Douay-Rheims Psalm 22 and 23

[johnknoesel]

This may have already been asked and answered but I did not get the memo.

Why in my Douay-Rheims Bible is 23rd Psalm we are all used to actually the 22nd Psalm.

Help, I am confused.

 

[Ron_Conte]

The D-R follows the Latin numbering, most other modern translations follow the Hebrew numbering.

 

[johnknoesel]

Now, I thought the catholic old testament was based on the Greek and not the Hebrew. Hmm?

 

[Mattjolley]

ive been led to believe the Greek numbering is the same as the Vulgate? This explains why the Psalms are numbered differently in your DR.

 

[inthecloud]

I have a Spanish Catholic Bible that have dual numerations for the Psalms stating that the LXX based greek text used in Orthodox and the Vulgate OT and the Masoretic text used in most Hebrew, Protestant and Catholic Bibles have different numberings for the Psalms.

 

[Cranch]

Now, I thought the catholic old testament was based on the Greek and not the Hebrew. Hmm?

I have a Spanish Catholic Bible that have dual numerations for the Psalms stating that the LXX based greek text used in Orthodox and the Vulgate OT and the Masoretic text used in most Hebrew, Protestant and Catholic Bibles have different numberings for the Psalms.

For the Latin Vulgate, Jerome translated the Old Testament from the Hebrew, not the Greek Septuagint. Most of the Deuterocanon (originally composed in Greek) he left in the Old Latin untouched. Of the three different Psalters he translated (one each from the Old Latin, Greek and Hebrew) it is the version from the Greek that was most often used in the Vulgate. It uses the Greek numbering scheme from the Septuagint. It differs from the Hebrew numbering as follows (from Wikipedia):

* Psalms 9 and 10 in the Hebrew are together as Psalm 9 in the Greek

* Psalms 114 and 115 in the Hebrew are Psalm 113 in the Greek

* Psalms 114 and 115 in the Greek appear as Psalm 116 in the Hebrew

* Psalms 146 and 147 in the Greek form Psalm 147 in the Hebrew

The alterations balance out so there are a total of 150 Psalms in either scheme.

 

[Ron_Conte]

It also differs in that most of the verse numberings are one number off in the Latin/Greek versus the Hebrew.

 

[Zooey]

Remember that, the chapter & verse divisions are quite artificial, and were added to simplify referencing Scripture.
At the time that the DR was first published, there was not yet a fixed system for the numbers. Today, we use a common numbering plan other than the DR.
In my own Douay-Rheims, I have found that the best thing was to take a pencil and to re-number the Psalms for easier reference for myself. (My RSV-CE has both sets of numbers; I used that as my guide).