Psalm numbering: What is the point?

[BayCityRickL]

I just got my daily Zenit email and there’s something in there about a meditation on Psalm 126 (127).

I know that the numbering is messed up because one psalm was supposedly split into two. Gee, can’t we get over this?

Which is the “real” number? With two numbers for a psalm, I feel we’re stuck in some double world. Who cares?

 

[Zooey]

While the numbering of chapters & verses in the Bible is admittedly somewhat arbitrary, it serves the very important purpose of helping us all to navigate through what is, after all, a very large book–and one where page references are of little if any use.
So how would you know which Psalm (in this case) you were supposed to be reading without this system, which has proven so good over the years?
The problem arises because, in the early days of the use of these numbers, not all Bibles used exactly the same ones. My Douay has a different numbering than my Jerusalem Bible. Now, if one is very familiar with the scriptures, they can figure this out. But most people are not Biblical scholars, we are ordinary mortals.
Speaking for myself, my own difficulties with math make it very difficult to deal with how to figure out which is the right #, unless someone tellls me, or unless I have it written down…I am quite sure that I am not alone in this.

 

[Joseph_Bilodeau]

BayCityRickL:

I just got my daily Zenit email and there’s something in there about a meditation on Psalm 126 (127).

I know that the numbering is messed up because one psalm was supposedly split into two. Gee, can’t we get over this?

Which is the “real” number? With two numbers for a psalm, I feel we’re stuck in some double world. Who cares?

The real number is either 126 or 127 depending on which Bible you use. I don’t know what you mean by “get over this”. This system seems to work well for its intended purpose, which is to communicate to any person, who may be using any Bible, what Psalm is being referenced.

 

[anawim]

The second number is the one that the Vulgate and the Douay-Rheims uses. It is also the numbering system that the Jews traditionally used. However, I don’t know which one modern Judaism uses.

Originally, Ps 9 had 39 verses, while today in most translations there are 20. What was Ps. 9:21 is now Ps. 10:1. This meant that what was Ps 11 is now Ps 10. This continues until Ps 147, which was a continuation of Ps. 146, but now they have been split. Hope that makes sense. I know it can be confusing.