Psalm 8/Notes/Phrasal.V. 6.255406

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  • from (being) a heavenly being. Most lexicons (SDBH, DCH, HALOT) and translations, ancient (LXX, the Three) and modern (NIV, ESV, NET, CEV, GNT, NEB; LUT, HFA, NGU, ELB, EU, GNB, ZUR) seem to treat the min as comparative.[1] However, as Delitzsch explains, "חסר מן signifies to cause one to be deficient in something, so that it is wanting to him (Eccles. 4:8). מן is neither comparative (paullo inferiorem ewm fecisti Deo) nor partitive (paullum derogasti ei divine naturae), but, seeing that אלהים is never used in an abstract manner so as to be equivalent to divine essentiality, negative (paullum derogasti ei ne esset Deus), so that אלהים is equivalent to מהיות אלהים, cf. 31 in 1 Sam. 15:23, מעם in Isa. 7:8."[2]
  1. ↑ This may be supported by the fact that comparative min is used with morphologically stative verbs like חסר (JM 141h).
  2. ↑ Delitzsch 1883, 196f. So also BDB 583.7b(b).