The Text, Grammar, and Meaning of Ps. 8:2b

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Introduction[ ]

Psalm 8:2b (אֲשֶׁ֥ר תְּנָ֥ה ה֝וֹדְךָ֗ עַל־הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃) has perplexed interpreters for centuries.[1] The confusion is evident in translations of this line. Compare, for example, the RSV and the NRSV:

RSV: "Thou whose glory above the heavens is chanted"
NRSV: "You have set your glory above the heavens."

The confusion centers around the anomalous form תְּנָה, which has been either interpreted (as an imperative or an infinitive from the root נתן) or emended to a variety of other forms.[2]

Argument Maps[ ]

The Morphology of תְּנָה[ ]

Some have argued that תְּנָה is an imperative. This is the obvious place to start since in every other instance in the Bible תְּנָה is an imperative ("give!/put!"). The meaning would be "who, put your glory on the heavens!" None of the modern translations consulted reflect this view.

תְּנָה as an imperative[ ]


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[Imperative]: תְּנָה is an imperative from the root נתן ("to give/put") (Gesenius; Briggs 1906 :C:). This view is "usually accepted" (HALOT, 1761 :L:).#dispreferred
 + <Imperative>: Elsewhere, תְּנָה is always an imperative (תן + final ה) ("give/put!") (cf. GKC 66h :C:). Therefore, תְּנָה cannot be understood as anything other than an imperative (Hupfeld 149-153 :C:).#dispreferred
  + [תְּנָה]: E.g., Gen. 30:26; 42:37; Pss. 69:28; 86:16.#dispreferred
 - <Syntactically impossible>: An imperative cannot occur within a relative clause (Delitzsch 1883 :C:; Baethgen 1904 :C:; Barthélemy 2005 :C:; cf. Holmstedt 2016 :M:).
 - <Contextually unlikely>: The rest of the psalm assumes that YHWH's majesty is already on/above the heavens (Hupfeld 1855 :C:; Baethgen 1904 :C:).


Argument Mapn0Imperativeתְּנָה is an imperative from the root נתן ("to give/put") (Gesenius; Briggs 1906 🄲). This view is "usually accepted" (HALOT, 1761 🄻).n1תְּנָהE.g., Gen. 30:26; 42:37; Pss. 69:28; 86:16.n2ImperativeElsewhere, תְּנָה is always an imperative (תן + final ה) ("give/put!") (cf. GKC 66h 🄲). Therefore, תְּנָה cannot be understood as anything other than an imperative (Hupfeld 149-153 🄲).n1->n2n2->n0n3Syntactically impossibleAn imperative cannot occur within a relative clause (Delitzsch 1883 🄲; Baethgen 1904 🄲; Barthélemy 2005 🄲; cf. Holmstedt 2016 🄼).n3->n0n4Contextually unlikelyThe rest of the psalm assumes that YHWH's majesty is already on/above the heavens (Hupfeld 1855 🄲; Baethgen 1904 🄲).n4->n0


תְּנָה as an infinitive[ ]

If תְּנָה (which looks like an imperative) cannot be an imperative in this case, then what is it? Many have argued that תְּנָה in this verse is an infinitive construct, in which case the meaning would be: "you, the putting of whose glory is on the heavens."[3] 


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[Infinitive construct]: תְּנָה is an infinitive construct from the root נתן ("to give/put") (IBHS, 11.2.13b :G:; Ibn Ezra :C:; Calvin :C:; Hengstenberg 1863 :C:; Ewald :C:; Barthélemy 2005 :C:).
 + <Analogy with מֵרְדָה in Gen. 46:3>: The anomalous form in Ps. 8 (תְּנָה) finds an analogy in the infinitive construct form מֵרְדָה in Gen. 46:3 (רְדָה instead of רֶדֶת) (IBHS, 11.2.13b :G:; Ibn Ezra :C:) (cf. Hos. 9:11; Ex. 2:4.
  - [I-nun vs I-yod]: ירד is a I-yod verb, whereas נתן is a I-nun verb (Baethgen 1904:20 :C:). #dispreferred
   <_ <נתן and I-waw patterns>: The verb נתן has an "i-class thematic vowel in the Qal imperfect, imperative and infinitive construct... Since the thematic vowel in corresponding forms of certain Primae Waw verbs such as ירד is also of the I-class, and since the base tn 'to give' was expanded in Northwest Semitic not only with initial n but also with initial w > y, it would appear that the vowel in question has been held over in Hebrew from a Primae Waw development" (Young 1960 :A:).
 - <תֵּת>: The infinitive construct form of נתן is usually תֵּת (GKC, 66h :G:; JM, 72i :G:; BHRG, 18.11.3 :G:). #dispreferred
  + [תֵּת]: E.g., Gen. 4:12; Ps. 78:20
  <_ [נְתֹן]: The form נְתֹן occurs in Num. 20:21 and Gen. 38:9.

