Article: Psalms 4 How Different the Versions! by Will Kinney

From Textus Receptus

Psalm 100:3 "Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, AND NOT WE OURSELVES; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture."

So reads the Hebrew Masoretic text, and the following Bible translations: Wycliffe 1395, Bishops' Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1599, the KJB, NASB 1995, NKJV 1982, the 1936 Hebrew Publishing Company version, Rotherham's Emphasized bible 1902, Green's Modern KJV, New Life Bible, Douay, KJV 21st Century 1994, the Modern Greek O.T. translation, the Italian Diodati 1649, Rivudeta 1927, and the Spanish Reina Valera 1602 - 1995.

However, instead of "and not we ourselves" the NIV reads: "Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, AND WE ARE HIS". Agreeing with the NIV reading are the ASV, RSV, NRSV, ESV, NET, and the Holman Standard. But the Holman Standard footnotes that this reading of "and we are His" is "An alternate Hebrew tradition", but that "other Hebrew manuscripts, the LXX, Syriac and Vulgate read 'and not we ourselves' ". The NASB agrees with the KJB reading, but the online NASB informs us in a footnote that "Some Hebrew mss. read 'and His we are'.

As usual, the Catholic versions are all mixed up too, with the earlier Douay-Rheims reading as does the KJB, but the more recent Catholic versions like St. Joseph NAB and the Jerusalem Bible now reading like the NIV.

Just so we won't get too comfortable thinking that we actually have an inspired and preserved Bible, the NJKV, though its text reads as does the KJB, yet the online version informs us: "Following Kethib, Septuagint, and Vulgate; Qere, many Hebrew manuscripts, and Targum read we are His."

Not to be outdone in the realm of novelty, Peterson's 2002 The Message tells us: "He made us; WE DIDN'T MAKE HIM."

Psalm 102

102:6 "I am like A PELICAN of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert."

A PELICAN of the wilderness is the reading found in the KJB, Revised Version, American Standard Version, NKJV, NASB, Jewish translations of 1917, 1936, Geneva Bible, Young's, Darby and Douay versions. However the NIV, joining the ESV, says: "I am like a DESERT OWL...Or perhaps we should follow the RSV with its: "I am like A VULTURE of the wilderness..."

102:7 "I watch, and am as a SPARROW alone upon the house top."

Sparrow is the reading found in the KJB, NKJV, RV, ASV, Jewish translations of 1917, 1936, Geneva bible, Darby, Douay, Lamsa's translation of the Peshitta, TMB, and the 2001 English Standard Version. However the NASB, NIV, RSV, NRSV say: "I am like a LONELY BIRD on the house top."

Yet the NASB, NIV both translate this same word as SPARROW in other verses. See Pro. 26:2; Psalms 84:3. They just change it for the sake of changing to get their copyright.

102:10 "for thou hast lifted me up, and CAST ME DOWN."

"CAST ME DOWN" is the reading of the KJB, 1936 Jewish translation, Geneva, Darby, Young's, Douay, Green's interlinear, Third Millenium Bible and Lamsa's.

However the NKJV, RSV, NASB say: "you have CAST ME AWAY", while the NIV has: " you have THROWN ME ASIDE". Now, to be cast down by God is not the same thing as to be cast away or thrown aside. It is one thing for God to cast us down and humble us, and quite another for Him to cast us away. He will do the one for our good, but He will never do the other.

102:16 "WHEN the LORD SHALL BUILT UP Zion, he SHALL APPEAR in his glory."

This is obviously referring to the future and is so rendered in the KJB, NKJV, NIV, RSV, NRSV, ESV, Lamsa, Darby, TMB, and the Spanish Reina Valera. However the NASB puts this whole thing in the past tense by saying: "For the LORD HAS BUILT UP Zion, he HAS APPEARED in his glory."

All bibles do not teach the same thing, even when they translate the same texts. This is Bible Babel, not the sure words of God.

Psalm 104

104:4 "Who maketh HIS ANGELS SPIRITS; his ministers a flaming fire."

So read the KJB, NKJV, Darby, Douay, Spanish Reina Valera 1909, Third Millenium Bible, and Webster's. It is so quoted in all the versions in Hebrews 1:7 "And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire."

