Scripture quotations on this page are from the World English Bible (public domain), shown in quotation marks; all commentary is written by Scripture Trove. Source: Psalms 22 · Commentary
Psalm 22 is one of the most important Messianic psalms in the entire Old Testament, and it is also the chapter in the Psalms with the highest density of New Testament citations, with about 13 direct quotes or clear allusions. Jesus' cry on the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34), is a word-for-word quotation of Psalm 22:1. Psalm 22 immediately follows Psalm 21 (the king's victory) and is placed before Psalm 23 (the shepherd's rest), forming a "suffering-shepherding-glory" triptych with Psalms 22-23-24: Psalm 22 is the cross, Psalm 23 is the present church life, and Psalm 24 is the triumphant king at the end of time. The first 21 verses of this psalm are the deepest part of a lament, but the last 10 verses are a dramatically reversed psalm of thanksgiving, moving from abandonment to the nations turning to the Lord.
Book One of Psalms (Psalms 1–41) · Davidic Collection, First Series
Position of this Psalm: Psalm 22 is the deepest lament in Book One, and also the most complete psalm foreshadowing Christ's suffering. The superscription "To the tune of 'Aijeleth Hashshahar'" indicates that this is a psalm with a specific melody. It stands in stark contrast to Psalm 18 in the same book (a psalm of victory reviewing a lifetime), where Psalm 18 is a general thanksgiving after the king's enthronement, while Psalm 22 is the ultimate cry of the anointed one's abandonment. The editors of the Psalms deliberately placed the "forsaken Messiah" before the "shepherd's rest" and the "victorious king," telling readers throughout history that true victory grows out of the cry of abandonment.
The Cry of Abandonment (22:1–2) "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?", crying day and night but receiving no answer.
A Review of Faith (22:3–5) "But you are holy," the ancestors cried to God and were saved.
Extreme Shame and Loneliness (22:6–11) "I am a worm, and no man," mocked and scorned, yet trusting in Yahweh from the womb.
Scenes of Suffering (22:12–18) Surrounded by bulls, lions, and a pack of dogs, bones out of joint, clothes divided and gambled for—this is the earliest poetic foreshadowing of the cross.
Urgent Plea (22:19–21) "Don't be far from me," save me from the lion's mouth and the horns of the wild oxen.
Dramatic Turn, from Abandonment to Nations Turning to the Lord (22:22–31) "I will declare your name to my brothers," from individual to universal, from Zion to the ends of the earth, from descendants to all future peoples.
The structure of Psalm 22 features the most dramatic reversal arc in the Psalms. The first 21 verses are a continuously descending curve, starting with a cry, briefly rising with a review of faith, then plunging into the deepest depths of shame, suffering, and peril. Verse 22 is a sharp turning point; the Hebrew at the end of verse 21, "You have answered me" (עֲנִיתָנִי, anitani), is like a lightning bolt splitting the entire psalm. From verse 22 onward, the entire tone flips: from lament to praise, from individual to communal, from abandonment to proclamation, from Zion to the ends of the earth. The turning point at the deepest part of this V-shaped curve is precisely Christ's "It is finished" on the cross (John 19:30).
Psalm 22 is not merely a depiction of one of David's sufferings, nor is it just a psalm about suffering; it is a script pre-written by God for Christ. From "My God, why have you forsaken me" to "He has done it," the entire psalm pre-enacts the complete arc from the cross to the resurrection, from Golgotha to the Great Commission. This psalm tells us: the deepest feeling of abandonment is not proof of God's absence, but rather the deepest grace in God's plan of salvation, because Christ has already walked this path for us.
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (22:1), the starting point of the entire psalm, and Jesus' cry on the cross. This is the most painful sentence in the Psalms, and the core voice of Christ's passion history.
"But you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel." (22:3), a declaration of faith in despair. Even if I feel forsaken, your person has not changed.
"They pierced my hands and my feet... They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots." (22:16–18), the most specific prophecy of the cross. These two verses are directly quoted by the Gospel of John as the fulfillment of Jesus' suffering.
"He has done it." (22:31), the Hebrew עָשָׂה (asah, "it is finished"). Many commentators believe this is the Old Testament root of Jesus' "It is finished" (Tetelestai) in John 19:30.
Dear ones, let me speak directly to you.
Psalm 22 was written for all who have experienced "God seems far from me." Have you ever had such a moment? One night, you knelt to pray, but the heavens were brass; you cried out loudly, but the response was silence; you tried to hold on with past declarations of faith, but your heart said, "Maybe this time He really isn't there."
If you have had such a moment, please hear: Jesus Himself cried out these very words for you.
Psalm 22:1, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" This is not just David's cry; it is Christ's own words. On the cross, in the deepest darkness, under the heavy burden of all humanity's sin, He cried out with His own mouth, using the deepest lament of the Hebrew saints.
What is the meaning of this?
It means that the pain of "being forsaken by God" that you feel today, Christ has already walked that path for you.
You feel the heavens are silent today; Christ experienced the same silence. You feel your bones are out of joint today; Christ's body truly was dislocated. You feel your tongue is parched today; Christ said, "I am thirsty." You feel watched, mocked, and your faith denied today; every kind of mockery happened at the foot of Christ's cross.
There is no pain that Christ has not tasted for you.
So, dear one, when you feel God is far from you today, do not believe that the feeling of abandonment is a fact. It is your experience, but not the truth. Psalm 22:24 is the truth:
"For he has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither has he hidden his face from him; but when he cried to him, he heard."
The feeling of abandonment is real, but abandonment is not the fact. He is listening. He has not despised. He has not hidden His face. That sudden appearance of "You have answered me" at the end of Psalm 22:21 is the truth Christ experienced in Gethsemane, on the cross, and in the tomb: there is no interruption between the cry and the answer, it just seems long from our perspective.
Second, please look at the second half of Psalm 22.
Do you notice how the entire tone changes from verse 22? "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the midst of the assembly I will praise you." The first 21 verses are a desperate descent; verse 22 suddenly turns into praise and proclamation. This is not David acting; this is the scene Christ saw on the cross.
Hebrews 2:12, quoting Psalm 22:22, explicitly states: "He is not ashamed to call them brothers," meaning Christ on the cross saw the brothers He would have—you and me. He began to call us brothers from the cross. The cross was not a failure; it was the initiation rite for adopting millions of brothers and sisters.
What are you struggling with today? If you are Christ's "brother," one of those brothers personally acknowledged by Christ in Psalm 22:22, then everything you endure today has already been endured by Christ.
Third, please look at the last word of Psalm 22.
"He has done it," in Hebrew, is asah.
Many exegetes believe that when Jesus said "It is finished" (Tetelestai, John 19:30) on the cross, it was the fulfillment of Psalm 22:31. The entirety of Psalm 22, from the initial cry to the concluding "He has done it," is the complete script of Christ's cross.
What does this mean?
It means that when you feel your suffering is meaningless today, Christ on the cross has already given meaning to all suffering. It means that when you feel your efforts are fruitless today, Christ's "It is finished" has already won everything for you. It means that when you feel you have nothing today, Christ has already prepared a home as vast as "all the nations and peoples" for you.
Psalm 22 does not teach you how to endure suffering; it gives you a Savior who has already endured suffering for you. Psalm 22 does not demand that you have strong faith; it leads you to see Christ's faith and wraps you in His faith. Psalm 22 does not tell you to walk through the valley of the shadow of death alone; it tells you that Christ has already walked that path, and now He is ahead, holding your hand.
Finally, dear one, please remember one thing:
Psalm 22 is immediately followed by Psalm 23.
"Yahweh is my shepherd; I shall not want."
The end of Psalm 22 is the beginning of Psalm 23. The end of the cross is the beginning of the pasture. The end of abandonment is the beginning of being shepherded. The end of the valley of the shadow of death is the beginning of green pastures.
Where are you today?
If you are in the first half of Psalm 22 (in the deepest cry), please remember: Christ is there too; He has already cried out for you. If you are in the second half of Psalm 22 (where the reversal begins), please remember: that reversal was not created by you; God intervened when you didn't know it. If you have already reached Psalm 23 (under the shepherd's guidance), please remember: the root of all this is Christ's "It is finished" in Psalm 22.
May the "Morning Doe," the Messiah pursued in the night yet victorious at dawn, be your companion tonight.
Have you ever had a moment in your life when "God seemed far from me"? After reading Psalm 22, how would you re-interpret that experience?
Psalm 22:22 says, "I will declare your name to my brothers." Hebrews 2:12 attributes this statement to Christ. If Christ calls you "brother," how does this change your self-perception today?
Can you take the phrase "He has done it" at the end of Psalm 22:31 as your own declaration right now, entrusting all of today's burdens to the Savior who has "finished it"?
Superscription: For the Chief Musician. To the tune of "The Doe of the Morning." A Psalm by David.
The three-layered structure of Psalm 22's superscription contains rich information.
The first layer: "A Psalm by David" (מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד, mizmor le-David), the most common attribution in the Psalms. Mizmor means "a psalm to be sung with musical accompaniment." Psalm 22 was meant to be sung by the congregation, not just read silently. This in itself is profound; this extremely sorrowful lament is not a private diary but part of a public liturgy. The congregation of Israel sang in unison this "My God, why have you forsaken me?" during temple worship.
