Psalm 22 (KJV)
16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
From the Tanakh (The Jewish Bible)
(17) For dogs have encompassed me; a company of evil-doers have inclosed me; like a lion, they are at my hands and my feet.
(18) I may count all my bones; they look and gloat over me.
(19) They part my garments among them, and for my vesture do they cast lots.
(20) But Thou, O YHWH, be not far off; O Thou my strength, hasten to help me.
(21) Deliver my soul from the sword; mine only one from the power of the dog.
(22) Save me from the lion's mouth; yea, from the horns of the wild-oxen do Thou answer me.
From the KJV
Psalm 22
16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
19 But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.
21 Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
From the Hebrew
kiy sebhâbhuniykelâbhiym `adhath merê`iym hiqqiyphuniy kâ'ariy yâdhay veraghlây
from the Hebrew
738 'ariy ar-ee' or (prolonged) earyeh {ar-yay'}; (in the sense of violence); a lion:--(young) lion, + pierce (from the margin).
1) lion
a) pictures or images of lions
King James Word Usage - Total: 80 lion 79, untranslated variant 1
Can you guess what verse is the VARIANT?
Why, it's this one.... For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
Either this person in question was pierced by a lion, or the word pierced doesn't belong in the verse at all. And what does (from the margin) mean? It means that someone wrote pierce in the margin of some manuscript, so that when it was transscribed later, the word pierced could be inserted. And it was. Since verse 21 of the KJV correctly translates the word into lion, it would seem that the word pierce/d does not belong in verse 16 of the KJV at all.
Also, in case you wonder why the verses are off by 1, its because the first verse from the Tanach is used like an intro in the KJV. The first verse from the Tanach is:
I understand. The Hebrew versions/words are much more all-encompassing. I have come across other situations where a verb stood in place of a noun, and that is simply to cause the reader to do a double-take, and re-evaluate what is being said. One Hebrew word, has many different meanings. We are to pay attention to them all, and apply what is necessary. And voila! We all become the wiser...
Regarding lion vs pierced in Ps 22:16
The many references to this verse in the Christian Greek New Testament reflect the Greek translation of this verse in the Septuagint Psalms which, as you may have guessed, uses the word pierced.
Christian English translations of Ps 22:16 tend to prefer the traditional use of the word pierced, reflecting the Greek tradition of the verse.
As you have noted, there is a bit of grammar/vocabulary gymnastics required to translate the Hebrew in this verse. The Septuagint took the metaphorphorical road using the word, pierced. Other translations have done the same, while not using the word, pierced.
In my opinion, the JPS translators took the most elegant route when translating this verse.