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Treasury of Christian Knowledge

Comparison of Enumeration of the Psalms in the Book of Divine Worship and in the Vulgate

The numbering assigned to the 150 Psalms in the Book of Divine Worship is based on the standard Hebrew text (the Masoretic Text); it is a system being increasingly used by Roman Catholics, at least for English translations of the Psalter. It is the enumeration used by Anglicans, Protestants, and Jews. The ancient Jewish translation of the Psalms into Greek (the Septuagint) placed the Psalms in the same order but made different divisions between Psalms, resulting in 150 Psalms but with a numbering that is off by one through most of the Psalter; Orthodox Christians continue to use that numbering system. The Latin Vulgate follows the Greek enumeration as well and, traditionally, Roman Catholic Bibles used that system.

The numbers are the same for Psalms 1-8. Psalms 9 and 10 in our Book of Divine Worship are Psalm 9 in the Vulgate, and the Vulgate continues, one number off from our numbering, through Psalm 113 (112 Vulgate). Psalms 114 and 115 in our Book of Divine Worship correspond to Psalm 113 in the Vulgate. Psalm 116 in our enumeration corresponds to Psalms 114 and 115 in the Vulgate. The Vulgate then continues, one number behind our numbering until Psalm 147 in the Book of Divine Worship, which is split into Psalm 146 and 147 in the Vulgate. Psalms 148 through 150 are numbered the same in both systems.

BDW Vulgate
1 1
2 2
3 3
4 4
5 5
6 6
7 7
8 8
9 9
10 9
11 10
12 11
13 12
14 13
15 14
16 15
17 16
18 17
19 18
20 19
21 20
22 21
23 22
24 23
25 24
26 25
27 26
28 27
29 28
30 29
31 30
32 31
33 32
34 33
35 34
36 35
37 36
38 37
39 38
40 39
41 40
42 41
43 42
44 43
45 44
46 45
47 46
48 47
49 48
50 49
BDW Vulgate
51 50
52 51
53 52
54 53
55 54
56 55
57 56
58 57
59 58
60 59
61 60
62 61
63 62
64 63
65 64
66 65
67 66
68 67
69 68
70 69
71 70
72 71
73 72
74 73
75 74
76 75
77 76
78 77
79 78
80 79
81 80
82 81
83 82
84 83
85 84
86 85
87 86
88 87
89 88
90 89
91 90
92 91
93 92
94 93
95 94
96 95
97 96
98 97
99 98
100 99
BDW Vulgate
101 100
102 101
103 102
104 103
105 104
106 105
107 106
108 107
109 108
110 109
111 110
112 111
113 112
114 113
115 113
116 114
116 115
117 116
118 117
119 118
120 119
121 120
122 121
123 122
124 123
125 124
126 125
127 126
128 127
129 128
130 129
131 130
132 131
133 132
134 133
135 134
136 135
137 136
138 137
139 138
140 139
141 140
142 141
143 142
144 143
145 144
146 145
147 146
147 147
148 148
149 149
150 150