The second layer: "For the Chief Musician" (לַמְנַצֵּחַ, la-menatseach), a liturgical term for the director of the temple choir. This most painful private cry was incorporated into communal worship. Hebrew faith refuses to privatize suffering; everyone's deepest sense of abandonment must be sung in the congregation.
The third layer: "To the tune of 'The Doe of the Morning'" (עַל־אַיֶּלֶת הַשַּׁחַר, al-ayyelet ha-shachar), literally "doe of the dawn" or "deer of the morning." Scholars have several interpretations for this phrase:
However it is understood, the image of "The Doe of the Morning" itself is poetic—a lonely doe pursued in the pre-dawn darkness, just like the forsaken Anointed One in the psalm, crying out in the deepest part of the night, awaiting the coming of dawn. The final section of Psalm 22 (verses 22-31) is precisely the realization of that dawn, where the night's lament ultimately transforms into a morning of worship by all nations.
This superscription also indirectly tells us that Psalm 22 is not a record of a specific crisis of David (the superscription does not specify a historical setting like Psalms 3 or 51), but a psalm carefully composed, set to music, and incorporated into formal liturgy. Its "original author" was David, but the Holy Spirit, in circumstances David did not fully understand, used David's mouth to foreshadow Christ's cry on the cross a thousand years later.
Section Context: The opening of the entire psalm, and also two of the most painful verses in the entire Bible. The very first sentence is not praise, not lament, not a request, but a direct question: "Why have you forsaken me?" While such an intense opening is not uncommon in laments, the degree in Psalm 22 is the deepest in the Psalms. The Hebrew rhythm of these two verses is short and urgent, like someone gasping for breath, spitting out words one by one.
22:1 "For the Chief Musician; set to “The Doe of the Morning.” A Psalm by David. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?"
Psalms 22:1（World English Bible）
"My God, my God" (אֵלִי אֵלִי, Eli, Eli), an opening cry with double repetition. In Hebrew poetry, repeated appellations are a mark of extreme urgency. David does not say "Yahweh," but uses the possessive of El, "my God," which is a more intimate, personal address. Repeating "my God" twice is like a child repeatedly calling for their mother in the dark. This is the deepest language of abandonment; he still recognizes the name, still calls Him "my," but that "my God" seems to no longer respond.
The most important New Testament quotation of this phrase, Jesus' cry on the cross (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34), preserves the Aramaic original sound: "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" (Matthew) or "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" (Mark). Matthew uses Eli (closer to Hebrew), Mark uses Eloi (closer to Aramaic), but both versions are verbatim quotations of Psalm 22:1. Jesus was not borrowing Psalm 22:1 to express His feelings; He was publicly declaring, "Psalm 22 is now being fulfilled in me." This is a declaration of a complete script, from the cry of 22:1 all the way to "It is finished" in 22:31.
"Why have you forsaken me" (לָמָה עֲזַבְתָּנִי, lamah azavtani), the verb עָזַב (azav, to forsake, abandon). This is the heaviest verb in Hebrew, not meaning "to leave temporarily," but to actively and decisively cast off. The same word is used in Genesis 2:24, "a man will leave his father and his mother," and Exodus 23:5, "you shall not abandon him," meaning "to cut off a relationship." David uses this verb to describe his experience of God; He seems to have actively cut off His relationship with me.
The sharpness of the poetry must be preserved here. Psalm 22 does not rewrite suffering as "I just don't understand for now," nor does it rush to explain for God. The sufferer says, "Why have you forsaken me?" This statement itself is a prayer. The most dangerous pastoral practice is to immediately suppress this statement into a correct answer when someone is weeping, as if true faith cannot ask "why." Psalm 22, on the contrary, tells us that the deepest faith can grasp God with the most painful language: calling Him "my God" while asking Him why He is far away.
This is an extremely sensitive theological question. Did God truly forsake Christ?
Throughout history, theologians have trodden a careful path here:
The key biblical evidence: Psalm 22:1 itself contains the seed of faith, "My God." Even in the deepest sense of abandonment, Christ still recognized Him as "my Father." If the Trinity were truly torn, He would not say "my God," but only "God." This possessive pronoun "my" is the weakest yet most real light in the darkness.
"Why are you so far from helping me" (רָחוֹק מִישׁוּעָתִי, rachoq mi-yshu'ati), literally "far from my salvation." Note "salvation" (יְשׁוּעָה, yeshu'ah), which is the root of the name "Jesus" (Yeshua). David cries out "far from my yeshu'ah," and a thousand years later, the true Yeshua cries out the same words on the cross. The subtlety of Scripture is in this root-word echo; David could not have known, but the Holy Spirit did.
"And from the words of my groaning" (דִּבְרֵי שַׁאֲגָתִי, divrei sha'agati), the verb שָׁאַג (sha'ag). This word is usually used to describe the roaring of a lion (Amos 3:8, "A lion has roared; who will not fear?"). David is not saying "my whispered prayer," but "my roaring words." This is a non-verbal, beast-like howl of a cry, uttered when torn by pain. In lament, this breakdown of language itself is true prayer; God accepts our roars just as He accepts our psalms.
22:2 "My God, I cry in the daytime, but you don’t answer; in the night season, and am not silent."
Psalms 22:2（World English Bible）
"I cry in the daytime... in the night season" (יוֹמָם … לַיְלָה, yomam … laylah), the combination of day and night means "all the time." Hebrew uses "day and night" to express continuous, ceaseless crying. This is sleepless prayer, prayer from physical and mental exhaustion, prayer that continues even when one can no longer shout.
"But you don't answer" (וְלֹא תַעֲנֶה, ve-lo ta'aneh), the verb עָנָה (anah, to answer, respond). Note that this word will dramatically reappear at the end of 22:21, "You have answered me" (עֲנִיתָנִי, anitani). The entire dramatic arc of the psalm is completed between "not answering" and "having answered," using the same root.
"And am not silent" (וְלֹא־דֻמִיָּה לִי, ve-lo-dumiyah li), literally "and there is no silence for me." דּוּמִיָּה (dumiyah) means "silence, quiet." David is not saying "You are silent," but "I am not silent," meaning "I have been crying out, I have not given up." This is the greatest posture in lament: even if heaven is silent, my mouth is not silent. Not giving up on prayer itself is clear evidence that faith remains.
Section Focus: After the lowest point of lament, David performs a classic lament action: looking back. He looks at God's attributes (He is holy) and the experiences of the patriarchs (they cried out and were saved). These three verses are the first small turning point in Psalm 22, but not yet the ultimate victory; it is merely faith's whispered persistence in the darkness.
22:3 "But you are holy, you who inhabit the praises of Israel."
Psalms 22:3（World English Bible）
"But you" (וְאַתָּה, ve-attah) are the two most powerful words in Hebrew poetic lament. Psalm 3:3 "But you, Yahweh," Psalm 13:5 "But I trust." This "but" is the characteristic action of a lament turning from sorrow to faith. David has stated all his pain, all his feelings of abandonment, and then turns with a "but you." This is not ignoring the pain, but acknowledging a more real reality above the pain.
"Holy" (קָדוֹשׁ, Qadosh) is God's highest attribute in the Hebrew Bible. The root קָדַשׁ (qadash) literally means "set apart." God is set apart from all creation and from all defilement. When David declares "You are Qadosh," he acknowledges that even if he cannot feel God, and even if circumstances seem to deny God, His person remains unchanged; He is still the absolutely holy God.
"Who inhabits the praises of Israel" (יוֹשֵׁב תְּהִלּוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל, yoshev tehillot yisrael) literally means "who sits upon the praises of Israel." יוֹשֵׁב (yoshev, dwells, sits), תְּהִלּוֹת (tehillot, praises). This is a profound image: Israel's praises are God's throne.
What does this mean? Two interpretations:
However interpreted, David is saying here: "You have not changed. You are still the Holy One who dwells above the praises of all peoples. I cannot feel You now, but the songs of all Israel throughout the ages still testify that You are the throne."
22:4 "Our fathers trusted in you. They trusted, and you delivered them."
Psalms 22:4（World English Bible）
"Our fathers" (אֲבֹתֵינוּ, avoteinu): Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, the saints of the Judges' era, and the Kingdom era. David is not isolated; he belongs to a long tradition of believers.
"Trusted" (בָּטַח, batach), same as Psalm 4:5 "Trust in Yahweh." This is one of the core verbs in Psalms, meaning "to rely, to feel secure, to lean one's weight upon." David reminds himself that trusting God is the core way of life for saints throughout history.
"You delivered them" (וַתְּפַלְּטֵמוֹ, va-tefalletemo), verb פָּלַט (palat, to rescue, to deliver). The same word's participle is used in Psalm 18:2 "my deliverer." Note that this is the perfect tense: "You have already delivered them." David is not hoping in the future tense but recalling in the past tense. History is the database of faith; just as God saved people in the past, He is still the same God who saves today.
22:5 "They cried to you, and were delivered. They trusted in you, and were not disappointed."
Psalms 22:5（World English Bible）
In Hebrew, there is a progression of three actions here:
"Disappointed" (בּוֹשׁ, bosh): Hebrew shame is not just an emotion but also social failure. A person who relies on false idols and fails is publicly disgraced; what they believed in is disproven. David's ancestors trusted in Yahweh and were not disgraced; their faith was vindicated.
This verse implies to David: "My ancestors cried out and were all delivered, so why do You not answer me this time?" This unresolved tension drives the psalm forward. The next section returns from "ancestors" to "myself," and the suffering deepens again.
