Psalm 151

Psalm 151 is a short psalm concerning the story of David and Goliath found in most copies of the Septuagint, but not in the Masoretic Text of the Hebrew Bible. The title given to the psalm in the Septuagint indicates that it is supernumerary, as no number is affixed to it. The psalm is ascribed to David.
The title of the psalm states that it was written by David after his battle with Goliath. The psalm assumes familiarity with other Biblical passages, from which it draws phraseology.
It is preserved in the Latin, Hebrew, Greek, and some manuscripts of the Syriac Peshitta.

Dead Sea Scrolls discovery

For many years scholars believed that Psalm 151 was originally composed in Greek, based on the view that "there is no evidence that Psalm 151 ever existed in Hebrew."
However, Psalm 151 appears in much greater length as two separate short compositions in Hebrew which scholars now agree served as the basis for Psalm 151. These compositions along with several canonical and non-canonical psalms appear in the scroll known as "The Great Psalms Scroll" or "11Q5". This scroll, dating from the 1st century, was discovered in 1956. The editio princeps of this manuscript was first published in 1963 by James A. Sanders.
“Psalm 151a” from this scroll provides the source material for verses 1–5 of the Greek Psalm 151, while the remaining verses are derived from another composition known as “Psalm 151b”, which is only partially preserved. The composer of the Greek Psalm apparently brought the two Hebrew psalms together in a manner that significantly changes their meaning and structure, but the influence of the Hebrew originals is still readily apparent. Where parts of the Greek version sometimes seem to make little sense or are ambiguous, the Hebrew text sheds light on the intended message or meaning. In comparison to the Hebrew text, Sanders regards the Greek text of this psalm to be in places “desiccated,” “meaningless,” “truncated,” “absurd,” “jumbled,” and “disappointingly different,” all as a result of its having been “made from a truncated amalgamation of the two Hebrew psalms.” On details of translation, structure, and meaning of this psalm, see also the works of Skehan, Brownlee, Carmignac, John Strugnell, Rabinowitz, Dupont-Sommer, and Flint.

Canonicity

mentions this psalm as being "especially the Psalm of David" and as being suited to occasions in which "weak as you are, you people are chosen for some position of authority among the brethren."
The Eastern Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, and Syrian Orthodox churches accept Psalm 151 as canonical. Protestants and most forms of Judaism consider it apocryphal. However, it is found in some Catholic Bibles in editions of the Vulgate as well as in some ecumenical translations.

Liturgical usage

Western usage

In the Latin Church, Psalm 151 has a liturgical presence as the Matins responsory “Deus omnium exauditor est” in the Breviary’s Historia Regum. The responsory quotes lines from Psalm 151 and pairs them with the verse from 1 Samuel 17:37, catalogued in the Corpus Antiphonalium Officii as CAO 6430. Manuscript evidence from Roman-use sources places it at different Sundays after Pentecost, indicating its circulation within the Western family of books.
In the medieval English Sarum Use, the responsory “Deus omnium exauditor est”, which draws on Psalm 151 and pairs it with the verse “Dominus, qui eripuit me de ore leonis…”, stands as the first Matins responsory of the Historia Regum; by its incipit, Sarum books even nickname the First Sunday after Trinity “Deus omnium,” marking the start of the Kings lections and their proper responsories.
Psalm 151 is still cited once in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Breviary as a responsory of the series from the books of Kings, the second in the Roman Breviary, together with in a text slightly different from that of the Vulgate.

Armenian liturgy

In the Armenian Church, Psalm 151 is recited as part of the Matins sequence of biblical poetic material, which includes canticles from the Old and New Testaments, Psalms 51, 148–150, and 113. The Armenian version of Psalm 151 is close to the Septuagint, with some variation. Where verse 2 in Greek reads αἱ χεῖρές μου ἐποίησαν ὄργανον οἱ δάκτυλοί μου ἤροσαν ψαλτήριον "My hands made an instrument, my fingers fashioned the lyre," the Armenian has, Ձերք իմ արարին զսաղմոսարանս եւ մատունք իմ կազմեցին զգործի աւրհնութեան "My hands made the lyres and my fingers fashioned the instrument of blessing."

Coptic liturgy

In the Coptic Church, Psalm 151 is recited at the start of the Bright Saturday Vigil, also known as the Apocalypse Vigil. The words of the psalm are interpreted as a Messianic prophecy concerning Christ's defeat of Satan.

Eastern Orthodox liturgy

Psalm 151 is typically included in liturgical Psalters; however, it is not part of the weekly Kathisma cycle of readings, nor is it appointed to be read at any service.
Verse 4 is chanted among the verses of the Polyeleos sung at Matins on November 8, the feast of the Archangels.

