Psalm 151

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.”[12] On details of translation, structure, and meaning of this psalm, see also the works of Skehan,[13] Brownlee,[14] Carmignac,[15][16] John Strugnell,[17] Rabinowitz,[18] Dupont-Sommer,[19] and Flint.

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 (Armenian զսաղմոսարանս can then means also 'Psalm-books' 'psalters') and my fingers fashioned the instrument of blessing."

[21] The words of the psalm are interpreted as a Messianic prophecy concerning Christ's defeat of Satan.

William Wright published a translation of the Syriac version in the Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archaeology, June 1887, and A.

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

In these instances, the term does not refer to the supernumerary psalm included in the Orthodox canon, but instead as a metaphor (such as to the abstract concept of a new and "sacred" work of poetry or song).