Section Focus: After a brief ascent in the review of faith, the psalm plunges back into deeper darkness. But this time, it is not an abstract "God's abandonment" but specific shame, being ridiculed, mocked, and having one's faith denied. The middle section (22:9-11) has a tender moment where David traces his reliance on God back to his mother's womb. From "I am a worm" to "from my mother's womb I have trusted," this is one of the most heartbreaking contrasts in lament.
22:6 "But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people."
Psalms 22:6（World English Bible）
"I am a worm, and no man" (אָנֹכִי תוֹלַעַת וְלֹא־אִישׁ, anokhi tola'at ve-lo-ish). This is the most extreme self-abasement in the Psalms.
"Worm" (תּוֹלַעַת, tola'at): This is not an ordinary "worm." Tola'at specifically refers to the crimson worm (Coccus ilicis), used in the ancient Near East to produce bright red dye. The life cycle of this worm is unique: the female worm, when laying eggs, fastens herself to a tree or shrub and secretes a red fluid that covers the entire egg mass. As the eggs hatch, the mother dies, but her red blood saturates the larvae, giving them a bright red protective layer. This is precisely the source of ancient "scarlet" (shani) dye.
Early Church Fathers (such as Augustine, Adam Clarke, Spurgeon) saw a profound Christological prefigurement here: Christ is the true tola'at, nailed to the wood (cross) for us, pouring out His precious blood, covering us with His own red. Crimson dye is permanent; the scarlet in the temple curtain was dyed with tola'at (Exodus 25:4, Numbers 19:6, the high priest's red cord). Psalm 22:6 is not just David's self-pity; it is a prophecy of Christ's suffering, the incarnate God humbling Himself to become a "worm" so that His blood might cover us.
"And no man" (ולא־איש, ve-lo-ish): The contrast of the verb: אִישׁ (ish, a person of status). David is not saying "I am not adam" (not human), but "I am not ish" (not a person with dignity or status). He has been stripped of all human dignity, becoming like a worm that can be trampled at will.
The key words for "a reproach of men, and despised by the people" are חֶרְפָּה (cherpah, disgrace, scorn) and בָּזָה (bazah, despise). These two words often appear in pairs in laments (Isaiah 53:3 "He was despised and rejected by men" uses the same semantic field).
22:7 "All those who see me mock me. They insult me with their lips. They shake their heads, saying,"
Psalms 22:7（World English Bible）
"Mock" (יַלְעִגוּ, yal'igu, from לָעַג la'ag): to ridicule, to make fun of, to taunt. "Sneer with their lips" (יַפְטִירוּ בְשָׂפָה, yaftiru ve-safah): literally "they open with the lip," to make a face or a sneer. "Shake their heads" (יָנִיעוּ רֹאשׁ, yani'u rosh): a standard gesture in the ancient Near East expressing "scorn and disdain."
This verse is directly quoted in the New Testament: Matthew 27:39 "Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads"; Mark 15:29 "Those who passed by insulted him, wagging their heads." Both Gospel writers use the same phrase (κινοῦντες τὰς κεφαλὰς, "wagging their heads"), clearly echoing Psalm 22:7. The passersby at Golgotha did not know they were acting out the script of Psalm 22, but the Gospel writers saw it.
22:8 "“He trusts in Yahweh. Let him deliver him. Let him rescue him, since he delights in him.”"
Psalms 22:8（World English Bible）
This verse contains the specific content of the mockery, the taunting words of the enemies. This is one of the most prominent New Testament citations of Psalm 22.
"He trusts" (גֹּל אֶל־יְהוָה, gol el-Yahweh), verb גָּלַל (galal, to roll, to commit). Literally "he rolls himself onto Yahweh," meaning "he places his entire life upon Yahweh." This is a vivid description of a posture of faith, pouring one's whole self into God's embrace.
The enemies mock this posture: "He trusts in Yahweh; good, let Yahweh save him. Since Yahweh delights in him, let Yahweh rescue him." This is the most venomous mockery, using the sufferer's own faith against him.
Matthew 27:43 "He trusts in God. Let God deliver him now, if he wants him; for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'" The words of the chief priests at Golgotha are almost a word-for-word quotation of Psalm 22:8. Matthew deliberately allows readers to hear the echo: those chief priests standing at the foot of the cross, thinking they were mocking a failed Messiah, did not know they were acting out Psalm 22, verse 8. The Psalm had already recorded their words a thousand years in advance.
22:9 "But you brought me out of the womb. You made me trust while at my mother’s breasts."
Psalms 22:9（World English Bible）
The second "but you" appears, this time not looking back at the faith of ancestors, but returning to the very beginning of life.
"Took me out of the womb" (גֹחִי מִבָּטֶן, gochi mi-baten), verb גָּחָה (gachah, to break forth, specifically referring to birth). בֶּטֶן (beten, womb). David traces his life back to its origin: You brought me out of the womb.
This is a unique perspective in Hebrew poetry: the roots of faith are planted before life itself. Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; and before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you," expresses the same theology. The very existence of every believer is God's predetermination; faith is not implanted later but born simultaneously with life.
"You made me trust" (מַבְטִיחִי, mavtichi), verb בָּטַח (batach, to trust). Literally "You made me trust," meaning a trust established from the mother's embrace. David's faith was not learned later but was shaped by God from the earliest period of nursing.
22:10 "I was thrown on you from my mother’s womb. You are my God since my mother bore me."
Psalms 22:10（World English Bible）
"From birth" (מֵרָחֶם, me-rachem), רֶחֶם (rechem, womb). The cognate word is רַחֲמִים (rachamim, compassion); in Hebrew, "compassion" is "womb-love."
"You have been my God" (אֵלִי אָתָּה, Eli attah), literally "You are my God." This subtly echoes "My God, my God" from verse 1. The opening is a desperate double cry, while verse 10 is a calm declaration of faith. The same "my God," from crying out to declaring, all relies on this foundation "from birth."
22:11 "Don’t be far from me, for trouble is near. For there is no one to help."
Psalms 22:11（World English Bible）
"Don't be far from me" (אַל־תִּרְחַק מִמֶּנִּי, al-tirchaq mimmenni) is a repeated plea in Psalm 22 (compare 22:19, "But you, Yahweh, don't be far off"). רָחַק (rachaq, to be far) is the same root used in verse 1, "Why are you so far from saving me?" David is not asking God to come; he is asking God not to leave.
"Trouble is near" (צָרָה קְרוֹבָה, tsarah qerovah). צָרָה (tsarah, trouble, distress), קָרוֹב (qarov, near). Trouble is near, but Yahweh is far; this is the internal structure of the feeling of abandonment: what should be near is far, and what should be far is near.
"No one to help" (אֵין עוֹזֵר, ein ozer), isolated and without aid. This verse directly foreshadows Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, where the disciples slept, and He bore it alone (Matthew 26:40).
Section Positioning: This is the core suffering passage of the entire psalm, and the part most affirmed by the narrative of Christ's passion. Seven verses use four interwoven images—wild oxen, lions, water, and dogs—to paint a picture of siege. 22:16, "They have pierced my hands and my feet," and 22:18, "They divide my garments among them. For my clothing they cast lots," are the most direct prophecies of the cross. This section must be read slowly, verse by verse, as every verse has been used in the New Testament.
22:12 "Many bulls have surrounded me. Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me."
Psalms 22:12（World English Bible）
"Bulls" (פָּרִים, parim), the plural of פַּר (par, bull). In the ancient Near East, bulls were a symbol of savage power—huge, horned, and unstoppable.
"Bashan" (בָּשָׁן, Bashan), the plateau region east of the Jordan River (today's Golan Heights to the eastern shore of Galilee), known for its fertile pastures and large bulls. Amos 4:1 calls the noblewomen of Samaria "cows of Bashan," meaning fat and unruly. "Strong bulls of Bashan" is a Hebrew idiom for "the fiercest bulls."
Here, David compares his enemies to a herd of giant Bashan bulls charging and surrounding him, a picture of being encircled by massive, heavy, muscular hostility. The reality of palace politics a thousand years before Christ is transformed into an eternal image.
22:13 "They open their mouths wide against me, lions tearing prey and roaring."
Psalms 22:13（World English Bible）
"Open their mouths wide" (פָּצוּ עָלַי, patsu alai), from the verb פָּצָה (patsah, to tear open). The enemies' mouths are wide open, as if to devour.
"Lion" (אַרְיֵה, aryeh), similar to Psalm 7:2, "lest they tear my soul like a lion." Ancient Israel really had lions (until the Second Temple period), which were the greatest threat to shepherds. David fought lions in his youth (1 Samuel 17:34-36), so he knew what it was like for a lion to open its mouth and pounce.
"Ravenous and roaring" (טֹרֵף וְשֹׁאֵג, toref ve-sho'eg), טָרַף (taraph, to tear), שָׁאַג (sha'ag, to roar, similar to the end of Psalm 22:1, "the words of my groaning"). Note the verbal echo: in verse 1, David cries out like a wounded animal; in verse 13, the enemies roar like lions. These two types of "roaring" echo each other in verses 1 and 13.
22:14 "I am poured out like water. All my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax; it is melted within me."
Psalms 22:14（World English Bible）
This is one of the most clinically real verses in Psalm 22 describing suffering, the internal sensation of bodily disintegration.
