Psalms 22 Study Notes: From Forsakenness to Worldwide Praise
David cries out as one abandoned by God, mocked by onlookers, surrounded by enemies, and near death, and Jesus spoke its opening cry from the cross. The psalm then turns to thanksgiving because God has answered, and it foresees all nations and future generations worshiping the LORD.
General
Which words of this psalm do Matthew and Mark record Jesus crying out from the cross?
Answer: The opening question of why God had forsaken Him
The psalm opens with David's anguished question: why has his God abandoned him and stayed so far from rescuing him, when he cries out day and night and hears no answer (22:1-2)? Matthew and Mark both record that in the middle of the afternoon Jesus cried out these opening words as He hung on the cross (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34). On the cross Jesus was carrying the sins of His people. Paul says God made the sinless One to be sin for us so that we could be made right with God (2 Corinthians 5:21), and Peter says Christ carried our sins to the cross in His own body (1 Peter 2:24). His cry expresses the real anguish of that judgment, yet He still calls the Father my God, a cry of faith even in the darkness.
- Psalm 22:1 (BSB)“For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Doe of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, so far from my words of groaning?”David opens the psalm with an anguished cry to the God who seems to have abandoned him.
- Matthew 27:46 (BSB)“About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?””Matthew records Jesus crying out the psalm's opening words from the cross.
- Mark 15:34 (BSB)“At the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?””Mark records the same cry from the cross, with its meaning explained for his readers.
- 2 Corinthians 5:21 (BSB)“God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”Paul explains that on the cross the sinless Christ was made sin on our behalf.
- 1 Peter 2:24 (BSB)“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. “By His stripes you are healed.””Peter teaches that Christ bore our sins in His body on the cross.
Theological
Which part of Psalm 22 do the Gospels place on Jesus' lips as He hung on the cross?
Answer: The opening question of why God had forsaken Him
David's lament opens with the cry of dereliction, asking why his God has abandoned him and remains far from his groaning (22:1). Matthew and Mark record that Jesus cried out these very words in the middle of the afternoon, after darkness had covered the land (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34). The forsakenness was real: as the sin-bearer, the sinless Son was made sin on behalf of His people (2 Corinthians 5:21) and carried their sins to the tree in His own body (1 Peter 2:24), enduring the judgment their sins deserved. Yet the cry is still addressed to my God, the language of trust, and the psalm whose opening line He spoke does not end in abandonment but moves on to vindication and worldwide praise.
- Psalm 22:1 (BSB)“For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Doe of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, so far from my words of groaning?”David opens the psalm with an anguished cry to the God who seems to have abandoned him.
- Matthew 27:46 (BSB)“About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?””Matthew records Jesus crying out the psalm's opening words from the cross.
- Mark 15:34 (BSB)“At the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?””Mark records the same cry from the cross, with its meaning explained for his readers.
- 2 Corinthians 5:21 (BSB)“God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”Paul explains that on the cross the sinless Christ was made sin on our behalf.
- 1 Peter 2:24 (BSB)“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. “By His stripes you are healed.””Peter teaches that Christ bore our sins in His body on the cross.
General
In 22:12-13, what do the bulls and roaring lions stand for?
Answer: Enemies closing in on David to attack him
David pictures his enemies as powerful beasts. Strong bulls from Bashan, a fertile region east of the Jordan, close in on him, and his foes open their mouths at him like roaring, tearing lions (22:12-13). Later he adds dogs and a gang of evildoers (22:16) and names the lion and the wild oxen again as he pleads for rescue (22:20-21). The images show how helpless and hemmed in he feels. Jesus was similarly surrounded in His suffering: before the crucifixion the governor's soldiers assembled the entire company to mock Him (Matthew 27:27-31), and at the cross the rulers scoffed at Him (Luke 23:35). Amos uses Bashan's cattle as a picture of powerful oppressors (Amos 4:1).
- Psalm 22:12-13 (BSB)“Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. They open their jaws against me like lions that roar and maul.”David pictures his enemies as powerful bulls and roaring lions surrounding him.
