Psalms 152–155

Psalms 152 to 155 are additional Psalms found in two Syriac biblical manuscripts and several manuscripts of Elijah of Anbar [fr]'s "Book of Discipline",^[1] first identified by the orientalist librarian Giuseppe Simone Assemani in 1759.^[2] Together with Psalm 151 they are also called the Five Apocryphal Psalms of David or the "Five Syriac Psalms".^[3] In addition to Psalm 151, Psalms 154-155 were found in the Dead Sea Scrolls in 11QPs^a, though 151-155 all were likely composed in Hebrew.^[4]

Psalms 152-155

Psalm 152

"Spoken by David when he was contending with the lion and the wolf which took a sheep from his flock."^[5] This text has survived only in Syriac^[6] although the original language may have been Hebrew. The text has six verses, the tone is non-rabbinical, and it was probably composed in Israel during the Hellenistic period^[7] (c. 323–31 BC).

Psalm 153

"Spoken by David when returning thanks to God, who had delivered him from the lion and the wolf and he had slain both of them."^[5] This text has survived only in Syriac.^[6] Date and provenance are like Psalm 152. It is listed as the fifth of the apocryphal psalms by Wright.^[5]

Psalm 154

This Psalm survived in Syriac biblical manuscripts and also was found in Hebrew,^[6] in the Dead Sea scroll 11QPs(a)154 (also known as 11Q5 – The Great Psalms Scroll), a first-century AD manuscript.^[8] It is listed as the second of the apocryphal psalms by Wright who calls it "The Prayer of Hezekiah when enemies surrounded him".^[5] Gurtner suggests that this psalm may have sectarian resonances: the "many ones" (154:1) and the "community" (154:4) may refer to the people and community at Qumran.^[4]

Psalm 155

This psalm is extant in Syriac and was also found in the Dead Sea Scroll 11QPs(a)155 (also called 11Q5 – The Great Psalms Scroll), a first-century CE Hebrew manuscript.^[6] Because the psalm is a generic psalm of repentance it is not possible to suggest date and origin, save that its origin is clearly pre-Christian.^[9] The psalm has been compared to Psalms 22 and 51 as well as the Prayer of Manasseh.^[4]

See also

• Biblical canon