However the NASB, NIV, RSV, ESV read: " He makes WINDS HIS MESSENGERS, flames of fire his servants." Have you heard a message from the wind lately? To make His angels spirits is not the same thing as to make winds his messengers. This should be obvious, yet many insist on telling us all bibles say the same things.

104:8 "They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them."

The context here is speaking of the waters of the earth and the weather patterns. "THEY GO UP BY THE MOUNTAINS; THEY GO DOWN BY THE VALLEYS unto the place which thou hast founded for them. Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth. He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills. They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst."

Spurgeon comments: " They go up by the mountains, climbing in the form of clouds even to the summits of the Alps. They go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them: they are as willing to descend in rain, and brooks, and torrents as they were eager to ascend in mists."

Speaking of the waters that "go up by the mountains, they go down by the valleys" is the reading of the KJB, NKJV, RV, NIV, NRSV, NEB, Young's, Spanish, TMB

However the NASB, RSV, ESV and Geneva bible say: "THE MOUNTAINS ROSE, THE VALLEYS SANK DOWN to the place You did establish for them." Notice the RSV reads as the NASB, then the NRSV changed to read as the KJB, and then the ESV went back to the RSV reading. These are all revisions of one another and the scholars can't seem to make up their minds.

There is a big difference between the waters going up by the mountains and going down by the valleys, and the mountains rising and valleys sinking down.

104:18 "The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the CONIES."

A coney is a rabbit, or type of a rabbit. Conies is the reading of the KJB, RV, ASV, NRSV, Jewish translations of 1917, 1936, Young's, Geneva, Lamsa, even the NIV, and the Spanish agrees with conejos, which means rabbits.

But the NKJV, NASB, RSV, ESV read: "and the rocks for the ROCK BADGERS." Notice again how the RSV, NRSV and ESV go back and forth.

This word is found only four times in the O.T. and all are conies in the KJB. Proverbs 30:26 tells us "The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks."

104:34 "My meditation of him SHALL BE SWEET: I will be glad in the LORD."

This is a beautiful statement of fact in the KJB. The NKJV changes this to a request, like the NIV, NASB, and says: "MAY my meditation of Him be sweet", while the NASB, NIV have: "LET my meditation of him BE PLEASING to him." There is a difference between stating a fact and making a request. The point being that not all bibles say or teach the same things.

Psalm 106

106:15 "And he gave them their request; but SENT LEANNESS INTO THEIR SOUL."

This is the reading found in the KJB, RV, ASV, NKJV, TMB, Geneva Bible, 1917, 1936 Jewish translations, Young's, Darby, Spanish of 1909, and the modern Hebrew Names Version.

However the NIV, NASB, RSV, NRSV, and ESV all give a very different meaning here. They read: "He sent A WASTING DISEASE AMONG THEM."

These modern versions often reject the Hebrew reading and follow the Syriac or the LXX, but that would do them little good here. Both the Syriac and the LXX read: "He sent FULNESS into their souls" and the Douay actually reads this way, giving the opposite meaning found in the KJB.

Leanness is # 7332 and is used only 3 times. In Isaiah 10:16 we read: "Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones LEANNESS", and in Micah 6:10 we read of "the SCANT measure". This noun "leanness" comes from a verb used only twice and found in Zeph. 2:11 "he will FAMISH all the gods of the earth", and in Isaiah 19:4 "the fatness of his flesh SHALL WAX LEAN."

The word for "soul" here is neh-phesh # 5315 - soul or life.

The KJB and all the others are clearly correct in that God sent leanness into their souls. Their spiritual fellowship with God was diminished. However the reading of the NASB, NIV of "he sent a wasting disease among them" has a very different meaning and would speak of a physical affliction rather than a spiritual one.

105:28 "They joined themselves unto Baalpeor, and ate the sacrifices OF THE DEAD."

There is no verb found in the phrase "sacrifices of the dead". There is much difference of opinion as to what the phrase means, but it is better to just translate what the Hebrew says rather than forcing an interpretation on the passage. Some think it refers to necromancy, or offering sacrifices on behalf of those already dead. Others think it refers to offering sacrifices like those of the surrounding heathen who were dead in their sins, and thus, of no spiritual value. The RV, ASV, Hebrew Names Version and others agree with the KJB.

