SEPTUAGINT (LXX) NUMBERING OF PSALMS – The Orthodox Church uses primarily translations from the Greek version of the Old Testament known as the Septuagint rather than translations from the Hebrew editions. The Septuagint (also known as the LXX) is the version of the Old Testament used in the many quotations of the Old Testament found in the New Testament. The numbering of the Psalms in the Septuagint differs from that found in Psalters and Bibles translated from the Hebrew.
Here is a table of the differences:
| Greek (LXX) Numbering and Latin Vulgate (V) Numbering |
Hebrew Numbering most English Numbering |
| 1-8 | 1-8 |
| 9 | 9 and 10 |
| 10-112 | 11-113 |
| 113 | 114 and 115 |
| 114 | 116:1-9 |
| 115 | 116:10-19 |
| 116-145 | 117-146 |
| 146 | 147:1-11 |
| 147 | 147:12-20 |
| 148-150 | 148-150 |
For the most part, Protestant and Jewish translations and recent Catholic translations like the NAB, follow the numbering in the Hebrew (the Masoretic Text). In this system, Psalm 23 is the shepherd psalm (“The LORD is my shepherd.”).
Older Catholic translations and some recent Catholic translations follow the numbering in the Septuagint (and Vulgate). In this system, Psalm 22 is the shepherd psalm (“The LORD is my shepherd.”). .
You can easily find out which system a translation uses by determining whether the shepherd psalm is Psalm 23 or Psalm 22.
Here is a table of the differences from Hebrew to Greek numbering:
| Hebrew Numbering most English Numbering |
Greek (LXX) Numbering and Latin Vulgate (V) Numbering |
| 1-8 | 1-8 |
| 9 | 9:1-20 |
| 10 | 9:21-38 |
| 11-113 | 10-112 |
| 114 | 113:1-8 |
| 115 | 113:9-26 |
| 116 | 114,115 |
| 117-146 | 116-145 |
| 147 | 146 and 147 |
| 148-150 | 148-150 |