The Scriptures are God's Greatest Gift to Mankind

[bbyrd009]

I will leave it up to the reader to interpret whether or not this passage teaches that God has magnified His word above His name or not

and to be fair you chose a translation that is rather singular, or at least kinda rare, and the v seems to be giving xlators trouble anyway right? A few quite diff senses of this one v?
New International Version
I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness, for you have so exalted your solemn decree that it surpasses your fame.

New Living Translation
I bow before your holy Temple as I worship. I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness; for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name.

English Standard Version
I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

Berean Study Bible
I bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your loving devotion and Your faithfulness; You have exalted Your name and Your word above all else.

New American Standard Bible
I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.

New King James Version
I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.

King James Bible
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.

Christian Standard Bible
I will bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your constant love and truth. You have exalted your name and your promise above everything else.

Contemporary English Version
I worship at your holy temple and praise you for your love and your faithfulness. You were true to your word and made yourself more famous than ever before.

Good News Translation
I face your holy Temple, bow down, and praise your name because of your constant love and faithfulness, because you have shown that your name and your commands are supreme.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I will bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your constant love and truth. You have exalted Your name and Your promise above everything else.

International Standard Version
I will bow down in worship toward your holy Temple and give thanks to your name for your gracious love and truth, for you have done great things to carry out your word consistent with your name.

NET Bible
I will bow down toward your holy temple, and give thanks to your name, because of your loyal love and faithfulness, for you have exalted your promise above the entire sky.

New Heart English Bible
I will bow down toward your holy temple, and give thanks to your Name for your loving kindness and for your truth; for you have exalted your Name and your word above all.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
I shall worship in the temple of your holiness and I shall give thanks to your Name for your kindness and for your truth, because you have extolled your Word above every name!

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I will bow toward your holy temple. I will give thanks to your name because of your mercy and truth. You have made your name and your promise greater than everything.

JPS Tanakh 1917
I will bow down toward Thy holy temple, And give thanks unto Thy name for Thy mercy and for Thy truth; For Thou hast magnified Thy word above all Thy name.

New American Standard 1977
I will bow down toward Thy holy temple, And give thanks to Thy name for Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth; For Thou hast magnified Thy word according to all Thy name.

King James 2000 Bible
I will worship toward your holy temple, and praise your name for your lovingkindness and for your truth: for you have magnified your word above all your name.

American King James Version
I will worship toward your holy temple, and praise your name for your loving kindness and for your truth: for you have magnified your word above all your name.

American Standard Version
I will worship toward thy holy temple, And give thanks unto thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
I will worship toward thy holy temple, and give thanks to thy name, on account of thy mercy and thy truth; for thou hast magnified thy holy name above every thing.

Douay-Rheims Bible
I will worship towards thy holy temple, and I will give glory to thy name. For thy mercy, and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy holy name above all.

Darby Bible Translation
I will bow down toward the temple of thy holiness, and celebrate thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth; for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

English Revised Version
I will worship toward thy holy temple, and give thanks unto thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

Webster's Bible Translation
I will worship towards thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

World English Bible
I will bow down toward your holy temple, and give thanks to your Name for your loving kindness and for your truth; for you have exalted your Name and your Word above all.

Young's Literal Translation
I bow myself toward Thy holy temple, And I confess Thy name, For Thy kindness, and for Thy truth, For Thou hast made great Thy saying above all Thy name.

 

[bbyrd009]

so id ask if you have found any "Witness" for this v too

wasnt aware of "imrah" used OT for Word before myself, so pretty new to me

 

[justbyfaith]

So you also believe that the Bible is magnified above God's name?

I suppose that if you begin with the presupposition that the word of God is not the ultimate authority, you can believe more easily that the Bible is not magnified above God's name; but if you hold the word to be the absolute authority, you will believe its statements that it is magnified above His name.

So it becomes circular reasoning to a certain extent.

Until you enter into the realm of faith in what Christianity teaches, you will not believe what Christianity teaches.

I would point out that salvation is based on faith according to Christian doctrine; and therefore if you don't have faith you don't have salvation.

Personally, I believe that to believe in Jesus is to believe that the Bible is the word of God; and therefore if you don't believe in the authority of scripture, it is because you don't believe in Jesus Himself.

For He is the Word (John 1:1, John 1:14).

 

[John Caldwell]

I think that Pneuma means "soul" rather than "word" so I would have to disagree that this is what is spoken in Psalms 138:2.



Then you are contradicting holy scripture. For it says clearly:

Psa 138:2, 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.

Psalm 138:1-2 I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

God's word here is not the Bible but God's words spoken to Israel. This was written before Scripture was compiled. You and @Preacher4Truth are misinterpreting Scripture.

The Bible is not magnified to a place above God Himself.

 

[bbyrd009]

I think that Pneuma means "soul" rather than "word" so I would have to disagree that this is what is spoken in Psalms 138:2.

psuche is usually "soul" i think, but anyway the Psalm ref uses imrah, from "amar"

 

[John Caldwell]

I suppose that if you begin with the presupposition that the word of God is not the ultimate authority, you can believe more easily that the Bible is not magnified above God's name; but if you hold the word to be the absolute authority, you will believe its statements that it is magnified above His name.