"I am poured out like water" (כַּמַּיִם נִשְׁפַּכְתִּי, ka-mayim nishpakhti), literally "I am poured out like water." This is a picture of being so depleted as to have no form. The same metaphor appears in Hannah's prayer (1 Samuel 1:15, "I have poured out my soul before Yahweh") and Job (Job 30:16, "Now my soul is poured out within me"). A person is a vessel for water; suffering has drained my water.
"All my bones are out of joint" (הִתְפָּרְדוּ כָּל־עַצְמוֹתָי, hitparedu kol-atsmotai), from the verb פָּרַד (parad, to separate, to be out of joint) and עֶצֶם (etsem, bone). Literally, "all my bones are separated."
This is the real physical state on the cross. Crucifixion causes gravity to pull the body down, and the joints of the shoulders and elbows can truly dislocate; ancient forensic studies of crucified bodies have confirmed this. David's poetic description, written a thousand years earlier, perfectly matches Christ's actual physical state on the cross.
The keywords for "My heart is like wax, melting within me" are לֵב (lev, heart), דּוֹנָג (donag, wax), and מָסַס (masas, to melt). Literally, "my heart has become like melted wax."
For Hebrews, the "heart" (lev) is not just the emotional center but also the seat of will and courage. A "melting" heart means all will, determination, and courage have vanished, leaving only a shapeless existence.
22:15 "My strength is dried up like a potsherd. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have brought me into the dust of death."
Psalms 22:15（World English Bible）
"My strength" (כֹּחִי, kochi, from כֹּחַ koach, strength). Here it could also be read as חֵךְ (chek, palate), meaning "my throat is dried up like a potsherd." Both readings refer to extreme dehydration and exhaustion.
"Potsherd" (חֶרֶשׂ, cheres), a broken piece of pottery. Hard, cracked, and without moisture.
"My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth" (לְשׁוֹנִי מֻדְבָּק מַלְקוֹחָי, leshoni mudbaq malqochai). This is the real physiological state of a severely dehydrated person, where the tongue sticks to the palate due to lack of water.
John 19:28, "After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now finished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, 'I am thirsty.'" This was one of Jesus' last words on the cross, directly echoing Psalm 22:15. John deliberately notes "that the Scripture might be fulfilled," knowing this was the fulfillment of Psalm 22.
"You lay me in the dust of death" (וְלַעֲפַר־מָוֶת תִּשְׁפְּתֵנִי, ve-la-afar-mavet tishpeteni). עָפָר (afar, dust), מָוֶת (mavet, death). "Dust of death" refers to the entrance to Sheol, the dust of the grave.
22:16 "For dogs have surrounded me. A company of evildoers have enclosed me. They have pierced my hands and feet."
Psalms 22:16（World English Bible）
This is the most controversial and crucial verse in Psalm 22, and a core text used by early Christianity to argue for the prophecy of the cross.
"Dogs" (כְּלָבִים, kelavim), the plural of כֶּלֶב (kelev, dog). In Hebrew and Near Eastern culture, "dogs" were considered the most unclean and despised animals, referring to lowly crowds.
"Company of evildoers" (עֲדַת מְרֵעִים, adat mere'im). עֵדָה (edah, congregation), מֵרַע (mera, evildoer). "Assembly of evildoers."
"They have pierced my hands and my feet" is the most important phrase in the entire psalm, and also the most controversial in the Hebrew versions.
The Masoretic Text (MT, the mainstream Hebrew manuscript) reads כָּאֲרִי יָדַי וְרַגְלָי (ka'ari yadai ve-raglai), literally "like a lion, my hands and my feet." This is an incomplete sentence and difficult to understand. Medieval Jewish commentators tried to interpret it as "they attacked my hands and feet like a lion," but this is grammatically strained.
The Septuagint (LXX, Greek, circa 3rd century BCE) uses ὤρυξαν (oryxan, they dug, they pierced) to express "they pierced my hands and my feet." The LXX read the Hebrew as כָּאֲרוּ (ka'aru, they pierced, they dug), rather than כָּאֲרִי (ka'ari, like a lion). The two differ by only one letter in Hebrew (a yod vs. a vav), and these two letters were very similar in ancient Hebrew.
Crucial evidence from the Dead Sea Scrolls: a Psalms manuscript (5/6Ḥev–Ps) discovered in Naḥal Ḥever in 1956 preserves this verse of Psalm 22:16 as כארו (ka'aru, "they pierced, they dug"). This Hebrew manuscript predates the Masoretic Text by about a thousand years, confirming that the Septuagint's reading ("they pierced") is closer to the original Hebrew.
In other words, the translation "they have pierced my hands and my feet" (as in the Chinese Union Version) based on the Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls has ample textual basis. The Masoretic Text's "like a lion" is a slight change that occurred during later copying.
The significance of this: Psalm 22:16 is one of the most important Old Testament prophecies for Christianity. Approximately a thousand years before Christ's passion, the Holy Spirit, through David's mouth, prophesied: "They have pierced my hands and my feet," which is the specific action of the crucifixion. In John 20:25, Thomas said, "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails... I will not believe." In Luke 24:39-40, the resurrected Jesus showed His disciples "his hands and his feet." The nail marks are the most solid mark of Christ's identity and the fulfillment of Psalm 22:16.
22:17 "I can count all of my bones. They look and stare at me."
Psalms 22:17（World English Bible）
"I can count all of my bones" (אֲסַפֵּר כָּל־עַצְמוֹתָי, asapper kol-atsmotai). סָפַר (saphar, to count), עֶצֶם (etsem, bone). Literally, "I can count all my bones."
This is a description of extreme emaciation, and also the real physical state on the cross. A crucified person's body hangs, bones protrude, and skin clings tightly to the bones, making it truly possible to count the bones one by one with the naked eye.
"They look and stare at me" (הֵמָּה יַבִּיטוּ יִרְאוּ־בִי, hemmah yabbitu yiru-vi). Verb נָבַט (nabat, to gaze), רָאָה (ra'ah, to see). The double verb emphasizes "staring intently."
This is the most painful detail of the passion scene: people are watching. When Jesus was crucified, it was the same: "The people stood watching" (Luke 23:35). The suffering of the afflicted became a spectacle for onlookers.
22:18 "They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing."
Psalms 22:18（World English Bible）
This is a passage directly quoted in John's Gospel as a fulfillment of the passion.
"Garments" (בְגָדַי, begadai, outer garments), multiple layers of outer clothing. "Clothing" (לְבוּשִׁי, levushi, entire robe), note the singular, this refers to a single, complete inner robe. "Divide" (יְחַלְּקוּ, yechalleku), to apportion. "Cast lots" (יַפִּילוּ גוֹרָל, yappilu goral). גּוֹרָל (goral, lot), using the casting of lots to determine ownership.
This verse prophesies the specific actions of the soldiers at the foot of the cross.
John 19:23-24 "Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven whole from the top down. They said therefore one to another, 'Let's not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it will be,' that the Scripture might be fulfilled, which says, 'They parted my garments among them. For my clothing they cast lots.' Therefore the soldiers did these things."
John directly quotes Psalm 22:18 as a fulfillment, which is one of the clearest examples of a direct New Testament quotation of the Old Testament. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record the division of the garments (Matthew 27:35, Mark 15:24, Luke 23:34), but John goes further to point out that this was a fulfillment of the Psalm's prophecy.
The precision of Psalm 22:18 is remarkable. Note that "garments" is plural (multiple items divided), and "clothing" is singular (one item for which lots were cast). This is precisely the scene John describes: four soldiers dividing four outer garments, and one seamless inner tunic that could not be divided, so they cast lots for it. A Hebrew poem from a thousand years ago prophesied the specific actions of Roman soldiers a thousand years later.
Section Positioning: After the deepest point of the suffering imagery, the Psalm enters its final urgent cry. These three verses are no longer a lengthy lament, but short, urgent pleas for help, like the last breaths of a drowning person. Then, at the end of verse 21, comes the most dramatic turning point of the entire Psalm, where the verb anitani ("You have answered me") strikes like lightning through the whole poem.
22:19 "But don’t be far off, Yahweh. You are my help: hurry to help me."
Psalms 22:19（World English Bible）
"Yahweh" (יְהוָה, Yahweh), this is the first direct call to Yahweh by name in Psalm 22 (earlier it used El "my God"). At the most critical moment, he uses the most honored holy name.
"Don't be far from me" echoes verse 1, "Why are you so far from helping me," using the same verb רָחַק (rachaq). The arc of the Psalm moves from "You are far from me" to "Don't be far from me," shifting from accusation to entreaty.
"You are my help" (אֱיָלוּתִי, eyaluti), a unique word. אֱיָלוּת (eyalut) literally means "strength, help," derived from אַיָּל (ayyal, stag), with the strength of a deer symbolizing help. Note that this echoes the superscription "Aijeleth Hashshahar" (Morning Doe), from the same root. The entire Psalm is framed by the imagery of a deer: at the beginning, a hunted deer; here, a deer of strength.
"Hurry to help me" (לְעֶזְרָתִי חוּשָׁה, le-ezrati chushah), עֶזְרָה (ezrah, help), חוּשׁ (chush, hurry). Sense of urgency, "Hurry."
22:20 "Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog."
Psalms 22:20（World English Bible）
"Soul" (נַפְשִׁי, nafshi, my life, my whole being). "Sword" (מֵחֶרֶב, me-cherev), a specific instrument of killing. "Precious life" (יְחִידָתִי, yechidati), this word is very unique. יְחִידָה (yechidah) literally means "unique, one and only," my unique life, I have no other. "Power of the dog" (מִיַּד־כֶּלֶב, mi-yad-kelev), literally "from the paw/hand of the dog." Echoes "dogs have surrounded me" in Psalm 22:16.