However the NKJV adds a verb saying: "They ate the sacrifices MADE TO the dead", the NASB has: "they ate the sacrifices OFFERED TO the dead", while the NIV differs from them all and says: "they ate sacrifices OFFERED TO LIFELESS GODS." There is no way the verb used in "the dead" can be translated as "lifeless gods" - that is pure conjecture on the part of the NIV, and its "interpretation" differs from that of the NKJV, NASB.

105:30 "Then stood up Phinehas, and EXECUTED JUDGMENT: and so the plague was stayed." The verb used here clearly means to judge or execute judgment, and that is what Phinehas did by killing the two offending parties involved. See Numbers 25:7-8.

"Executed judgment" is the reading of the KJB, RV, ASV, 1917, 1936 Jewish translations, Youngs, Darby and others. However the NKJV, NIV, NASB, and RSV have all been watered down to say merely that Phinehas INTERVENED, rather than executed judgment.

106:33

"They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes. Because they provoked his spirit so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips."

Here "his spirit" refers to Moses and he spake unadvisedly with his lips. "his spirit" referring to Moses, is the reading of the KJB, RV, ASV, Jewish translations, RSV, NRSV, ESV, Darby, Young and others.

However the NKJV, NASB say they provoked His Spirit, thus making this God's Spirit, rather than the spirit of Moses.

The NIV goes even further by adding words not found in any Hebrew text and says: "They rebelled against THE SPIRIT OF GOD, and rash words came from MOSES' lips." Here the NIV adds "of God" and "Moses" to the Hebrew texts besides altering the meaning found in the KJB.

110:1 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

110:2 The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.

110:3 THY PEOPLE SHALL BE WILLING IN THE DAY OF THY POWER, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: THOU HAST THE DEW OF THY YOUTH.

110:4 The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

Verse 3 has been changed in many modern versions. The context refers to the Lord Jesus Christ who was raised from the dead and then seated at the right hand of God. In Acts 2:30 - 35, the apostle Peter applies this passage to the resurrection of Christ from the dead, and states that His flesh saw no corruption.

" Therefore (David) being a prophet and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses...For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool."

The day of His power is the present day of salvation. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. Romans 1:3-4 refers to the gospel of God, "Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead."

God works in His people to make us willing. "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."

The reading of THY PEOPLE SHALL BE WILLING IN THE DAY OF THY POWER, is that of the KJB, Revised Version, American Standard Version, Webster's 1833 translation, KJV21, TMB, Green's interlinear, Darby, 1936 Jewish translation, the Spanish Reina Valera, and the World English Bible.

Instead of "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power", the NKJV says: "Your people will be VOLUNTEERS in the day of your power." The NASB is very similar with: "Your people will VOLUNTEER FREELY in the day of Your power", but the NIV has: "Your TROOPS will be willing ON YOUR DAY OF BATTLE." The NIV in particular has lost the principal meaning.

There is also much confusion about the meaning of the phrase "Thou hast the dew of thy youth". I think most commentators have missed it completely. The context is speaking about the resurrection of Christ from the dead. His flesh saw no corruption. He was raised from the dead in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning of that resurrection day, and became the Head of a new creation. This corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. See 1 Cor. 15:45-54 and 2 Cor.5:17.

Compare the use of the word Dew in Isaiah 26:19 which also speaks of the resurrection. "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise, Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy DEW is as the dew of herbs." There is a fresh beginning of a new eternal day and our youth will be restored; but all this was first true of Christ, who is our representative Head.

"Thou hast the dew of thy youth."

The NKJV agrees with the KJB and others, but the NASB says: "Your youth ARE TO YOU as the dew"; the NIV has "You WILL RECEIVE the dew of your youth", and the ESV reads: "the dew of your youth will be yours." Then in a footnote, the ESV says "the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain."

It is of interest to note that the RSV, NRSV both say: "from the womb of the morning, like the dew, your youth will come to you". This rendering can be taken either way, but both versions tell us in a footnote that the Hebrew literally reads "the dew of your youth", which is what the KJB says.

The interpretive rendering of the NASB makes the "dew" out to be people of youth who come to Christ. In any case, the meaning found in all bibles is not the same, even when they use the same Hebrew texts.

Psalm 118

118:13 "THOU HAST THRUST SORE AT ME that I might fall: but the LORD helped me."

The Hebrew reading here is clearly THOU, or "you" as some modern versions have it. THOU is the reading of the KJB, RV, ASV, Young's, the Jewish translations of 1917, 1936, and the Geneva Bibles. The "thou hast thrust sore at me" is addressed to each of the many enemies who compassed Israel about like bees.

