By looking at the difference in language and tone in Psalm 150, Sidney’s Psalms creates a familiarity between the worshipper and God while the King James’ Psalms has a stark distance between the two. In the book of Psalms, the last chapter is 150, and is arguably one of the most important chapters in the book. Due to its importance and ending the last few chapters themes of praising the lord. In the King James’ Version it reads: “Praise ye the lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness…” (Psalms 150:1-2). While in Sidney’s the first stanza reads: “O laud the Lord, the God of hosts commend, exalt his pow’r, advaunce his holyneese, with all your might lift his allmightinesse: Your greatest praise upon his greatness spend” (Sidney Psalm 150: 1-4). From reading the other chapters in Sidney’s take, this seems to be one of the most different ones, and it points out some significant differences. The largest difference is the format and tone in which the two divulge. In the King James’ Version, the chapter is formatted almost in a list, with it repeating the first two words: ‘Praise him…’ and then continues. It seems more like a command in some way for the reader of the Psalms. While Sidney is much more poetic and loosely formatted. It really gives the impression that it is more of a spoken sermon than a set list of rules. And in doing this, Sidney’s version of the last Psalm feels more natural and arguably more inviting to read. The use of language is another aspect since it has not been updated to modern English, yet it is still readable. I genuinely think the last line of that stanza is a beautifully written phrase, “your greatest praise upon his greatness spent.” And it really creates a connection between the person praising God and God himself. It is very different from the relationship created in the King James’ bible where the relationship feels more impersonal and more of an order and a disconnect from God in a sense.
Furthering this point, the conclusion of the two Psalms are interesting and highlight the difference in their tone. The King James’ version ends: “Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord” (Psalm 150: 6). While the Sidney version concludes: “As fitts the pompe of most Triumphant king. Conclud: by all that are, or life enfold, let high Jehova highly be extold” (Sidney Psalm 150: 3) Although the King James’ Bible has obviously gone through a lot of transitions and updates to its language, this ending line feels very dry. While the Sidney version again has this poetic language that creates a familiarity and effortless beauty to it. The conclusion that is drawn from the differences in Psalm 150 demonstrates the power of language and how that can change the message of two different texts although they retain the same meaning.