<Unusual and unnecessary form>: If the author intended to say "you put your glory on the heavens" he would have used a *qatal* form.#dispreferred
 -> [Infinitive construct]
 - [Semantic explanation]: "Perhaps the author wrote תּנה הודך instead of נתתּ הודך, because he  wishes to describe the setting out of the heavens with divine splendour as being constantly repeated and not as done once for all” (Delitzsch 1883:192 :C:).
 - [Phonological explanation]: The author may have chosen תנה because it sounds like מה in the previous line. (Note that there are other sound correspondences between v. 2a and v. 2b: שם // שמים; ארץ // אשר)


Argument Mapn0Infinitive constructתְּנָה is an infinitive construct from the root נתן ("to give/put") (IBHS, 11.2.13b 🄶; Ibn Ezra 🄲; Calvin 🄲; Hengstenberg 1863 🄲; Ewald 🄲; Barthélemy 2005 🄲).n1I-nun vs I-yodירד is a I-yod verb, whereas נתן is a I-nun verb (Baethgen 1904:20 🄲). n6Analogy with מֵרְדָה in Gen. 46:3The anomalous form in Ps. 8 (תְּנָה) finds an analogy in the infinitive construct form מֵרְדָה in Gen. 46:3 (רְדָה instead of רֶדֶת) (IBHS, 11.2.13b 🄶; Ibn Ezra 🄲) (cf. Hos. 9:11; Ex. 2:4.n1->n6n2תֵּתE.g., Gen. 4:12; Ps. 78:20n8תֵּתThe infinitive construct form of נתן is usually תֵּת (GKC, 66h 🄶; JM, 72i 🄶; BHRG, 18.11.3 🄶). n2->n8n3נְתֹןThe form נְתֹן occurs in Num. 20:21 and Gen. 38:9.n3->n8n4Semantic explanation"Perhaps the author wrote תּנה הודך instead of נתתּ הודך, because he wishes to describe the setting out of the heavens with divine splendour as being constantly repeated and not as done once for all” (Delitzsch 1883:192 🄲).n9Unusual and unnecessary formIf the author intended to say "you put your glory on the heavens" he would have used a qatal  form.n4->n9n5Phonological explanationThe author may have chosen תנה because it sounds like מה in the previous line. (Note that there are other sound correspondences between v. 2a and v. 2b: שם n5->n9n6->n0n7נתן and I-waw patternsThe verb נתן has an "i-class thematic vowel in the Qal imperfect, imperative and infinitive construct... Since the thematic vowel in corresponding forms of certain Primae Waw verbs such as ירד is also of the I-class, and since the base tn 'to give' was expanded in Northwest Semitic not only with initial n but also with initial w > y, it would appear that the vowel in question has been held over in Hebrew from a Primae Waw development" (Young 1960 🄰).n7->n1n8->n0n9->n0


תנה from a root meaning "to praise"[ ]

In light of the difficulties involved in holding to either of the above views, others have suggested that the text should be re-vocalized and that the form is not from the root נתן, as commonly assumed, but from the root תנה. For example, the RSV and NEB reflect the view that תנה should be vocalized as תֻּנָּה (a pual form from the root תנה meaning "is praised"). 


