Psalms 151 through 155 are not found in the Masoretic Text books of Psalms, or in rabbinic writings. A Psalm 151 was recorded in the Septuagint, whereas Psalms 152—155 were only found in some Syriac (or Christian Aramaic) Peshiṭṭa texts. For a long time, it was assumed that they were Greek compositions, either by Hellenized Jews or not by Jews at all. That all changed with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, specifically 11Q5, also known as the Great Psalms Scroll. This scroll not only included text from thirty-two psalms (in a non-standard order), but also passages from Apocryphal Psalms 154, 155, and 151, as well as sections of Ben Sira and several otherwise unknown psalmodic compositions. Here the editor has taken the Hebrew text from the Great Psalms Scroll, supplemented with Peshiṭṭa content for the worn passages, and attempted to create Masoretic-style vocalization and cantillation for these three fascinating pieces of Hebrew apocrypha, along with a new English translation.
Psalm 155 is an incomplete acrostic (the Dead Sea Scrolls text records it going from ב to נ, and the Syriac can be reconstructed to include up to פ) with similarities to petitionary psalms like Psalm 3, 22, and 143. It is unclear why it was not included in the Masoretic canon, but one can hazard a guess that it was just not familiar to the compilers.
| Source (Hebrew) | Translation (English) |
|---|---|
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יְהֹוָ֗ה קָרָ֣אתִי אֵ֭לֶיךָ הַקְשִׁ֣יבָה אֵלַ֑י
פָּרַ֣שְׂתִּי כַּ֝פַּ֗י לִמְעֹ֣ן קׇדְשֶֽׁךָ׃ הַ֨ט אׇזְנְךָ֤ ׀ וְתֵן־לִ֭י אֶת־שְׁאֵלָתִ֑י וּ֝בַקָּשָׁתִ֗י אַל־תִּמְנַ֥ע מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ |
YHWH, I called to You, answer me;
I spread my palms to Your Holy Abode. Turn Your ear and give me what I seek, and do not refuse from me my request. |
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בְּנֵ֣ה נַ֭פְשִׁי וְאַל־תְּמַגְּרָ֑הּ
וְאַל־תִּ֝פְרַ֗ע לִפְנֵ֣י רְשָׁעִֽים׃ גְּמוּלֵ֨י ׀ הָרָ֗ע יָ֭שִׁיב מִמֶּ֑נִּי דַּ֥יָּן הָאֱמֶֽת׃ יְהֹוָ֤ה ׀ אַל־תִּשְׁפְּטֵ֣נִי כְּחַטֹּאתָ֑י כִּ֤י לֹֽא־יִצְדַּ֖ק לְפָנֶ֣יךָ כׇל־חָֽי׃ |
Build up my soul and do not cast it away it,
and do not abandon it with the wicked. Remove from me the payback for evil, Judge of Truth. YHWH, do not judge me by my sins, for none of all life is righteous before You. |
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הֲבִינֵ֣נִי יְ֭הֹוָה בְּתוֹרָתֶ֑ךָ
וְאֶת־מִשְׁפָּטֶ֣יךָ לָמְדֵֽנִי׃ וְיִשְׁמְע֣וּ רַ֭בִּים מַעֲשֶׂ֑יךָ וְעַמִּ֖ים יֵ֝הָדְר֗וּ אֶת־כְּבוֹדֶֽךָ׃ |
Let me understand, YHWH, Your Teaching,
and teach me Your judgements. Thus the many will hear Your deeds, and peoples will exult Your honor. |
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זכורני זׇכְרֵ֣נִי
וְאַל־תִּשְׁכָּחֵ֑נִי וְאַל־תְּבִיאֵ֣נִי בְּקָשׁ֣וֹת מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ חַטֹּא֣ת נְ֭עוּרַי הַרְחֵ֣ק מִמֶּ֑נִּי וּ֝פְשָׁעַ֗י אַל־יִזְכְּרוּ־לִֽי׃ טַהֲרֵ֣נִי יְ֭הֹוָה מִנֶּ֣גַע רַ֑ע וְאַל־יּ֖וֹסְףְּ לָשׁ֣וּב אֵלִֽי׃ יָבֵ֣שׁ שֳׁרָשָׁ֣יו מִמֶּ֑נִּי וְאַל־יָנֵצּ֥וּ עָ֝לָ֗יו בִּֽי׃ |
Remember me
and do not forget me, and do not bring me to what is too hard for me. Take my youthful sins away from me, my iniquities no longer be remembered. Purify me, YHWH, from evil plague, and do not let it continue to return to me. Wither its roots from me, and let not its leaves bloom in me. |
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כָּב֣וֹד אַ֭תָּה יְהֹוָ֑ה
עַ֤ל כֵּ֨ן ׀ שְׁאֵלָתִ֖י מִלְּפָנֶ֣יךָ שְׁלֵמָֽה׃ לְמִ֣י אַ֭זְעָקָה וְיִתֵּן־לִ֑י וּבְנֵי־אָ֝דָ֗ם מַה־יוֹסִ֥יף אֵימָתֽוֹ׃ |
Honor are You, YHWH,
thus, my request is fulfilled before You. To whom else could I cry and it be given, to mortals, and what, increase his rage? |
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מִלְּפָנֶ֘יךָ יְהֹוָ֢ה מִ֫בְטַחִ֥י
קָרָ֣אתִי יְ֭הֹוָה וַיַּעֲנֵ֑נִי וַ֝יִּרְפָּ֗א אֶת־שֶׁ֣בֶר לִבִּֽי׃ נַ֭מְתִּי וָאִישָׁ֑נָה חָ֝לַ֗מְתִּי גַּם־הֱקִיצֽוֹתִי׃ סָמַכְתָּ֥נִי יְהֹוָ֑ה וַ֝אֲהַלֵּ֗ל לַיהֹוָ֥ה גּוֹאֲלֵֽנִי׃ |
From before YHWH I trust,
I called out and YHWH answered me, and healed my shattered heart. I dozed and slept, dreamed and awoke. YHWH supported me, and I will praise YHWH my redeemer. |
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עֵינַ֘י תֶּחֱזֶ֢ינָה אֶת־בׇּ֫שְׁתָּ֥ם
בְּךָ֣ בָ֭טַחְתִּי אַל־אֵב֑וֹשָׁה פָּאֲר֥וּ כָּ֝ב֗וֹד לְעֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד׃ הַצֵּל־נָ֣א יְ֭הֹוָה יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל חֲסִידֶ֑יךָ וּבֵ֥ית יַ֝עֲקֹ֗ב בְּחִירֶֽיךָ׃ |
My eyes will see their shame,
in You I trust and will not be shamed; Glorify honor forever and ever! Save, YHWH, Israel Your pious ones, and the house of Jacob Your chosen. |
Plates 978, 974
B-285201 Taken March 1961
PAM Number: M43.790
Photographer: Najib Anton Albina
Image Type: Scanned Infrared Negative
Side: Recto
manuscripts in this image: 11Q5 – 11Q Psa
Source(s)