The NKJV, NASB read: "YOU pushed me violently..."

However the NIV, RSV and ESV all reject the Hebrew reading and follow the LXX and Syriac. The NIV reads: "I WAS PUSHED BACK..." The NIV departs from the Hebrew Scriptures well over 80 times and follows the Syriac, LXX, Vulgate or some other source. They usually tell you this in their footnotes, but not this time. However if you consult either the RSV or the ESV, they tell you in a footnote that the Hebrew reads "You" but the reading of "I" comes from the LXX and the Syriac. Though the ESV also follows the LXX and Syriac, yet in their footnote the ESV informs us: "Hebrew You (that is, the enemy) pushed me hard."

Psalm 118:22

"The stone which the builders refused is become THE HEAD STONE OF THE CORNER, This is the Lord's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes."

The "head stone of the corner" or its equivalent of "chief corner stone" is found in the RV, ASV, KJB, NKJV, NASB, RSV, NRSV, ESV, Jewish translations, Geneva, Young's and many others including the Living Bible, World English Bible,and New Century Version .

The head stone of the corner is placed on the foundation and gives the whole structure it's strength and shape. However the NIV joins the equally blasphemous Message in turning the whole thing upside down and says: "the stone the builders rejected has become THE CAPSTONE". The capstone is the very last stone put in place at the top of the building. Apparently the new revision of the old NIV, the 2005 TNIV, realized their previous blunder, and they have now changed this updated version to read "the CORNERSTONE".

Psalm 118:27

"God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: BIND THE SACRIFICE WITH CORDS, even unto the horns of the altar."

These last two predictions refer to the Lord Jesus Christ, who would become the rejected corner stone of His church and the sacrifice upon the horns of the altar.

Compare this reading of "bind the sacrifice" to the spiritual type found in Genesis 22:9 where Abraham "bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar."

"Bind the sacrifice with cords" is the reading of the RV, ASV, NKJV, 1936 Jewish translation, Webster's, KJV 21, Third Millenium Bible, Darby, and the Hebrew Names Version.

The NASB, ESV are a little different with "Bind the festival sacrifice with cords", but they still have the idea of a sacrifice. However the RSV has: "bind the festal procession with branches up to the horns of the altar", (say what!?!), while the NIV says: "The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. WITH BOUGHS IN HAND, JOIN IN THE FESTAL PROCESSION up to the horns of the altar." This rendering loses all reference to the predicted sacrificial death of Christ, the lamb of God who fulfilled the type given in Isaac. The niv's "message" is not the same.

Even Daniel Wallace's NET version contains the idea of a "sacrifice" when he translates the passgage as: "Tie the OFFERING with ropes to the horns of the altar!". Then he footnotes: "The Hebrew noun normally means “festival,” but here it apparently refers metonymically to an offering made at the festival."

More concerning the CORNER STONE versus the CAPSTONE of the NIV.

In Matthew 21:42 we read: "Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the HEAD OF THE CORNER: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?"

The KJB contains the literal rendering. So also the Revised Version, the ASV, Geneva, Young, Tyndale and even the RSV. The head, kephale, is used as Christ the head of the Church, the head of the body, the man being the head of the woman, etc. Corner is govia, as in in the corners of the streets, this thing was not done in a corner, the four corners of the earth.

This name or reference to Christ as the head of the corner occurs in Mat.21:42; Mark 12:10, Acts 4:11 and I Peter 2:7. The NKJV and NASB are pretty close with "chief corner stone", though the word stone is not in the text, but it can be implied.

In any case, a corner stone, or head of the corner is a large stone placed at the angle where 2 walls of a building meet, and helps bind them together. This large stone gives direction to the entire structure, and is the first stone put into place.

Notice the reference in Job 38:4-6 where the LORD asks Job "Where wast thou when I laid the foundation of the earth? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof?"

However the NIV has totally messed up these four references to Christ being the head of the corner, and instead has translated the exact same Greek as "the CAPSTONE." "The stone which the builders rejected has become the capstone."

Now the capstone is not the first stone placed in the foundation of the building to give it shape and direction, but is rather the very last stone to be placed in the near finished structure. A capstone goes on the top of the building, so it is the exact opposite of the head of the corner.