- Matthew 27:27-31 (BSB)“Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company around Him. They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. And they twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head. They put a staff in His right hand, knelt down before Him, and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they spit on Him and took the staff and struck Him on the head repeatedly. After they had mocked Him, they removed the robe and put His own clothes back on Him. Then they led Him away to crucify Him.”At the crucifixion, the governor's soldiers gathered around Jesus to mock and strike Him.
- Luke 23:35 (BSB)“The people stood watching, and the rulers sneered at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.””The rulers stood by and scoffed at Jesus as He hung on the cross.
- Amos 4:1 (BSB)“Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy, who say to your husbands, “Bring us more to drink.””Amos uses Bashan's cattle as a picture of powerful people who crush the weak.
Theological
What do the animal images of 22:12-13 represent?
Answer: Enemies closing in on David to attack him
The animal imagery depicts hostile people encircling the sufferer: mighty bulls of Bashan, a fertile region east of the Jordan, and lions opening their mouths to roar and tear (22:12-13). The animal imagery continues with dogs (22:16) and returns in reverse order, dogs, lion, and wild oxen, in the closing plea (22:20-21). The point is the sufferer's helplessness before overwhelming, predatory enemies. The Passion narratives show Jesus likewise surrounded by the soldiers' whole company before His crucifixion (Matthew 27:27-31) and by scoffing rulers (Luke 23:35). Amos's use of Bashan's cattle for powerful oppressors (Amos 4:1) confirms the connotation of the image.
- Psalm 22:12-13 (BSB)“Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. They open their jaws against me like lions that roar and maul.”David pictures his enemies as powerful bulls and roaring lions surrounding him.
- Matthew 27:27-31 (BSB)“Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company around Him. They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. And they twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on His head. They put a staff in His right hand, knelt down before Him, and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they spit on Him and took the staff and struck Him on the head repeatedly. After they had mocked Him, they removed the robe and put His own clothes back on Him. Then they led Him away to crucify Him.”At the crucifixion, the governor's soldiers gathered around Jesus to mock and strike Him.
- Luke 23:35 (BSB)“The people stood watching, and the rulers sneered at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.””The rulers stood by and scoffed at Jesus as He hung on the cross.
- Amos 4:1 (BSB)“Hear this word, you cows of Bashan on Mount Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy, who say to your husbands, “Bring us more to drink.””Amos uses Bashan's cattle as a picture of powerful people who crush the weak.
General
In 22:3-5, what does David recall about Israel's ancestors to support his plea?
Answer: They relied on God, called, and were rescued
Even in his distress David confesses that God is holy, enthroned on Israel's praises (22:3). He remembers that the fathers relied on God, called to Him, and were rescued, and their hope was never let down (22:4-5). This history is the ground of his appeal: the God who answered them is the same God he now calls on. The exodus began that way, when the enslaved Israelites groaned in Egypt and God heard them and remembered His covenant, meaning His binding promise to the patriarchs of Israel (Exodus 2:23-25). Later psalms repeat the pattern that when God's people called to Him in distress, He rescued them (Psalm 107:6), and Isaiah records God's promise that anyone who hopes in Him will not end in disgrace (Isaiah 49:23).
- Psalm 22:3-5 (BSB)“Yet You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In You our fathers trusted; they trusted and You delivered them. They cried out to You and were set free; they trusted in You and were not disappointed.”David confesses God's holiness and recalls how the fathers trusted Him and were rescued.
- Exodus 2:23-25 (BSB)“After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God. So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God saw the Israelites and took notice.”At the start of the exodus story, God heard Israel's cry in slavery and remembered His covenant.
- Psalm 107:6 (BSB)“Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress.”The Psalms repeat the pattern that God delivers His people when they cry to Him in trouble.
- Isaiah 49:23 (BSB)“Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow to you facedown and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in Me will never be put to shame.””God promises that those who hope in Him will never be put to shame.
Theological
On what precedent does David ground his appeal in 22:3-5?
Answer: They relied on God, called, and were rescued
The lament turns on a single word of contrast: though God seems silent, He is holy, enthroned on Israel's praises (22:3). David appeals to covenant history, since the fathers trusted, cried out, and were delivered, never disappointed in their hope (22:4-5). The argument is from God's unchanging character: the God who answered them is the God he now addresses. The exodus itself began with God hearing His enslaved people and remembering His covenant with the patriarchs (Exodus 2:23-25); Psalm 107:6 generalizes the pattern of deliverance in answer to distress, and Isaiah 49:23 grounds it in God's promise that hope placed in Him is never put to disgrace.
