break between `al 
> kol and shimka.  The break is the result of shimka being singular, which 
> fights against concord with kol.  It can't read "all your names" without 
> amendation, and "all of your name" doesn't make sense (what is all of a 
> singular name versus part of a singular name?).  So I break `al kol from 
> shimka.  We then have an object for exalted (shimka) and an appositive 
> for shimka ('imrateka).
>  

HH: I wonder whether "all your name" has to represent the grammatical 
problem that you suggest. If the text had said "all your love," we would 
not stumble because "love" is an abstract quality that is not really 
countable. But I have been taught that to the Israelites the "name" 
represented the person himself and his character. So "name" could have 
functioned at times like an abstract of quality. The name of God 
represented all that God had revealed himself to be, which was a lot. 
"Name" is sometimes almost a substitute for God himself:

Gen. 4:26 . . . At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD.

Ex. 34:5 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him 
and proclaimed his name, the LORD.
Ex. 34:6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, 
The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in 
goodness and truth, 

Lev. 24:11 The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name with a 
curse; so they brought him to Moses.  (His mother’s name was Shelomith, 
the daughter of Dibri the Danite.)

Deut. 12:11 Then to the place the LORD your God will choose as a 
dwelling for his Name — there you are to bring everything I command you: 
your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and 
all the choice possessions you have vowed to the LORD.

Deut. 28:58  If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, 
which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and 
awesome name — the LORD your God —

The psalmist could be saying that God exalted His word even above all 
the revelation of His personal character and attributes that he gave.

Yours,
Harold Holmyard