The NIV even contradicts itself. If we look at the prophesy found in Isaiah 28:16 we read: “ Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a FOUNDATION a stone, a tried stone, a precious CORNER STONE, a sure FOUNDATION.” This corner stone is the foundation, not the capstone. Even the NIV has “a precious corner stone for a sure foundation.”

Don't worry, they are just updating that old fashioned KJB language so we can better understand it. They aren't really perverting (turning upside down) the words of God.

Psalms 121:1 "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth."

Notice this is a statement in the KJB. "from whence cometh my help". It is also a statement in the Geneva Bible, Douay, Italian Diodati, Spanish 1909, Lamsa's translation of the Peshitta, Third Millenium Bible, KJV 21, Webster's translation, and even in the LXX.

However the NKJV, NIV, RSV, and NASB unite in making it a question. The NKJV reads: " I will lift up my eyes to the hills - From whence comes my help?"

John Gill notes in his commentary: " I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,... to the hills of Moriah and Zion, where the ark of God, the symbol of his presence, was, and to whom he looked for assistance and deliverance: or to heaven, the holy hill of the Lord, and to him that dwelleth there."

Compare Psalms 125:2 where the lofty mountains surrounding Jerusalem are symbolic of God's watchful presence. "As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever." And Psalms 3:4 "I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah."

Psalm 122:3- 4 "Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, UNTO THE TESTIMONY of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD."

"the testimony of Israel" would be the God given laws and words of the living Lord of glory. The word is used in "the ark of the testimony" Ex. 25:16; "the two tables of the testimony" Ex. 32:15; and "the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple" Psalm 19:7.

That they go up UNTO the testimony is the reading of the NKJV too, and Lamsa's and the 1936 Jewish translation and others, but the NASB, NIV change the meaning by saying: "city that is compact together; to which the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord -- AN ORDINANCE FOR Israel." The NIV has: "according to the statute given to Israel." These versions have them obeying a command rather than going up UNTO the testimony or words of God. I'm merely pointing out that the meaning is not the same.

Psalm 138:2 Magnified thy word ABOVE all thy name

Psalm 138:2 "I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for the lovingkindness and for thy TRUTH: for thou hast magnified thy word ABOVE all thy name."

The word "Truth" is disappearing from the modern bibles. The word TRUTH is found 118 times in the Old Testament of the KJB. In the NASB the number is down to 92, 26 fewer times than the KJB and in the NIV the number is down to 41 times, or about one third the number of times as in the KJB. Maybe with one or two more modern, improved, up to date versions, we will finally be rid of that pesky word "truth". It seems the modern scholars are working on it.

The NIV and nas have substitued "faithfullnes" for truth, and the meaning is not the same. For example in Psalms 100:5 "For the LORD is good; his MERCY is everlasting; and his TRUTH endureth to all generations." The NASB has "lovingkindness" instead of "mercy" and "faithfulness" instead of truth.

Mercy is God not dealing with us as our sins and iniquities deserve. The NIV has "love" instead of mercy, and faithfullness instead of truth.

In fact, if you look at the complete concordances, the words "mercy, merciful, and mercies" occur 288 times in the Old Testament of the KJB, while in the NASB only 51 times and the NIV only 85 times. They substitute either lovingkindness, or as in the niv "love" which is a totally different word in Hebrew and in English.

Love and mercy are not at all the same things. Mercy implies that we deserve judgment, punishment and condemnation, but God has not done so with us. Love does not have this meaning at all. Something is definitely lost in the modern versions.

The phrase in Psalm 138:2 "thou hast magnified thy word ABOVE all thy name" is found in the 1917 and 1936 Hebrew- English versions, Revised Version 1881, the NKJV 1982, the American Standard Version 1901, Green's interlinear 2000, Webster's 1833, Darby 1870, Youngs, Rotherham's 1902 Emphasized Bible, the Complete Jewish Bible, the 21st Century KJV, the French Martin 1744 “car tu as magnifié ta parole au-dessus de toute ta renommée”, the Modern Greek translation, .and the Italian Diodati 1649 “tu hai magnificata la tua parola, sopra ogni tua fama.”. This is literally what it says.

The NASB however says: "For Thou hast magnified Thy word ACCORDING TO all Thy name". The word is # 5921 - (al) - and it means "above" as in Gen. 1:7 the waters were above the firmament" and Gen.27:39 dew from heaven above.

