I know they have Psalm 151, 3 (and in some cases 4) Maccabees, and maybe another Esdras? Sorry, the Esdras books are confusing due to the naming conventions.
The
Orthodox Study Bible that was published in 2008 lists
76 books. Psalm 151 is included.
I’ve never been able to discover why the Orthodox Church has the largest canon. It bothered me when I was making my first tentative inquiries into Holy Orthodoxy but as I began to move out of the either/or mindset and stepped up to the both/and, which is intrinsic to Orthodoxy, I somehow lost interest in pursuing the question. So while I can offer no background information, I can proclaim the reality we see before us – which is that we Orthodox have more books in our Bibles than even Bill Hybels. Moreover, Psalm 151, unknown to so many, is not unknown to us.
Psalm 151 is “written with David’s own hand, although outside the number” (of the Psalter), when he fought in single combat with Goliath. It’s not particularly lengthy, scil:
I was small among my brothers
And the youngest in my father’s house;
I tended my father’s sheep.
My hands built a musical instrument;
My fingers turned a lyre.
And who shall tell my Lord?
The Lord Himself, He Himself hears.
He sent forth His Angel
And took me from my father’s sheep;
And he anointed me with his anointing oil.
My brothers were handsome and tall,
But the Lord took no pleasure in them.
I went out to meet the foreigner,
And he cursed me with his idols;
But I drew his own sword and beheaded him,
And removed disgrace from the children of Israel.
The footnote declares:
From a spiritual standpoint, Goliath stands for the sinful passions of arrogance and vainglory. Thus, with the Lord’s help, we slay these giants with humility.
Q.E.D.
Biblically,
Mick