Note the word yechidah. This is the same root word used in Genesis 22:2 when God commanded Abraham, "Take now your son, your only son (yechidekha)." David's plea to save "my unique one" foreshadows "God's only Son" (John 3:16).
22:21 "Save me from the lion’s mouth! Yes, from the horns of the wild oxen, you have answered me."
Psalms 22:21（World English Bible）
This verse is the turning axis of the entire Psalm.
"Lion's mouth" (מִפִּי אַרְיֵה, mi-pi aryeh), "horns of the wild oxen" (מִקַּרְנֵי רֵמִים, mi-qarnei remim), רֵם (rem, wild ox). The most dangerous parts of the strongest animals, the lion's mouth and the wild ox's horns. All are prayed to be delivered from.
"You have answered me" (עֲנִיתָנִי, anitani), the perfect tense of עָנָה (anah, to answer), with a first-person singular suffix.
This word is the explosive point of Psalm 22.
All previous prayers were in the imperfect tense ("Don't be far," "Save me," "Hurry"). Suddenly, at the end of verse 21, a perfect tense appears, "You have answered me." There is no transition, no explanation, no foreshadowing.
This is the dramatic tense shift in Hebrew poetry, from petition to experience, with no mention of the time interval in between. It is as if the cry and the answer are instantaneous, but in reality, an event of "God's intervention" has occurred in between.
Many commentators consider this anitani to be the climax of the entire Psalm. From this point, the tone of the Psalm completely reverses. The first 21 verses are like an extremely long descent; at the end of verse 21, the bottom is suddenly found, and from verse 22, it begins a steep ascent.
Some translations (such as NIV) translate this sentence separately as "You have answered me!" (with an exclamation mark), correctly capturing the power of this suddenness.
Section Positioning: The second half of the entire Psalm, and the most astonishing part of Psalm 22. The first 21 verses are the deepest point of lament, but verses 22-31 are a dramatically reversed psalm of thanksgiving, moving from abandonment to proclamation, from individual to community, from Zion to the ends of the earth, from descendants to all future peoples. These ten verses expand in three circles: verses 22-25 (brothers, assembly), verses 26-29 (poor, world), verses 30-31 (descendants, future generations).
22:22 "I will declare your name to my brothers. Among the assembly, I will praise you."
Psalms 22:22（World English Bible）
"Your name" (שִׁמְךָ, shimkha), God's person, attributes, and presence. "Declare" (אֲסַפְּרָה, asapperah), סָפַר (saphar, to tell, to count), same as "I can count my bones" in 22:17. Note the contrast of words: in suffering, I count my bones (being diminished); after deliverance, I count and declare Your name (being abundant). "Brothers" (אֶחָי, echai), compatriots, family, the community of faith. "Assembly" (קָהָל, qahal), the congregation of Israel.
Hebrews 2:12 directly quotes this verse:
Hebrews 2:11-12 "For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one. For which cause he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, 'I will declare your name to my brothers. In the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.'"
This is the most important New Testament quotation of Psalm 22:22. The author of Hebrews clearly states that Christ is speaking, and "Christ calls believers brothers." Psalm 22:22 thus becomes a core scripture for arguing Christ's humanity and His shared nature with believers. This also means that the entire Psalm 22 is Christ's words; "I" is Christ, and "brothers" is the church.
22:23 "You who fear Yahweh, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify him! Stand in awe of him, all you descendants of Israel!"
Psalms 22:23（World English Bible）
A threefold call: those who fear, descendants of Jacob, and descendants of Israel. This is the first time the scope of Psalm 22 expands from "I" to the entire covenant community.
"Fear" (יִרְאֵי, yir'ei, from יָרֵא yare), a standard title for pious people. "Praise" (הַלְלוּהוּ, halleluhu), from the same root הָלַל (halal) as "Hallelujah." "Glorify" (כַּבְּדוּהוּ, kabbeduhu), כָּבֵד (kaved, to make heavy, to glorify).
22:24 "For he has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, Neither has he hidden his face from him; but when he cried to him, he heard."
Psalms 22:24（World English Bible）
This is the deepest theological statement in the entire psalm:
"He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, neither has he hidden his face from him."
Returning to verse 1, "Why have you forsaken me?", David now answers that question with a declaration. He did not truly forsake. The experience of "being forsaken" was real, but the judgment "He has forsaken me" was wrong.
This Hebrew verse uses double negation to emphasize: not despised, not abhorred, not hidden His face. All three actions are negated, which is the deepest confession of faith in a lament: God never abandoned the suffering one.
"Afflicted" (עָנִי, ani), a core Hebrew word for "poor, oppressed, suffering." The concept of "the poor" that repeatedly appears in the Psalms refers not only to economic poverty but also to those who are socially oppressed.
"When he cried to him, he heard," responding to 22:2 "you don't answer." He did indeed hear, but the time of His response was different from what I expected.
22:25 "Of you comes my praise in the great assembly. I will pay my vows before those who fear him."
Psalms 22:25（World English Bible）
"Great congregation" (קָהָל רָב, qahal rav), a large gathering. This is public praise, not private thanksgiving.
"Of you comes my praise" (מֵאִתְּךָ תְהִלָּתִי, me'ittekha tehillati), literally "my praise is from You." This is profound theology: I can praise because You first gave me the content for praise. If You had not delivered me, I would have nothing to praise. The source of praise is God's own work.
"Pay my vows" (נְדָרַי אֲשַׁלֵּם, nedarai ashallem), an ancient Israelite custom where one made a vow to God in distress (e.g., Hannah vowing to dedicate her son to Yahweh, 1 Samuel 1:11), and then publicly fulfilled the vow after deliverance. This is a recurring theme of vow-paying in the Psalms (Psalms 50:14, 56:12, 61:5, 66:13).
22:26 "The humble shall eat and be satisfied. They shall praise Yahweh who seek after him. Let your hearts live forever."
Psalms 22:26（World English Bible）
"Humble" (עֲנָוִים, anavim), from the same root as "afflicted" (ani) in 22:24. The poor, the humble, the suffering—in the Hebrew Bible, these are the same group of people who, having no one to rely on in the world, can only rely entirely on God.
"Eat and be satisfied" (יֹאכְלוּ … וְיִשְׂבָּעוּ, yokhlu … ve-yisba'u), verb שָׂבַע (sava, to be full, satisfied). This is a picture of a vow-paying feast, where after the vow offering, the offerer invites the poor to partake. This foreshadows the Eucharist and the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9), where after Christ completes redemption, He invites all "humble people" to sit at the table.
"Seek" (דֹּרְשָׁיו, doreshav, from דָּרַשׁ darash, to actively seek), one of the core verbs in the Psalms. "Let your heart live forever" (יְחִי לְבַבְכֶם לָעַד, yechi levavkhem la'ad), literally "may your heart live forever." This is a blessing, foreshadowing eternal life.
22:27 "All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to Yahweh. All the relatives of the nations shall worship before you."
Psalms 22:27（World English Bible）
This verse expands the scope of Psalm 22 to its widest, from "my brothers" to "all the ends of the earth" and "all the relatives of the nations."
"All the ends of the earth" (כָּל־אַפְסֵי־אָרֶץ, kol-afsei-arets), literally "all the extremities of the earth." אֶפֶס (efes, end, edge). This is the Hebrew expression for "global," all marginal areas, all distant peoples.
"All the relatives of the nations" (כָּל־מִשְׁפְּחוֹת גּוֹיִם, kol-mishpechot goyim), מִשְׁפָּחָה (mishpachah, family, clan), גּוֹי (goy, gentile, nation). All families of all gentile nations.
"Remember" (יִזְכְּרוּ, yizkeru, from זָכַר zakhar, to remember). "Turn to" (יָשֻׁבוּ, yashuvu, from שׁוּב shuv, to return). Note that this is the same verb used in Psalm 23:3 "He restores my soul." Turning to Yahweh is the true return of the soul to its origin. "Worship" (יִשְׁתַּחֲווּ, yishtachavu, from שָׁחָה shachah, to bow down in worship).
This is a poetic foreshadowing of the Great Commission:
Matthew 28:18-19 "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations..."
Psalm 22:27 prophesies that "all the ends of the earth" and "all the relatives of the nations" will turn to Yahweh, which is precisely the content of the Great Commission. Christ's cross (first half of Psalm 22) will inevitably lead to the conversion of all nations (second half of Psalm 22); this is the complete arc of God's plan of salvation.
22:28 "For the kingdom is Yahweh’s. He is the ruler over the nations."
Psalms 22:28（World English Bible）
"Kingdom" (מְלוּכָה, melukhah, kingship, kingdom). "Ruler over the nations" (מוֹשֵׁל בַּגּוֹיִם, moshel ba-goyim), מָשַׁל (mashal, to rule). Yahweh is the true ruler of world history.
Responding to Psalm 2:8 "I will give the nations as your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth as your possession," the "nations turning to Christ" promised in Psalm 2 is echoed in Psalm 22:28. Psalm 22 is the victory of the anointed one after being forsaken; the forsaken "I" ultimately becomes the King of the nations.
22:29 "All the rich ones of the earth shall eat and worship. All those who go down to the dust shall bow before him, even he who can’t keep his soul alive."