The NIV, Holman, and the 2001 ESV read: "You have exalted above all things your name and your word." Just by switching a few words around they have changed the meaning of the whole sentence. But at least they correctly translated "above" whereas the NASB did not.

Thr RSV is interesting in that it reads: "Thou hast exalted above everything thing Thy name and Thy word." It reads basically like the NIV, ESV, but the RSV tells us in their footnotes: - 'Hebrew "exalted Thy word ABOVE all thy name." The NRSV reads like the RSV, and its footnote tells us they have "corrected" the text (Cn), and that the Hebrew literally says what is found in the KJB. A similar footnote is found in the ESV.

Daniel Wallace's goofy NET version renders the verse: "for you have exalted YOUR PROMISE ABOVE THE ENTIRE SKY." Then in his footnote he tells us: "3tc The MT reads, “for you have made great over all your name your word.” If retained, this must mean that God's mighty intervention, in fulfillment of his word of promise, surpassed anything he had done prior to this. However, the statement is odd and several emendations have been proposed. Some read, “for you have exalted over everything your name and your word,” while others suggest, “for you have exalted over all the heavens your name and your word.” The translation assumes an emendation of “your name” to “your heavens” (a construction that appears in Pss 8:3 and 144:5). The point is that God has been faithful to his promise and the reliability of that promise is apparent to all."

How foolish of men to change the true words of God. The result of "altering the text" by men like Daniel Wallace is that they "understand neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm" (1 Timothy 1:7). There is no specific promise made in this Psalm that "surpassed anything he had done prior to this", as Mr. Wallace tells us. David is merely praising God for the Truth of His Word in all circumstances. It is foolish presumption on the part of some wannabe scholar to alter the text of the inerrant words of God merely because he doesn't understand the meaning of a certain passage. The fault is not with the Text, but with the Fool who places his own understanding above what God has written. Men like Wallace clearly do not believe in an inerrant Bible in any language.

Holman Standard - "You have exalted Your name AND Your promise above EVERYTHING ELSE."

Judaica Press Complete Tanach - "for You magnified Your word OVER ALL YOUR NAMES."

The Message- "Most holy is your name, most holy is your Word. "

Catholic Douay Rheims - "for thou hast magnified THY HOLY NAME ABOVE ALL."

Lamsa's translation of the Syriac - "for thou hast magnified thy word above EVERY name."

The King James Bible was the FIRST ENGLISH TRANSLATION TO GET IT RIGHT.

Wycliffe 1395 - "for thou hast magnefied thin hooli name aboue al thing."

Geneva Bible 1599 - "for thou hast magnified thy Name ABOVE ALL THINGS BY THY WORD."

Coverdale 1535 - "for thou hast magnified thy worde, acordynge vnto thy greate name."

English Standard Version 2001 - "for you have exalted above all things your name AND your word." FOOTNOTES: OR, YOU HAVE EXALTED YOUR WORD ABOVE ALL YOUR NAME." At least they got it right in their footnote!

This is what the Hebrew and the King James Bible read, but the new version editors have a much lower view of God's word, and Psalm 138:2 is one example of many where they have changed what God really said.

In what sense then can God magnify His word above His name? My understanding of this is that God Himself is subject to His spoken word and compelled by His very nature to fulfill what He has sworn to do. Let's look at some examples of this.

Hebrews 6:13-18 "For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multplying I will multiply thee...For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which is was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us."

We see God's spoken words promising a seed to Abraham and making a mighty nation from his loins. See Genesis 15:5; 21:13. Yet later in Israels history when they had grievously sinned and God threatened to destroy them, Moses pleads with God in Exodus 32:7-14 "Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom THOU SWAREST BY THINE OWN SELF, and SAIDST unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it forever." Then we read "And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people."

Christ Himself was God manifest in the flesh and when it came time for Him to go to the cross and become sin for His people, His soul was exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death. He prayed that if it were possible this cup of suffering might pass from Him. Yet He knew the Scriptures promised that these things must be so and He yielded to the Father's will and word. "The scriptures must be fulfilled"; and "Thus it is written, and thus IT BEHOOVED Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day." See Mark 14:49, Luke 24:46.

If God has sworn in His word to do something, then He is subject to this oath and bound by His word to fulfill it, no matter what the cost to Himself nor to His Son, and without regard to the sins and unfaithfulness of His people.

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