Why are the Psalms in the Agpeya numbered differently from those in the Bible?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-09

The difference in numbering between the Psalms in the Agpeya (ϯⲁⲅⲡⲓⲁ — the Coptic Book of Hours) and those found in most modern English Bibles comes down to the manuscript tradition being followed: the Septuagint (LXX) versus the Masoretic Text (MT).

The Coptic Orthodox Church, adhering to ancient Apostolic and Patristic tradition, follows the numbering of the Septuagint, whereas most modern Protestant and Western Bibles follow the numbering of the Hebrew Masoretic Text.

1. The Septuagint (LXX) Tradition

The Septuagint is the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament produced by Jewish scholars in Alexandria, Egypt, during the 3rd to 2nd centuries B.C.

• This was the Greek Old Testament quoted directly by the Apostles in the New Testament and utilized by the early Church Fathers, including the great Alexandrian Patriarchs such as St. Athanasius and St. Cyril of Alexandria.
• When the Coptic versions of the Scriptures (Bohairic and Sahidic) were translated in Egypt, they were translated directly from the Septuagint. Consequently, our liturgical books—including the Agpeya, the Psalmody, and the Lectionary—retain this authentic ancient numbering.

2. The Masoretic Text (MT) Tradition

Centuries after Christ, between the 7th and 10th centuries A.D., Rabbinic scribes (the Masoretes) standardized the Hebrew text and divided certain Psalms differently. Modern Western Bibles, beginning with Protestant translations such as the King James Version (KJV), adopted this Hebrew numbering.

3. How the Numbering Differs

Both versions contain 150 Psalms (with the Orthodox tradition also preserving Psalm 151), but they group and divide specific Psalms differently:

| Psalms | Septuagint / Agpeya | Masoretic / Modern Bibles | Reason |

| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |

| 1–8 | Same | Same | Identical |

| 9–10 | Psalm 9 | Psalms 9 & 10 | LXX unites them into one single acrostic psalm; MT splits them into two. |

| 11–113 | One behind (e.g., Ps 22, Ps 50, Ps 90) | One ahead (e.g., Ps 23, Ps 51, Ps 91) | Due to the merger of 9 and 10 in the LXX. |

| 114–115 | Psalm 113 | Psalms 114 & 115 | LXX unites them into one psalm. |

| 116 | Psalms 114 & 115 | Psalm 116 | LXX divides this into two separate psalms. |

| 147 | Psalms 146 & 147 | Psalm 147 | LXX divides this into two separate psalms. |

| 148–150 | Same | Same | The numbers align again. |

| 151 | Psalm 151 | Omitted in Protestant Bibles | Kept in the Orthodox canon as David's psalm after slaying Goliath. |

4. Common Liturgical Examples

Because of this shift, familiar Psalms in the Agpeya appear one number lower than in standard English Bibles:

• The Shepherd’s Psalm:
• Agpeya (Third Hour): Psalm 22 ("The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want...")
• Modern Bibles: Psalm 23
• The Psalm of Repentance (David's Confession):
• Agpeya (Every Hour): Psalm 50 ("Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your great mercy...")
• Modern Bibles: Psalm 51
• The Psalm of Protection:
• Agpeya (Compline): Psalm 90 ("He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High...")
• Modern Bibles: Psalm 91

When reading your Agpeya alongside a modern Bible that uses Hebrew numbering, simply add 1 to the Agpeya’s Psalm number (for Psalms 10 through 146) to locate the identical text in your Bible.