05/06/2026
Have you ever had the experience where someone quotes a passage from the Book of Psalms and when you open your bible, it is something different you are seeing? If you have, then I'm sure your reaction was confusion, and you had questions. Probably you asked if the person quoted wrongly, or you wandered what was going on.
If you have had the experience I just narrated above, then it means you have encountered the two numbering systems in the Book of Psalms. Now, here's the catch: there was nothing wrong with your bible, and the person who quoted a passage probably did not make any mistake. What simply happened was that both of you were using two Bibles based on different translations.
Very importantly, let me point out that the Old Testament - including the Book of Psalms - was originally written in Hebrew language; this is called the Masoretic text or Masoretic bible. It was also in Hebrew that the chapters were originally numbered.
Much later however, the entire Bible was translated into Greek language; this is called the Septuagint text of Septuagint bible. In time too, there was a translation to Latin, called the Vulgate. It is from these different languages that the Bible was translated into English. This explains why if you pick up different Bibles to read, you will see the same text expressed in different words; this is because they have passed from the primary language to a secondary language
THE TWO NUMBERING SYSTEMS
There are two primary methods used to number the psalms: the Hebrew (Masoretic) text and the Greek (Septuagint) text. The Latin (Vulgate) text also follows the Greek numbering system.
This different numbering happened during the translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew to Greek. During that process, some Chapters were merged to form one chapter out of two while others were split into two to form two chapters from one.
Here are the two numbering systems used in the Book of Psalms.
Hebrew Numbering Greek/Vulgate Numbering
Psalms 1 – 8 Psalms 1 – 8
Psalms 9 – 10 Psalm 9
Psalms 11–113 Psalms 10–112
Psalm 114 – 115 Psalm 113
Psalm 116 Psalms 114 – 115
Psalms 117 – 146 Psalms 116–145
Psalm 147 Psalms 146 – 147
Psalms 148–150 Psalms 148–150
Most Bibles today use the Hebrew numbering, while most Catholic liturgical books (the Missal, Lectionary, Breviary, Ritual, etc.) follow the Greek numbering. To avoid confusion, modern Catholic publications and study bibles often list both, placing the traditional Hebrew number in parentheses. For instance, if you see Psalm 23 (22) in a Catholic liturgical book, then it means that Psalm 23 is the Greek numbering while Psalm 22 is the Hebrew numbering.
These differences in numbering are quite unimportant because they do not affect the content or validity of the psalms, but they can cause endless confusion, which is why it is important to know them. and now that you know, share this post so that others can learn as well.
Fada Ameh, 2026