Psalms 22:29（World English Bible）
"Rich ones of the earth" (דִּשְׁנֵי־אֶרֶץ, dishnei-arets), דָּשֵׁן (dashen, rich, fertile; same root as "anointed my head with oil" in Psalm 23:5), referring to the wealthy and influential people of the world.
"All those who go down to the dust shall bow before him, even he who can't keep his soul alive" (יוֹרְדֵי עָפָר … לֹא חִיָּה, yoredei afar … lo chiyyah), all mortals, no one can keep their own life alive.
The scope of this verse spans all human strata, from the rich to the poor, from the living to the dying; everyone will worship Him. There is no distinction of class, nation, or era.
22:30 "Posterity shall serve him. Future generations shall be told about the Lord."
Psalms 22:30（World English Bible）
"Seed" (זֶרַע, zera, seed, offspring), a core Hebrew word for "seed." "Generation" (דּוֹר, dor, generation).
Worship does not end in the present generation but is passed on to future generations. This is a recurring theme of generational continuity in the Psalms, where God's people are passed down from generation to generation.
22:31 "They shall come and shall declare his righteousness to a people that shall be born, for he has done it."
Psalms 22:31（World English Bible）
"A people that shall be born" (עַם נוֹלָד, am nolad), עָם (am, people, nation), יָלַד (yalad, to be born), referring to nations yet to be born, people yet to be born.
"He has done it" (עָשָׂה, asah), verb עָשָׂה (asah, to do, to accomplish). Psalm 22 ends with this verb.
This is the last word of the entire psalm, "He has done it" or "He has accomplished it."
Many commentators believe this is the Old Testament root of Jesus' last words on the cross in John 19:30, "It is finished" (Τετέλεσται, Tetelestai).
Jesus quoted Psalm 22:1 ("My God, why have you forsaken me?"), and He also fulfilled Psalm 22:31 ("It is finished"). The entire Psalm 22 is the complete script of Jesus on the cross, from the initial cry to the final declaration.
Psalm 22 is not simply "David's psalm, later borrowed by Christ"; it is a script pre-written by God for Christ. David did not fully understand what he was writing; he merely expressed his deepest pain in poetic form. But the Holy Spirit, through his hand, wrote the complete story of the Messiah who would accomplish salvation on the cross.
"He has done it"—God's work of salvation, from David to Christ to us, is accomplished.
| Paragraph | Dominant Voice | Directed Towards | Emotional Arc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verses 1-2 | David/Christ (cry) | God (feeling of abandonment) | Deepest darkness |
| Verses 3-5 | David/Christ (recollection of faith) | God (You are holy) | Slight ascent |
| Verses 6-11 | David/Christ (self-abasement + tracing back) | Self + God | Sinking again + roots in the womb |
| Verses 12-18 | David/Christ (describing suffering) | Onlookers | Extreme pain |
| Verses 19-21 | David/Christ (urgent plea) | God (Savior) | Utmost peril + sudden reversal |
| Verses 22-25 | David/Christ (declaration of praise) | Brothers/Congregation | Reversal to praise |
| Verses 26-29 | David/Christ (universal declaration) | Humble/Nations | Broadening of vision |
| Verses 30-31 | David/Christ (hope for the future) | Descendants/Those yet to be born | Eternal extension |
The arc of the entire psalm is a deep V-shape, descending from the deepest cry (Psalm 22:1) to the extreme of suffering (Psalm 22:14-18), then suddenly reversing at the end of verse 21, ascending to the worship of all nations (Psalm 22:27-31). This curve is the complete story from the cross to the resurrection, from Golgotha to the Great Commission.
| Vocabulary | Original | Transliteration | Verse(s) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| My God | אֵלִי | Eli | 22:1, 1, 10 | Personal address to God, more intimate than Yahweh |
| forsaken | עָזַב | azav | 22:1 | Decisive cutting off of relationship: the heaviest Hebrew word for "abandonment" |
| far from | רָחַק | rachaq | 22:1, 11, 19 | Far away / estranged |
| salvation | יְשׁוּעָה | yeshu'ah | 22:1 | Root of the name Jesus (Yeshua) |
| roaring | שָׁאַג | sha'ag | 22:1, 13 | Lion's roar: David's cry echoes the lion's roar |
| answer | עָנָה | anah | 22:2, 21 | Respond: "do not answer" in verse 2 and "have answered" in verse 21 form an arc |
| holy | קָדוֹשׁ | Qadosh | 22:3 | Set apart: God's supreme attribute |
| trust | בָּטַח | batach | 22:4, 5, 9 | To lean one's weight upon |
| deliver | פָּלַט | palat | 22:4, 8 | Rescue from danger |
| ashamed | בּוֹשׁ | bosh | 22:5 | Social failure resulting from faith being disproven |
| worm | תּוֹלַעַת | tola'at | 22:6 | Crimson worm: used to make red dye in the ancient Near East |
| scoff | לָעַג | la'ag | 22:7 | To mock |
| shake their heads | יָנִיעוּ רֹאשׁ | yani'u rosh | 22:7 | Standard gesture of disdain in the ancient Near East |
| commit | גָּלַל | galal | 22:8 | To roll oneself onto Yahweh |
| mother's womb | בֶּטֶן | beten | 22:9 | Womb: the earliest starting point of faith |
| womb | רֶחֶם | rechem | 22:10 | Same root as racham (compassion) |
| trouble | צָרָה | tsarah | 22:11 | Distress / urgency |
| bulls | פַּר | par | 22:12 | Fat bulls of Bashan |
| Bashan | בָּשָׁן | Bashan | 22:12 | Plateau east of the Jordan River, known for its large cattle |
| tear | טָרַף | taraph | 22:13 | Lion's tearing |
| poured out | שָׁפַךְ | shaphakh | 22:14 | Like water poured out |
| out of joint | פָּרַד | parad | 22:14 | Bones separated: the true state on the cross |
| wax | דּוֹנָג | donag | 22:14 | Melted wax: the disintegration of the heart |
| potsherd | חֶרֶשׂ | cheres | 22:15 | Broken pottery: exhaustion and dehydration |
| dust of death | עֲפַר־מָוֶת | afar-mavet | 22:15 | Entrance to the grave |
| dogs | כֶּלֶב | kelev | 22:16, 20 | The most unclean animal in the ancient Near East |
| pierced | כָּאֲרוּ | ka'aru | 22:16 | Dead Sea Scrolls + LXX support: they pierced |
| count / declare | סָפַר | saphar | 22:17, 22 | Counting bones vs. declaring name: contrast of suffering and deliverance |
| gaze | נָבַט | nabat | 22:17 | The gaze of onlookers |
| garments | בֶּגֶד | beged | 22:18 | Plural: multiple garments divided |
| clothing | לְבוּשׁ | levush | 22:18 | Singular: one garment cast lots for |
| cast lots | גּוֹרָל | goral | 22:18 | To decide ownership by lot |
| only one | יְחִידָה | yechidah | 22:20 | "Unique": same as Abraham's "only son" in Gen 22 |
| wild ox | רֵם | rem | 22:21 | Wild bull: the strongest animal |
| You have answered | עֲנִיתָנִי | anitani | 22:21 | The climax of the entire psalm: sudden perfect tense |
| declare | סָפַר | saphar | 22:22 | Declare Your name: quoted in Heb 2:12 |
| brothers | אֵחָי | echai | 22:22 | Christ calls believers brothers |
| assembly | קָהָל | qahal | 22:22, 25 | Covenant assembly |
| afflicted | עָנִי | ani | 22:24 | Humble / afflicted / poor |
| humble | עֲנָוִים | anavim | 22:26 | Same root as ani |
| vows | נֶדֶר | neder | 22:25 | Vows made in distress, fulfilled after deliverance |
| seek | דָּרַשׁ | darash | 22:26 | Actively search for |
| ends of the earth | אַפְסֵי־אָרֶץ | afsei-arets | 22:27 | All edges of the earth: "global" |
| all families of the nations | מִשְׁפְּחוֹת גּוֹיִם | mishpechot goyim | 22:27 | All families of all Gentile nations |
| turn / return | שׁוּב | shuv | 22:27 | Turn back to God: same root as "restores my soul" in Ps 23:3 |
| worship | שָׁחָה | shachah | 22:27, 29 | Bow down in worship |
| kingdom | מְלוּכָה | melukhah | 22:28 | Kingship |
| rule | מָשַׁל | mashal | 22:28 | Rule over all nations |
| fat | דָּשֵׁן | dashen | 22:29 | Prosperous ones: root of "anoints my head with oil" in Ps 23:5 |
| offspring | זֶרַע | zera | 22:30 | Seed / generational succession |
| generation | דּוֹר | dor | 22:30 | A generation of people |
| has done it / it is finished | עָשָׂה | asah | 22:31 | Accomplished; Old Testament root of John 19:30 "It is finished" |
Psalm 22 is one of the most dramatically structured laments in the Psalms, exhibiting a deep V-shaped reversal:
A Cry of dereliction (22:1-2), the deepest cry
B Review of faith (22:3-5), but You are holy
C Shame and solitude (22:6-11), I am a worm
D Scenes of suffering (22:12-18), surrounded, disjointed, pierced hands and feet, dividing garments
C' Urgent plea (22:19-21), do not be far from me
★ Turning point (end of 22:21), "You have answered me"
B' From dereliction to declaration (22:22-25), praising in the assembly
A' Universal turning to Yahweh (22:26-31), all the ends of the earth shall turn to Yahweh
Conclusion: "He has done it"
Note several features:
The reversal of the inclusio at the beginning and end: the opening is a cry of dereliction (22:1 "Why have You forsaken me?"), and the conclusion is a declaration of completion (22:31 "He has done it"). The question posed in verse 1 is answered in verse 31.
