'emeth (0571) for Oliver

Submitted by jennifer solis (United States), Mar 21, 2008 at 01:04

Well, I'm impressed, Oliver, you are nothing if not DEVOTED.

Shachah - quodesh - heykal - yadah - shem - chesed - 'emeth - gadal - 'imrah - shem -

I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving kindness and for thy truth: for though hast magnified thy word above thy name. - Psalm 138:2

JPS has got it just about right.

Think about it this way - since the Word, the Mind of Christ, THE Truth, has been provided to us, THEREFORE we can praise HIM. Not because of His name, but because of the Truth of the Word, which is PERFECT, which He has provided. He provided information about Himself.

That is how we come to know God, NOT through His name, but through KNOWLEDGE of Him.

How can you praise whom you do not know?

The purpose of this verse is to emphasize study and application of God's Word to our life, not to just be aware of the name by which He is called.

God has done ALL for us; we merely partake of what He has provided.

Hithpael, hiphil, imperfect, etc., I will leave to scholars of Hebrew (perhaps that's why JPS got this one right). While I have studied for some time under a pastor that teaches (for some 50 years) strictly from the Hebrew and Greek, and is more than fluent in both (the Hebrew of 2000 years ago, a different ballgame entirely), I will not try to repeat Psalm 138:2 perfectly in Hebrew.

I do remember perfectly the lesson of this verse, taught by a scolar of the Hebrew.

Some detailes - "'emeth" (0571) here is "truth as a body of ethical or religious knowlede; true doctrine; sureness, reliability (His Word)

"Shem", mentioned twice in this verse, constitutes "reputation, fame, glory" (His name, only)

"Gadal", translated "magnified" in English, means "to grow, become great or important, promote, make powerful" (God makes a point that His Word is magnified, not His name)

When you look at the verse, it fits perfectly - God wants us to grow in knowledege of Him; which is the purpose of "gadal", or magnifying His Word above that of His name. His name, alone, teaches us nothing.

You are very interesting, Oliver. Keep searching, but never forget, all that we have is through His grace.

John 8:32 - "And you shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free."

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