Psalm 23

[PJD1987]

Why is Psalm 23 sometimes referred to as Psalm 22? I remember watching the funeral of JPII and one of the commentators stated “They’re reading now, Psalm 23, or Psalm 22 for the Catholics”, I never understood this, as Psalm 23 is the same in all the Bibles I’ve looked at?

God bless.

-Paul

 

[LittleScoty]

There are several Psalms that have alternative numbering. Here is the explanation given in the appendix of my Ignatius Bible regarding just that.

“…The numbering of the Psalms used here is that of the Hebrew Bible, which is, of course, followed in the RSV. It Varies somewhat from the Greek, which is followed by the Latin Vulgate and vernacular versions based on it. Alternative numbering is given in brackets…”

 

[po18guy]

Thanks for asking! You made me do something that I have wondered about for some time. From the ubiquitous Wiki:

Numbering of the Psalms differs — mostly by one digit, see table — between the Hebrew (Masoretic) and Greek (Septuagint) manuscripts. Protestant translations (Lutheran, Anglican, Calvinist) use the Hebrew numbering, but other Christian traditions vary:
Catholic official liturgical texts follow the Greek numbering
Catholic modern translations often use the Hebrew numbering (noting the Greek number)
Eastern Orthodox translations use the Greek numbering
For the remainder of this article the Hebrew numbering is used, unless otherwise noted.

 

[PJD1987]

Thanks for asking! You made me do something that I have wondered about for some time. From the ubiquitous Wiki:

Numbering of the Psalms differs — mostly by one digit, see table — between the Hebrew (Masoretic) and Greek (Septuagint) manuscripts. Protestant translations (Lutheran, Anglican, Calvinist) use the Hebrew numbering, but other Christian traditions vary:
Catholic official liturgical texts follow the Greek numbering
Catholic modern translations often use the Hebrew numbering (noting the Greek number)
Eastern Orthodox translations use the Greek numbering
For the remainder of this article the Hebrew numbering is used, unless otherwise noted.

But so, to get a different numbering, they’d have to skip a Psalm or not give a number to one…but I haven’t seen any missing ever…I’m confused?

 

[po18guy]

But so, to get a different numbering, they’d have to skip a Psalm or not give a number to one…but I haven’t seen any missing ever…I’m confused?

It’s where they break them up. See the chart I just posted.

The Douay-Rheims, Confraternity bible, and the Knox bible use the Greek/Septuagint numbering, while the New Jerusalem bible, the RSV-2CE, the NAB/NABRE and the KJV (all protestant bibles, really) use the Masoretic text numbering.

 

[patrick457]

But so, to get a different numbering, they’d have to skip a Psalm or not give a number to one…but I haven’t seen any missing ever…I’m confused?

That’s because the Masoretic Psalms 9-10 is counted as one (Psalm 9) in the Septuagint. Conversely, Masoretic Psalm 147 is broken into two Psalms (146-147) in the Greek version.

 

[po18guy]

That’s because the Masoretic Psalms 9-10 is counted as one (Psalm 9) in the Septuagint. Conversely, Masoretic Psalm 147 is broken into two Psalms (146-147) in the Greek version.

Thanks! You are invariably helpful.

 

[The_Scott]

Although others have answered the question, I figured it’s always nice to throw in an article by Jimmy Akin.

“Why Are the Psalms Numbered Differently?”
jimmyakin.com/2012/06/why-are-the-psalms-numbered-differently.html

 

[Cranch]

That’s because the Masoretic Psalms 9-10 is counted as one (Psalm 9) in the Septuagint. Conversely, Masoretic Psalm 147 is broken into two Psalms (146-147) in the Greek version.

For the OP: The above is a wash as far as the total goes (150 psalms). Also the Hebrew psalms 114 and 115 became the single psalm 113 in the Greek and the single Hebrew psalm 116 was divided into psalms 114 and 115 in the Greek. Again, a wash, so always 150. Remember, not all psalms have an alternate number!

 

[patrick457]

For the OP: The above is a wash as far as the total goes (150 psalms). Also the Hebrew psalms 114 and 115 became the single psalm 113 in the Greek and the single Hebrew psalm 116 was divided into psalms 114 and 115 in the Greek. Again, a wash, so always 150. Remember, not all psalms have an alternate number!

The Greek also has a Psalm “outside the number” (Psalm 151), the Hebrew text of which is attested at the very end of the Great Psalms Scroll (11QPs[sup]a[/sup]) from Qumran, which also contains a few other extracanonical hymns like Psalms 154-155 and previously unknown material. There the text is broken into two psalms (151a and 151b). I guess all these show that there was no hard and fast rule to parse individual psalms back then or a strict way of ordering them