So it becomes circular reasoning to a certain extent.

Until you enter into the realm of faith in what Christianity teaches, you will not believe what Christianity teaches.

I would point out that salvation is based on faith according to Christian doctrine; and therefore if you don't have faith you don't have salvation.

Personally, I believe that to believe in Jesus is to believe that the Bible is the word of God; and therefore if you don't believe in the authority of scripture, it is because you don't believe in Jesus Himself.

For He is the Word (John 1:1, John 1:14).

No. We begin with using our God given brains to realize that if Scripture says the Bible is magnified above Christ then it is fiction because it also says nothing is magnified above Christ.

The solution is Scripture does not say the Bible is magnified above Christ. You misinterpreted the verse.

 

[bbyrd009]

Then you are contradicting holy scripture. For it says clearly:

ha well see you say "clearly" but a reading of all the other xlations of that v reveal other perspectives even in English, plus do you have a Witness passage in mind? Beware ppl telling you that the Bible says something "clearly" anyway imo, that is a sure sign youre getting hosed

 

[John Caldwell]

Psalm 138.2

Psalm 138:1-2.I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

 

[farouk]

Psalm 138:1-2.I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

So, which version?

 

[justbyfaith]

and to be fair you chose a translation that is rather singular, or at least kinda rare, and the v seems to be giving xlators trouble anyway right? A few quite diff senses of this one v?
New International Version
I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness, for you have so exalted your solemn decree that it surpasses your fame.

New Living Translation
I bow before your holy Temple as I worship. I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness; for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name.

English Standard Version
I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

Berean Study Bible
I bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your loving devotion and Your faithfulness; You have exalted Your name and Your word above all else.

New American Standard Bible
I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.

New King James Version
I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.

King James Bible
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.

Christian Standard Bible
I will bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your constant love and truth. You have exalted your name and your promise above everything else.

Contemporary English Version
I worship at your holy temple and praise you for your love and your faithfulness. You were true to your word and made yourself more famous than ever before.

Good News Translation
I face your holy Temple, bow down, and praise your name because of your constant love and faithfulness, because you have shown that your name and your commands are supreme.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I will bow down toward Your holy temple and give thanks to Your name for Your constant love and truth. You have exalted Your name and Your promise above everything else.

International Standard Version
I will bow down in worship toward your holy Temple and give thanks to your name for your gracious love and truth, for you have done great things to carry out your word consistent with your name.

NET Bible
I will bow down toward your holy temple, and give thanks to your name, because of your loyal love and faithfulness, for you have exalted your promise above the entire sky.

New Heart English Bible
I will bow down toward your holy temple, and give thanks to your Name for your loving kindness and for your truth; for you have exalted your Name and your word above all.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
I shall worship in the temple of your holiness and I shall give thanks to your Name for your kindness and for your truth, because you have extolled your Word above every name!

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I will bow toward your holy temple. I will give thanks to your name because of your mercy and truth. You have made your name and your promise greater than everything.

JPS Tanakh 1917
I will bow down toward Thy holy temple, And give thanks unto Thy name for Thy mercy and for Thy truth; For Thou hast magnified Thy word above all Thy name.

New American Standard 1977
I will bow down toward Thy holy temple, And give thanks to Thy name for Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth; For Thou hast magnified Thy word according to all Thy name.

King James 2000 Bible
I will worship toward your holy temple, and praise your name for your lovingkindness and for your truth: for you have magnified your word above all your name.

American King James Version
I will worship toward your holy temple, and praise your name for your loving kindness and for your truth: for you have magnified your word above all your name.

American Standard Version
I will worship toward thy holy temple, And give thanks unto thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
I will worship toward thy holy temple, and give thanks to thy name, on account of thy mercy and thy truth; for thou hast magnified thy holy name above every thing.

Douay-Rheims Bible
I will worship towards thy holy temple, and I will give glory to thy name. For thy mercy, and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy holy name above all.

Darby Bible Translation
I will bow down toward the temple of thy holiness, and celebrate thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth; for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

English Revised Version
I will worship toward thy holy temple, and give thanks unto thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

Webster's Bible Translation
I will worship towards thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

World English Bible
I will bow down toward your holy temple, and give thanks to your Name for your loving kindness and for your truth; for you have exalted your Name and your Word above all.

Young's Literal Translation
I bow myself toward Thy holy temple, And I confess Thy name, For Thy kindness, and for Thy truth, For Thou hast made great Thy saying above all Thy name.

All of those other translations are fine and dandy; but I would warn you that when you say in your heart, "I don't like what this translation (especially when it is the kjv) says;" and then go to another translation to see whether you like it better; that you are in fact guilty of doing what was prophesied of some in 2 Timothy 4:3:

2Ti 4:3, For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

I have also noticed that many of those translations retain the statement that God has magnified His word above all His name.