The central axis is the scene of suffering (22:12-18), with the core of these seven verses being the specific actions of the cross (pierced hands and feet, dividing garments, bones out of joint, onlookers). The geometric center of the structure is the cross itself.
The explosive point at the end of 22:21, the Hebrew anitani ("You have answered me") is the most dramatic turning point in the entire psalm. Without transition, explanation, or indication of time, it suddenly shifts from supplication to the realization of the promise. This is the invisible door between the cross and the resurrection.
Psalms 22, 23, and 24 together form a complete arc:
Psalm 22 (Psalm of Suffering) Psalm 23 (Psalm of Faith) Psalm 24 (Psalm of the King)
"My God, why have You forsaken me?" "Yahweh is my shepherd" "Yahweh, strong and mighty"
Suffering Messiah Resting Flock Triumphant King
Cross Present Believer's Life End-time Victory
Past Present Future
It is no accident that the editors of the Psalms placed these three together; this is the complete story of Christ: from the cross (22) to the present life with the Shepherd (23) to the end-time triumph (24).
Synonymous Parallelism:
Synthetic/Climactic Parallelism:
Antithetic Parallelism:
Answer (anah),
Count, declare (saphar),
Far (rachaq),
Roar (sha'ag),
Psalm 22 uses verb tenses to create one of the boldest dramatic effects in the Psalms:
These two verb forms in Hebrew differ only in their morphological change, but their meanings are diametrically opposed. From the imperfect (continuous petition) to the perfect (an accomplished fact), there is no transition in between.
This is the use of the "prophetic perfect" in Hebrew poetry, where faith claims something as an accomplished fact. The shift at the end of Psalm 22:21 is the strongest act of faith in Hebrew poetry.
The latter half of Psalm 22 expands its vision like concentric circles:
22:22 "my brothers" "in the midst of the assembly" (core circle: Israelite believers)
22:23 "you who fear Yahweh" "all you descendants of Jacob" "all you descendants of Israel" (all of Israel)
22:25 "the great assembly" (temple congregation)
22:26 "the humble" "those who seek Yahweh" (the devout community)
22:27 "all the ends of the earth" "all the families of the nations" (universal)
22:29 "all the rich on earth" "all those who go down to the dust" (all social strata)
22:30 "a posterity" (future generations)
22:31 "a people that shall be born" (eternity)
This expansion from the core to the periphery foreshadows the logic of the Great Commission, starting from Jerusalem, spreading throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth (Acts 1:8).
The animal imagery in the first half (Psalm 22:12-21):
The human imagery in the second half (Psalm 22:22-31):
From being surrounded by wild beasts to being encircled by brothers, this is the deepest contrast in Psalm 22.
Bashan (בָּשָׁן, Bashan) is a plateau east of the Jordan River (modern Golan Heights to the eastern shore of Galilee), famous since ancient times for its fertile pastures and large bulls. "Bulls of Bashan" or "cows of Bashan" are mentioned multiple times in Ancient Near Eastern literature:
In Canaanite religion, pagan gods like Baal and Asherah often appeared in the form of bulls. Therefore, "strong bulls of Bashan" may also allude to attacks by pagan forces. Psalm 22:12 uses this imagery to convey that the enemies are not merely political forces but also dark spiritual powers.
Psalm 22:14-18 describes the disintegration of the body, which shares commonalities with descriptions of "entering the underworld" in other Ancient Near Eastern texts:
However, the unique aspect of Psalm 22 is that the sufferer is not a deity but an anointed human. This foreshadows the "incarnate" Messiah, who enters the realm of death as a human, thereby opening the door of death.
Psalm 22:16 "They have pierced my hands and my feet" presents a peculiar image in David's time.
Around 1000 BC (David's era), "crucifixion" was not an execution method in Israel. Israelite execution methods involved stoning (Exodus 19:13, Leviticus 20:2) or hanging on a tree (Deuteronomy 21:22-23, but this was hanging a corpse after death, not crucifixion).
Crucifixion as an execution method originated in the Persian Empire (around 500 BC), was later spread to the Mediterranean world by Alexander the Great, and then widely adopted by Rome (from 100 BC onwards).
This means that when David wrote Psalm 22:16, "piercing hands and feet" was an imagined, exaggerated execution method that did not exist at the time. However, the Holy Spirit, through David's mouth, prophesied precisely that execution method, crucifixion, invented by the Romans a thousand years later, which did not yet exist.
This "prophecy ahead of its time" is the strongest evidence for Psalm 22 as a Messianic prophecy. David could not have known how the Romans would execute Christ 1000 years later; he could only write this imagery under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 22:18 "They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots" reflects the standard practice in the Ancient Near East of distributing the clothes of executed criminals. The executioners had the right to take the executed person's clothing as "payment" for their work. This custom continued into the Roman era; the Roman soldiers dividing Jesus' clothes (John 19:23-24) is an example of this custom in practice.
Psalm 22:18 is precise to the extent that the outer garments (plural) were divided, while the inner garment (singular) was cast lots for. This is precisely the scene described in the Gospel of John: four soldiers divided four outer garments, and one seamless inner garment, which could not be torn, was cast lots for.
A Psalm manuscript (numbered 5/6Ḥev–Ps) discovered in 1956 in Naḥal Ḥever (located in the southern part of the western shore of the Dead Sea) preserves Psalm 22:16 as כארו (ka'aru, "they pierced, dug"). This manuscript dates from approximately 50 AD to 130 AD, about a thousand years earlier than the Masoretic Text (9th century AD).
The significance of this discovery is that it confirms that the Septuagint (3rd century BC) and early Christian tradition's interpretation of Psalm 22:16 was based on original Hebrew manuscripts. The Masoretic Text's "like a lion" (ka'ari) is a slight variation during later copying (a vav being read as a yod), but the earlier tradition was "they pierced" (ka'aru).
This archaeological discovery was a significant event in 20th-century Christian scholarship, providing a solid Hebrew textual basis for the legitimacy of Psalm 22:16 as a prophecy of the crucifixion.
Psalm 22 is the most complete Old Testament expression of the theme of the "suffering Messiah." This thread runs through the entire Bible:
| Scripture | Content |
|---|---|
| Genesis 3:15 | "He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel": The earliest prophecy of the Messiah's suffering |
| Genesis 22 | Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac: A foreshadowing of the Father sacrificing His only Son |
| Exodus 12 | The Passover Lamb: A foreshadowing of substitutionary atonement |
| Psalm 22 | "My God, why have you forsaken me?": The most complete poetic prophecy of the suffering Messiah |
| Isaiah 53 | "He was oppressed...like a lamb led to the slaughter": The Song of the Suffering Servant |
| Daniel 9:26 | "The Anointed One will be cut off" |
| Zechariah 12:10 | "They will look on me whom they have pierced" |
| Matthew 27:46 / Mark 15:34 | Jesus quotes Psalm 22:1 |
| John 19:23-24 | John directly quotes Psalm 22:18 as a fulfillment |
| Hebrews 2:12 | Hebrews directly quotes Psalm 22:22 |
| Revelation 5:6 | "A Lamb standing, as though it had been slain" in the midst of the throne |
| Revelation 7:17 | "The Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd" |
Psalm 22 is the most detailed prophecy along this line, not only prophesying the fact of suffering but also the specific actions of suffering (pierced hands and feet, dividing garments, being mocked, being watched).
| Scripture | Content |
|---|---|
| Ps 22:1 | "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" |
| Mt 27:46 | Jesus quotes the above |
| Mk 15:34 | Jesus quotes the same phrase (Aramaic version) |
| Heb 5:7 | "In the days of his flesh, he offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears" |
| Heb 4:15 | "Our high priest... has been in all points tempted like we are" |
| 2 Cor 5:21 | "God made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf" |
| Gal 3:13 | "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us" |
Psalm 22:1 is at the core of Christ's passion narrative, as He experienced the ultimate abandonment for us.