English versions

There are a number of English translations now in the public domain. The first English translation was William Whiston in his A collection of authentick records belonging to the Old and New Testament. published in 1727. This was followed by Thomson's Translation by Charles Thomson in 1808, followed by The Septuagint with Apocrypha: Greek and English translated by Lancelot Charles Lee Brenton in 1854. It was also translated by Adam Clarke in his 1831 commentary on the Bible.
It is also available in Orthodox or ecumenical editions of modern translations since 1977.
It is included in Sabine Baring-Gould's Legends of the Patriarchs and Prophets, William Digby Seymour's Hebrew Psalter, and William Ralph Churton's Uncanonical and Apocryphal Scriptures. William Wright published a translation of the Syriac version in the Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archaeology, June 1887, and A. A. Brockway published a translation from the Coptic in the January 27, 1898 New York Times.

Cultural influence

At the beginning of his first address to his Council of State, Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia recited this psalm in full.

Other references to Psalm 151

The term "Psalm 151" has been used in other contexts, including modern popular culture. In these instances, the term does not refer to the supernumerary psalm included in the Orthodox canon, but instead as a metaphor.

The TV show Touched by an Angel, Season 5, Episode 9 is titled "Psalm 151" with a song sung by Wynonna Judd called "Testify to Love". In the episode, she composes the song for her dying son.
In 1993, Péter Eötvös composed "Psalm 151 – In Memoriam Frank Zappa" for solo or four percussionists.
Christian rock band Jacob's Trouble wrapped up their 1989 Door into Summer LP with track 11, "Psalm 151."
Rock artist Ezra Furman included a self-penned song entitled "Psalm 151" on her 2018 LP Transangelic Exodus; she later admitted she was unaware of Psalm 151's existence.
The song "My Favorite Mutiny" from the album Pick a Bigger Weapon by The Coup contains the lyric "Tryin' to find Psalm number 151."
Hip-hop artist Jay-Z uses "Psalm 151" as a metaphor in the 2022 song "God Did" by DJ Khaled.
Text

The following table shows the Koine Greek text in the Septuagint and the English translation from the New Revised Standard Version.

#	English	Greek
	This psalm is ascribed to David as his own composition, after he had fought in single combat with Goliath.	Οὗτος ὁ ψαλμὸς ἰδιόγραφος εἰς Δαυΐδ καὶ ἔξωθεν τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ· ὅτε ἐμονομάχησε τῷ Γολιάθ.
1	I was small among my brothers, and the youngest in my father's house; I tended my father's sheep.	ΜΙΚΡΟΣ ἤμην ἐν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς μου καὶ νεώτερος ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ πατρός μου· ἐποίμαινον τὰ πρόβατα τοῦ πατρός μου.
2	My hands made a harp; my fingers fashioned a lyre.	αἱ χεῖρές μου ἐποίησαν ὄργανον, καὶ οἱ δάκτυλοί μου ἥρμοσαν ψαλτήριον.
3	And who will tell my Lord? The Lord Himself; it is He who hears.	καὶ τίς ἀναγγελεῖ τῷ Κυρίῳ μου; αὐτὸς Κύριος, αὐτὸς εἰσακούσει.
4	It was he who sent His messenger and took me from my father's sheep, and anointed me with his anointing oil.	αὐτὸς ἐξαπέστειλε τὸν ἄγγελον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἦρέ με ἐκ τῶν προβάτων τοῦ πατρός μου καὶ ἔχρισέ με ἐν τῷ ἐλαίῳ τῆς χρίσεως αὑτοῦ.
5	My brothers were handsome and tall, But the Lord was not pleased with them.	οἱ ἀδελφοί μου καλοὶ καὶ μεγάλοι, καὶ οὐκ εὐδόκησεν ἐν αὐτοῖς ὁ Κύριος.
6	I went out to meet the Philistine, and he cursed me by his idols.	ἐξῆλθον εἰς συνάντησιν τῷ ἀλλοφύλῳ, καὶ ἐπικατηράσατό με ἐν τοῖς εἰδώλοις αὐτοῦ·
7	But I drew his own sword; I beheaded him, and took away disgrace from the people of Israel.	ἐγὼ δέ, σπασάμενος τὴν παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ μάχαιραν, ἀπεκεφάλισα αὐτὸν καὶ ἦρα ὄνειδος ἐξ υἱῶν ᾿Ισραήλ.

The following table shows the Hebrew text of Psalms 151a and 151b, as found in the Great Psalms Scroll, alongside an English translation by Tyler F. Williams.