 

[John Caldwell]

So, which version?

That is the ESV.

It was what I had open.

 

[John Caldwell]

So, which version?

Here is the NASB (a more "literal" or "word for word" translation)
Psalm 138:2
I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.

The point is the verse cannot mean the Bible is magnified above Christ because elsewhere in multiple places Scripture states nothing is magnified above Christ.

 

[justbyfaith]

No. We begin with using our God given brains to realize that if Scripture says the Bible is magnified above Christ then it is fiction because it also says nothing is magnified above Christ.

Where?

The solution is Scripture does not say the Bible is magnified above Christ. You misinterpreted the verse.

Nope.

 

[farouk]

French Ostervald: Psalm 1382: "...tu as magnifiquement accompli ta parole, au-delà de toute ta renommée." (Similar to KJV.)

 

[justbyfaith]

Here is the NASB (a more "literal" or "word for word" translation)
Psalm 138:2
I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.

So, His word is equal to His name in this translation.

I would say that it is still highly magnified; as God's name is magnified above all the heavens.

I'm content to portray the understanding that the Bible is the ultimate authority when it comes to life and doctrine.

 

[John Caldwell]

French Ostervald: Psalm 1382: "...tu as magnifiquement accompli ta parole, au-delà de toute ta renommée." (Similar to KJV.)

I don't know French. I know English, Greek, Spanish, German and a little (very little) Hebrew.

The point is we have to study Scriptures. Let Scripture interpret Scripture. Scripture states multiple places that NOTHING is magnified above Christ. Do we know the passage does not mean the Bible is magnified above God.

But also consider the verse us a psalm written prior to the establishment of the OT. It speaks of God's Word. Not the Bible not yet written but of the Word.

 

[John Caldwell]

So, His word is equal to His name in this translation.

I would say that it is still highly magnified; as God's name is magnified above all the heavens.

I'm content to portray the understanding that the Bible is the ultimate authority when it comes to life and doctrine.

His Word is not the Bible. This was written prior to the completion of the OT.

You will probably find this confusing and a contradiction (it is not) so I'm going to enjoy posting it ...... God's word is not the Bible but the Bible is God's word.

 

[justbyfaith]

His Word is not the Bible. This was written prior to the completion of the OT.

We will have to agree to disagree...

And, as I said before, rejecting that the Bible is the word of God is in effect tantamount to rejecting Christ Himself, IMPAHO.

 

[farouk]

His Word is not the Bible. This was written prior to the completion of the OT.

You will probably find this confusing and a contradiction (it is not) so I'm going to enjoy posting it ...... God's word is not the Bible but the Bible is God's word.

Italian Riveduta 1927: "...tu hai magnificato la tua parola oltre ogni tua rinomanza." (Similar to KJV.)

 

[Anthony D'Arienzo]

John Gill;
for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name; or "above every name of thine"F14; which Aben Ezra interprets of the glorious name Jehovah; the word God spake to Moses, the name in which he made himself known to him, and to the Israelites, he had not to their fathers, Exodus 3:14; but rather it is to be understood of God's word of promise, and his faithfulness in fulfilling it; which, though not a greater attribute than any other, yet is made more known and more illustrious than the rest; and particularly may regard the promise of the coming of the Messiah, and of the blessings of grace by him; Jarchi interprets it particularly of the pardon of sin. It may with propriety be applied to Christ, the essential Word, that was made flesh, and dwelt among men; whom God has highly exalted, and not only given him a name above every name of men on earth, but also above any particular name or attribute of his: or however he has magnified him "according"F15 to every name of his, it being his will that men should honour the Son as they honour the Father; or "with"F16 every name along with each of them; or "besides"F17 every name; for all these senses the word will bear. Some render them, as Ben Melech, "thou hast magnified above all things thy name" and "thy word"; or, as others, "thy name by thy word"F18; see Psalm 8:1; The Targum is,

"the words of thy praise above all thy name;'

or "over all thy name": everything by which he has made himself known in creation and providence; "thou hast magnified thy word", all being done according to the word said in himself, his decrees and purposes; or declared in his word and promises, whereby he has glorified it.

 

[Anthony D'Arienzo]

matthew poole;
For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name; for thou hast glorified thy word or promise, or thy faithfulness in fulfilling thy promises unto me, more than any other of thy glorious perfections by which thou art known. Not that one of God’s attributes is really and in itself more great or glorious than another, or can be made so, but because one may be more celebrated and admired by men than another, as here God’s gracious promise made to David, and the wonderful accomplishment thereof in spite of all those difficulties which stood in the way, and which seemed to men to be insuperable, was at this time more observed and admired than any other of his attributes or actions. But here we must remember, that amongst the rest of the promises made to David, one was that the Messias should come out of his loins, and that those parts of the promised mercies which David had actually received were pledges to assure him that he should receive the rest in due time, and especially that great and eminent word of promise concerning the Messias, which might well be said to be magnified above all God’s name.