The theme of "nations turning to the Lord" in Psalm 22:27-31 unfolds throughout the Bible:
| Scripture | Content |
|---|---|
| Gen 12:3 | "All of the families of the earth will be blessed in you": The core of the Abrahamic covenant |
| Ps 22:27 | "All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to Yahweh. All the relatives of the nations shall worship before you." |
| Isa 49:6 | "I will also give you for a light to the Gentiles, that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth." |
| Isa 60:1-3 | "Nations will come to your light" |
| Dan 7:14 | "All peoples, nations, and languages should serve him" |
| Mt 28:18-19 | The Great Commission: "Go and make disciples of all nations" |
| Rom 15:9-12 | Paul quotes the Old Testament to argue for the conversion of Gentiles |
| Rev 5:9 | "You were slain, and bought us for God with your blood, out of every tribe and language and people and nation" |
| Rev 7:9 | "A great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb" |
Psalm 22:27 is a key point in this trajectory: the abandoned Anointed One ultimately becomes the center of worship for all nations. This is the inevitable outcome of Christ's cross (the first half of Psalm 22) as described in the second half of Psalm 22.
| Scripture | Content |
|---|---|
| Gen 2:1-2 | "The heavens and the earth were finished, and all their array... God rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made": Completion of creation |
| Ps 22:31 | "He has done it" (asah): The last word of the declaration of redemption |
| Jn 19:30 | Jesus' last words: "It is finished" (Tetelestai): Completion of redemption |
| Heb 1:3 | "When he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high": Rest after completion |
| Heb 10:12 | "But he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God" |
| Rev 21:6 | "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End." |
The theme of "it is finished" runs through the entire Bible, from the "finished" of creation, to the "it is finished" of redemption, to the "it is done" of the new creation. All of God's work has a declaration of completion. Psalm 22:31 is the most crucial prophetic node on this thematic line.
| Old Testament Scripture | New Testament Echo | Explanation of Connection |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 22:1 "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" | Mt 27:46 "About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, 'Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?'" (Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani) + Mk 15:34 same (Aramaic Eloi, Eloi) | The most important quotation of Psalm 22 in the New Testament. Jesus quotes it verbatim in Aramaic on the cross: He is not borrowing David's words, but declaring that "Psalm 22 is now being fully fulfilled in me." This is the core voice of Christ's passion narrative. |
| Ps 22:7 "All those who see me ridicule me. They sneer with their lips. They shake their heads" | Mt 27:39 "Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads" + Mk 15:29 "Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads" | The specific actions of the passersby at Golgotha: shaking their heads in mockery: verbatim fulfillment of Psalm 22:7. |
| Ps 22:8 "He trusts in Yahweh; let him deliver him. Let him rescue him, since he delights in him." | Mt 27:43 "He trusts in God. Let God deliver him now, if he wants him; for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'" | The chief priests' mockery at Golgotha is almost a verbatim quote of Psalm 22:8: they did not know they were acting out a script. |
| Ps 22:15 "My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth." | Jn 19:28 "After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now finished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, 'I am thirsty.'" | Jesus' "I am thirsty" on the cross: John explicitly states "that the Scripture might be fulfilled." |
| Ps 22:16 "They have pierced my hands and my feet." | Jn 20:25 "Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." + Lk 24:39-40 "See my hands and my feet... He showed them his hands and feet." | The nail marks of the resurrected Jesus: the most direct fulfillment of Psalm 22:16. This verse is a key textual tradition connecting the Old and New Testaments (supported by LXX + Dead Sea Scrolls). |
| Ps 22:17 "I can count all of my bones." | Jn 19:33 "But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was already dead, they didn't break his legs." + Jn 19:36 "For these things happened, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, 'A bone of him will not be broken.'" | John points out that the soldiers did not break Jesus' legs: this fulfills both the Passover lamb regulation in Ex 12:46 and echoes Psalm 22:17 "I can count all of my bones" (every single one intact). |
| Ps 22:18 "They divide my garments among them. For my clothing, they cast lots." | Jn 19:23-24 "The soldiers therefore, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four parts... and the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam... 'Let's not tear it, but cast lots for it, whose it will be.' This was to fulfill the Scripture, 'They parted my garments among them. For my clothing they cast lots.'" | John's Gospel directly quotes Psalm 22:18 as fulfillment: a psalm from a thousand years ago accurately describes the specific actions of Roman soldiers (dividing the outer garments, casting lots for the single inner garment). |
| Ps 22:22 "I will declare your name to my brothers. In the midst of the assembly, I will praise you." | Heb 2:11-12 "For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one. For which cause he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, 'I will declare your name to my brothers. In the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.'" | Hebrews directly attributes Psalm 22:22 to Christ: proving that Christ calls believers "brothers" is the deepest application of Psalm 22's theme. |
| Ps 22:24 "For he has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, neither has he hidden his face from him" | Heb 5:7 "Who in the days of his flesh, having offered up prayers and petitions with strong crying and tears to him who was able to save him from death, and having been heard for his godly fear" | Christ's cry was answered by the Father: confirming Psalm 22:24 "He has not hidden his face." |
| Ps 22:25 "My praise shall be of you in the great assembly." | Heb 2:12 (same context as 22:22 quote) + Rom 15:9 Paul quotes a similar theme: Christ praising God among the Gentiles | Christ leading the church in public praise: the application of Psalm 22:25 to Christ. |
| Ps 22:27 "All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to Yahweh. All the relatives of the nations shall worship before you." | Mt 28:18-19 "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, and make disciples of all nations" + Rev 7:9 "A great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb" | The poetic foreshadowing of the Great Commission: Psalm 22's "ends of the earth turning to the Lord" is fulfilled in the Great Commission and the new heaven and new earth. |
| Ps 22:28 "For the kingdom is Yahweh's. He is the ruler over the nations." | Rev 11:15 "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ. He will reign forever and ever!" | The ultimate fulfillment of Psalm 22:28: the kingdom of Christ. |
| Ps 22:29 "All the fat ones of the earth shall eat and worship. All those who go down to the dust shall bow before him, even he who can't keep his soul alive." | Phil 2:10-11 "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" | Every knee shall bow: the fulfillment of Psalm 22:29 in Christ. |
| Ps 22:31 "He has done it" (asah) | Jn 19:30 "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, 'It is finished!'" (Tetelestai) | Many exegetes believe that John 19:30 "It is finished" is the Old Testament root of Psalm 22:31 "He has done it": the entire Psalm 22, from the cry (22:1) to the completion (22:31), is the complete script of Christ's cross. |
Psalm 22 is the most complete prophetic psalm of Christ's suffering. Its special status lies in:
The highest density of New Testament citations, with about 13 direct quotes or clear allusions. Earlier than Isaiah 53, it depicts in the first person the "anointed one of God" crying out to God in the agony of abandonment. No Old Testament passage is used more by the New Testament as a prophecy of Christ's suffering than Psalm 22.
Jesus personally quoted Psalm 22:1. This is the only psalm whose opening verse was quoted by Jesus Himself on the cross. Jesus' quotation was not a borrowing, but a declaration that the entire psalm was being fulfilled in Him, from the initial cry to the final "It is finished."
Precise prophecy spanning a thousand years. In David's time (around 1000 BC), "crucifixion" was not a method of execution. "Pierced my hands and my feet" was an image ahead of its time. A thousand years later, Roman execution methods precisely corresponded to this psalm. This is the strongest evidence of biblical prophecy.
A complete redemption narrative. Psalm 22 does not just describe suffering; it contains the full story from the cross to the resurrection to the Great Commission: the cry of 22:1 (the cross) → the turning point at the end of 22:21 (resurrection) → the praise of 22:22-25 (establishment of the church) → the nations turning to Yahweh in 22:27-31 (the Great Commission and new heavens and new earth). This is a condensed gospel narrative.
The mystery of the Triune God on the cross. Psalm 22:1 is the most sensitive passage in the theology of Christ's suffering. It tells us that Christ truly experienced a sense of abandonment on the cross, while Psalm 22:24 tells us that "he has not hidden his face from him." The tension between these two verses is one of the core mysteries of Christian theology.
The grace of abandonment. Psalm 22 offers a special gift to all believers who have experienced "God seems absent." Christ Himself cried out these words for you. Therefore, your sense of abandonment is not isolated, not abnormal, not hopeless; it is a path Christ has already walked for you.
From personal to universal. The latter half of Psalm 22 (verses 22-31) shows the universal effects of Christ's suffering. It is not just David's personal salvation, but all nations and peoples coming to worship. One person's cross accomplished salvation for all.
Every Christian needs to return to Psalm 22 throughout their life: on every anniversary of the cross (Good Friday, Easter, Communion), on every dark night when the feeling of abandonment strikes, on every occasion of bowing in the face of suffering, Psalm 22 is there, giving you a Savior who has already walked this path for you.
Psalm 22 does not teach you how to endure the feeling of abandonment; it gives you Christ, who has already endured the feeling of abandonment for you.
Authoritative Commentaries
Further Reading
Chinese Resources (Welcome to add)
| Theme | Content |
|---|---|
| The feeling of abandonment is real, but abandonment is not a fact | The tension between the cry of 22:1 and 22:24 "he has not hidden his face from him": Christ truly experienced the feeling of abandonment on the cross, but the relational bond of the Triune God was not truly broken. |
| The precision of Messianic prophecy | 22:16 "pierced my hands and my feet," 22:18 "they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots," 22:1 "cry of abandonment," 22:7 "they shake their heads": a psalm from a thousand years ago prophesied specific actions a thousand years later. |
| Tola'at crimson worm typology | 22:6 "I am a worm": the crimson worm is fixed to wood, bleeding to cover its eggs: Christ was nailed to the cross for us, His blood covering our sins. |
| Faith rooted before life | 22:9-10 "You are my God since my mother bore me": faith is not learned later, but born simultaneously with life. |
| Witness of textual tradition | 22:16 "pierced my hands": LXX and Dead Sea Scrolls support this reading, proving that the Christian use of this verse has sufficient Hebrew textual basis. |
| Dramatic reversal | End of 22:21 "You have answered me": from lament to thanksgiving, from abandonment to deliverance, the climax of the entire psalm. |
| Poetic foreshadowing of the Great Commission | 22:27 "All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to Yahweh": Christ's cross will inevitably lead to all nations turning to Yahweh. |
| The ultimate declaration of "It is finished" | 22:31 "He has done it": the Old Testament root of John 19:30 Jesus' "It is finished"; the completion of the work of redemption. |