15:11 Who is like you, 1 O Lord, among the gods? 2
Who is like you? – majestic in holiness, fearful in praises, 3 working wonders?
86:8 None can compare to you among the gods, O Lord!
Your exploits are incomparable! 6
89:6 For who in the skies can compare to the Lord?
Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings, 7
89:8 O Lord, sovereign God! 8
Who is strong like you, O Lord?
Your faithfulness surrounds you.
10:6 I said, 9
“There is no one like you, Lord. 10
You are great.
And you are renowned for your power. 11
10:16 The Lord, who is the inheritance 12 of Jacob’s descendants, 13 is not like them.
He is the one who created everything.
And the people of Israel are those he claims as his own. 14
He is known as the Lord who rules over all.” 15
1 tn The question is of course rhetorical; it is a way of affirming that no one is comparable to God. See C. J. Labuschagne, The Incomparability of Yahweh in the Old Testament, 22, 66-67, and 94-97.
2 sn Verses 11-17 will now focus on Yahweh as the incomparable one who was able to save Israel from their foes and afterward lead them to the promised land.
3 tn S. R. Driver suggests “praiseworthy acts” as the translation (Exodus, 137).
4 tn Heb “commanding.”
5 tn Heb “the
6 tn Heb “and there are none like your acts.”
7 tn Heb “sons of gods”; or “sons of God.” Though אֵלִים (’elim) is vocalized as a plural form (“gods”) in the Hebrew text, it is likely that the final mem (ם) is actually enclitic rather than a plural marker. In this case one may read “God.” Some, following a Qumran text and the LXX, also propose the phrase occurred in the original text of Deut 32:8. The phrase בְנֵי אֵלִים (vÿney ’elim, “sons of gods” or “sons of God”) occurs only here and in Ps 29:1. Since the “sons of gods/God” are here associated with “the assembly of the holy ones” and “council of the holy ones,” the heavenly assembly (comprised of so-called “angels” and other supernatural beings) appears to be in view. See Job 5:1; 15:15 and Zech 14:5, where these supernatural beings are referred to as “holy ones.” In Canaanite mythological texts the divine council of the high god El is called “the sons of El.” The OT apparently uses the Canaanite phrase, applying it to the supernatural beings that surround the
8 tn Traditionally “God of hosts.” The title here pictures the
9 tn The words “I said” are not in the Hebrew text, but there appears to be a shift in speaker. Someone is now addressing the
10 tn The form that introduces this line has raised debate. The form מֵאֵין (me’en) normally means “without” and introduces a qualification of a term expressing desolation or “so that not” and introduces a negative result (cf. BDB 35 s.v. II אַיִן 6.b). Neither of these nuances fit either this verse or the occurrence in v. 7. BDB 35 s.v. II אַיִן 6.b.γ notes that some have explained this as a strengthened form of אַיִן (’ayin) which occurs in a similar phrase five other times (cf., e.g., 1 Kgs 8:23). Though many including BDB question the validity of this solution it is probably better than the suggestion that BDB gives of repointing to מֵאַיִן (me’ayin, “whence”), which scarcely fits the context of v. 7, or the solution of HALOT 41 s.v. I אַיִן, which suggests that the מ (mem) is a double writing (dittograph) of the final consonant from the preceding word. That would assume that the scribe made the same error twice or was influenced the second time by the first erroneous writing.
11 tn Heb “Great is your name in power.”
12 tn The words “The
13 tn Heb “The Portion of Jacob.” “Descendants” is implied, and is supplied in the translation for clarity.
14 tn Heb “And Israel is the tribe of his possession.”
15 tn Heb “Yahweh of armies is his name.”