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[תֻּנָּה]: The form תְּנָה should be re-vocalized as תֻּנָּה ("praised") (RSV, NEB, REB, GNT).#dispreferred
 + <תֻּנָּה as praised>: The *pual* תֻּנָּה (from תנה) means "be recounted/praised," and this works well in the context.#dispreferred
  + [Judges 5.11]: The verb תנה occurs in the *piel* stem in Judges 5:11 with the meaning "recount" (BDB :L:; HALOT :L:; DCH :L:).#dispreferred
  + <Poetic structure>: If this reading is adopted, then v. 2b can be read with v. 3 as a four line strophe (cf. Fokkelman 2000:69-70 :C:). As a result, the lines in vv. 2b-3 are balanced and the body of the psalm would consist of four quatrains bound by an inclusion (vv. 2a, 10).#dispreferred
  + [Mouths]: The praising of YHWH's name (v. 2b) fits well with the prepositional phrase in the next line "from the mouths...".#dispreferred
 - <נתן הוד על>: The  attempt ... to  derive  the  word  from  another  verb  than נתן,  is  refuted  alone  by  the  parallel  passages... in  which  נתן הוד  is  found  exactly as  here,  with על" (Hengstenberg 1863 :C:).
  + E.g., Num. 27:20; Dan. 11:21; 1 Chron. 29:25; cf. Ps. 21:6.

<Traditional text division>: The oldest and best witnesses to the division of the text group "from the mouths..." with the following clause and not with the previous clause (MT, LXX cf. Matt. 21:16, Jerome).
 -> <Poetic structure>
 _> [Mouths]


Argument Mapn0תֻּנָּהThe form תְּנָה should be re-vocalized as תֻּנָּה ("praised") (RSV, NEB, REB, GNT).n1Judges 5.11The verb תנה occurs in the piel  stem in Judges 5:11 with the meaning "recount" (BDB 🄻; HALOT 🄻; DCH 🄻).n4תֻּנָּה as praisedThe pual  תֻּנָּה (from תנה) means "be recounted/praised," and this works well in the context.n1->n4n2MouthsThe praising of YHWH's name (v. 2b) fits well with the prepositional phrase in the next line "from the mouths...".n2->n4n3E.g., Num. 27:20; Dan. 11:21; 1 Chron. 29:25; cf. Ps. 21:6.n6נתן הוד עלThe  attempt ... to  derive  the  word from  another  verb  than נתן, is refuted  alone  by  the  parallel passages... in  which  נתן הוד  is found  exactly as  here, with על" (Hengstenberg 1863 🄲).n3->n6n4->n0n5Poetic structureIf this reading is adopted, then v. 2b can be read with v. 3 as a four line strophe (cf. Fokkelman 2000:69-70 🄲). As a result, the lines in vv. 2b-3 are balanced and the body of the psalm would consist of four quatrains bound by an inclusion (vv. 2a, 10).n5->n4n6->n0n7Traditional text divisionThe oldest and best witnesses to the division of the text group "from the mouths..." with the following clause and not with the previous clause (MT, LXX cf. Matt. 21:16, Jerome).n7->n2n7->n5


The Meaning of the Phrase עַל־הַשָּׁמָיִם[ ]

Related to the issue of the morphology of תנה is the issue of the meaning of עַל־הַשָּׁמָיִם. Does it mean "above/over the heavens?" or "on the heavens?" 


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["On the heavens"]: The preposition על means "on" (i.e., YHWH's glory is placed on the heavens) (BDB :L:; Hupfeld 1855:153 :C:).
 + <נתן הוד על>: The expression נתן הוד על elsewhere means "to confer or transmit authority," usually of a king/leader to another king/leader.
  + E.g., Num. 27:20 (Moses to Joshua); Dan. 11:21 (someone to new king); 1 Chron. 29:25 (YHWH to Solomon); cf. Ps. 21:6 (YHWH to king).

["Above the heavens"]: The preposition על means "above" or "over" (i.e., YHWH's glory is higher than the heavens) (cf. NLT). #dispreferred
 + <Ps. 148:13>: Ps. 148:13 says that YHWH's majesty (הוד) is על (=above) earth and heaven. Cf. נתן + על in Deut. 26:19; 28:1). #dispreferred


Argument Mapn0"On the heavens"The preposition על means "on" (i.e., YHWH's glory is placed on the heavens) (BDB 🄻; Hupfeld 1855:153 🄲).n1E.g., Num. 27:20 (Moses to Joshua); Dan. 11:21 (someone to new king); 1 Chron. 29:25 (YHWH to Solomon); cf. Ps. 21:6 (YHWH to king).n3נתן הוד עלThe expression נתן הוד על elsewhere means "to confer or transmit authority," usually of a king/leader to another king/leader.n1->n3n2"Above the heavens"The preposition על means "above" or "over" (i.e., YHWH's glory is higher than the heavens) (cf. NLT). n3->n0n4Ps. 148:13Ps. 148:13 says that YHWH's majesty (הוד) is על (=above) earth and heaven. Cf. נתן + על in Deut. 26:19; 28:1). n4->n2


Conclusion[ ]

We have rendered Ps. 8:2 as follows:

YHWH, our lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth,
you whose glory is bestowed on the heavens.

