Monday, 11 May 2026

When is the 23rd Psalm not the 23rd Psalm?

Many of us can recite the 23rd Psalm almost without thinking. "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." It is woven into our prayer lives, spoken at funerals, whispered at bedsides, and returned to in moments of fear or uncertainty. It feels familiar, steady, and timeless. And yet, depending on which Bible we open, the 23rd Psalm may not actually be Psalm 23 at all.


This can come as a surprise. We may notice it for the first time when following along at Mass, using a different translation at home, or reading a commentary that seems to refer to the same psalm but with a different number. It can be confusing, even unsettling. How can something so well known suddenly shift its place?

The answer lies not in contradiction, but in history.

The Book of Psalms has come down to us through more than one textual tradition. The two most significant for understanding the numbering difference are the Hebrew text, known as the Masoretic Text, and the Greek translation called the Septuagint. Later, Saint Jerome's Latin translation, the Vulgate, followed the Septuagint numbering rather than the Hebrew one.

The Hebrew Masoretic Text is the basis for most modern Protestant Bibles. In this system, "The Lord is my shepherd" is Psalm 23. This is the numbering many of us instinctively use today.

However, in the Septuagint and the Vulgate, that same psalm is numbered Psalm 22.

Why the difference?

Early in the Book of Psalms, certain psalms that are separate in the Hebrew text are combined in the Greek tradition, and later, some that are combined in Hebrew are split in Greek. This causes the numbering to shift. From Psalms 9 and 10 onwards, the Septuagint is generally one number behind the Hebrew, until later in the book when the numbering briefly realigns.

So, when we hear someone refer to Psalm 22 as "The Lord is my shepherd," they are not mistaken. They are simply using a different numbering system rooted in a different textual tradition.

This matters more than we might think.

When Jesus cries out from the Cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" He is quoting the opening line of a psalm. In Hebrew numbering, it is Psalm 22. In the Greek and Latin tradition, it is Psalm 21. The words are the same. The prayer is the same. But the number changes depending on which Bible we are holding.

Understanding this helps us read Scripture with greater confidence rather than confusion. It reminds us that the Bible did not drop from heaven fully formatted and indexed. It was prayed, sung, translated, copied, and handed on by generations of believers who encountered God through these texts long before verse numbers existed.

The psalms themselves were prayers before they were references.

When we pray the 23rd Psalm, or the 22nd, depending on the tradition, we are entering into a prayer that has been spoken by God's people for thousands of years. Shepherds, kings, monks, parents, soldiers, saints, and sinners have all leaned on these same words. The numbering difference does not weaken the prayer. If anything, it deepens our awareness that we are part of something far older and far wider than ourselves.

It also invites us to be gentle with one another.

If someone quotes a psalm "incorrectly," chances are they are not incorrect at all. They may be praying from a missal, a breviary, an older Bible, or a tradition shaped by the Latin Church. Recognising this helps us move away from correction and towards communion.

There is something quietly beautiful in the fact that Scripture bears the marks of history. God chose to reveal Himself not through a single frozen format, but through living words carried by living communities. The message remains consistent even when the numbering shifts.

"The Lord is my shepherd" does not depend on being Psalm 23 in order to comfort us. It comforts us because it speaks truth. It tells us who God is and who we are in relation to Him. It reminds us that we are known, guided, protected, and loved.

Whether we pray it as Psalm 23 or Psalm 22, the heart of the prayer remains unchanged. The shepherd still leads. The green pastures still offer rest. The valley of the shadow of death is still walked through, not alone, but accompanied.

Perhaps the better question, then, is not when the 23rd Psalm is not the 23rd Psalm, but why we cling to it so faithfully in the first place.

We cling to it because it speaks when we have no words. Because it steadies us when life feels uncertain. Because it assures us that even when we feel lost, we are not abandoned.

The numbering may differ. The promise does not.

As we open our Bibles and pray the psalms, we can do so with gratitude for the rich and layered history that has carried these prayers to us. We can trust that God is not confused by numbering systems, translations, or footnotes. He hears the prayer of the heart.

And He remains our shepherd.

A prayer for all who read this blog post and for all who never will

Shepherd of our souls,
thank You for the prayers You have given us
to guide us, comfort us, and draw us closer to You.

Help us to read Scripture with trust rather than confusion,
with humility rather than certainty,
and with gratitude for all who have carried these words through history.

Bless all who read this blog post
and all who never will.
May we always recognise Your voice,
no matter how the words are numbered.

Amen.

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