This assumes that תנה is an infinitive construct from the root נתן (lit.: "the bestowing of your glory is on the heavens"). While this view is not without problems (see argument map above), it seems to be the least problematic. The author may have chosen the anomalous form for the sake of alliteration and/or to express the ongoing nature of YHWH's bestowal of glory on the heavens. Elsewhere in the Bible, the expression נָתַן הוֹד עַל ("to put glory on someone") refers to the bestowal of glory on someone (i.e., conferring authority on them to rule). In the context of Ps. 8 (which reflects on the creation story of Genesis 1), YHWH's bestowing glory on the heavens may refer to his creation of the sun, moon, and stars "to rule" the day and the night (cf. Gen. 1:16-18).

The re-vocalization of the text to read תֻּנָה ("praised") is an attractive alternative. It would seem to resolve the grammatical issues and allow for a balanced poetic structure. However, the resulting division of the text contradicts the division according to the best witnesses (MT, LXX, cf. Matt. 21:16), which group "out of the mouths..." with what follows rather than with what precedes. Furthermore, because the phrase "putting glory on x" (נָתַן הוֹד עַל) is an expression attested elsewhere, it is the more probable meaning here.

Research[ ]

Translations[ ]

Ancient[ ]

  • LXX: ὅτι ἐπήρθη ἡ μεγαλοπρέπειά σου ὑπεράνω τῶν οὐρανῶν
  • Σ': ος εταξας τον επαινον σου
  • Hier: qui posuisti gloriam tuam super caelos
  • Tg.: דיהבתא זיוך עיל מן שמיא׃
  • Syr.: ܕܝܗܒܬ ܫܘܒܚܟ ܥܠ ܫܡܝܐ܂

The parent text of the versions is not clear (Barthélemy). It may not have differed from the MT. It is possible that Sym., Hier., Syr., and Tg. interpreted the MT text as an infinitive construct and translated it as a perfect (Baethgen 1904)

Modern[ ]

  • Translations that read תנה as from the root נתן
    • Translations that read על as "on" or "in"
      • You have set your glory in the heavens (NIV)
      • You reveal your majesty in the heavens above (NET; cf. LUT [der du zeigst deine Hoheit am Himmel]; HFA [der Himmel ist Zeichen deiner Hoheit und Macht])
      • You who have covered the heavens with Your splendor (JPS85; cf. ELB [der du deine Hoheit gelegt hast auf den Himmel])
    • Translations that read על as "above"
      • You have set your glory above the heavens (NRSV, ESV; cf. EÜ [der du deine Hoheit gebreitet hast über den Himmel], so ZÜR; RVR-95 [has puesto... sobre], so NVI)
      • Your glory is higher than the heavens (NLT; cf. GNB [Deine Hoheit reicht höher als der Himmel]; DHH [tu gloria se extiende más allá del cielo])
  • Translations that read תנה as from the root תנה
    • Thou whose glory is praised in the heavens (RSV)
    • Your praise reaches up to the heavens (GNT)
    • Thy majesty is praised high as the heavens (NEB)
    • Whoever keeps singing of your majesty higher than the heavens (NJB)

Secondary Literature[ ]

  • Young, Dwight W. “Notes on the Root Ntn in Biblical Hebrew.” Vetus Testamentum 10, no. 4 (October 1960): 457–59.

References[ ]

8:2 Approved

  1. ↑ Compare, for example, the Septuagint with the other ancient translations. In the medieval period, David Kimhi argued in his Hebrew grammar that the form was imperative before changing his mind and arguing in his Psalms commentary that it is an infinitive. In the modern period, Gesenius similarly struggled with this issue, first arguing for an infinitive interpretation and later changing his mind to an imperative interpretation. See Barthélemy 2005.
  2. ↑ For a concise summary of proposed interpretations and emendations, see HALOT's entry on תנה (pg. 1760).
  3. ↑ Most translations have a past tense form. Where the translators have left no notes, it is difficult to tell whether the translators have interpreted the form as infinitive and translated it as past or whether they have emended the text to read a past tense form.
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