- Psalm 22:3-5 (BSB)“Yet You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In You our fathers trusted; they trusted and You delivered them. They cried out to You and were set free; they trusted in You and were not disappointed.”David confesses God's holiness and recalls how the fathers trusted Him and were rescued.
- Exodus 2:23-25 (BSB)“After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God. So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God saw the Israelites and took notice.”At the start of the exodus story, God heard Israel's cry in slavery and remembered His covenant.
- Psalm 107:6 (BSB)“Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress.”The Psalms repeat the pattern that God delivers His people when they cry to Him in trouble.
- Isaiah 49:23 (BSB)“Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow to you facedown and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in Me will never be put to shame.””God promises that those who hope in Him will never be put to shame.
General
What does 22:18 describe the sufferer's enemies doing?
Answer: Splitting up his clothes and casting lots for them
David's enemies treat him as if he were already dead, splitting up his clothes among themselves and casting lots for them (22:18). John records that when Jesus had been crucified, the soldiers split His clothing into four shares and threw lots for His seamless tunic, and John says this happened to fulfill this very Scripture (John 19:23-24). Matthew likewise notes the lots cast over His clothing (Matthew 27:35). These details came true because the crucifixion happened according to the plan God had fixed and foreknown, as Peter preached (Acts 2:23), yet Peter still held his hearers responsible for putting Him to death through lawless men.
- Psalm 22:18 (BSB)“They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.”David's enemies treat him as good as dead, sharing out his clothing among themselves.
- John 19:23-24 (BSB)“When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided His garments into four parts, one for each soldier, with the tunic remaining. It was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it. Instead, let us cast lots to see who will get it.” This was to fulfill the Scripture: “They divided My garments among them, and cast lots for My clothing.” So that is what the soldiers did.”John records the soldiers dividing Jesus' garments and casting lots for His tunic, and says it fulfilled this Scripture.
- Matthew 27:35 (BSB)“When they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments by casting lots.”Matthew also records the soldiers dividing Jesus' garments by casting lots.
- Acts 2:23 (BSB)“He was delivered up by God’s set plan and foreknowledge, and you, by the hands of the lawless, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross.”Peter says Jesus was handed over by God's set plan and foreknowledge, showing these events were ordained by God.
Theological
What action of the enemies does 22:18 describe?
Answer: Splitting up his clothes and casting lots for them
Verse 18 portrays the enemies disposing of the sufferer's clothing, dividing his garments and casting lots for his clothing, as if he were already dead. John explicitly identifies this as Scripture fulfilled when the soldiers split Jesus' clothing four ways and threw lots for His seamless tunic (John 19:23-24); Matthew also records the lots (Matthew 27:35). The precision of the fulfillment reflects divine sovereignty: Jesus was handed over according to God's fixed plan and foreknowledge, while Peter charged his hearers with killing Him through lawless men (Acts 2:23).
- Psalm 22:18 (BSB)“They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.”David's enemies treat him as good as dead, sharing out his clothing among themselves.
- John 19:23-24 (BSB)“When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided His garments into four parts, one for each soldier, with the tunic remaining. It was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. So they said to one another, “Let us not tear it. Instead, let us cast lots to see who will get it.” This was to fulfill the Scripture: “They divided My garments among them, and cast lots for My clothing.” So that is what the soldiers did.”John records the soldiers dividing Jesus' garments and casting lots for His tunic, and says it fulfilled this Scripture.
- Matthew 27:35 (BSB)“When they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments by casting lots.”Matthew also records the soldiers dividing Jesus' garments by casting lots.
- Acts 2:23 (BSB)“He was delivered up by God’s set plan and foreknowledge, and you, by the hands of the lawless, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross.”Peter says Jesus was handed over by God's set plan and foreknowledge, showing these events were ordained by God.
General
True or False: In 22:24, the reason given for praise is that God did not scorn the suffering of the afflicted one but heard his cry.
Answer: True
This is true. David summons all the descendants of Jacob and Israel who revere the LORD to praise, honor, and stand in awe of Him (22:23). The reason follows at once: God has not looked down on the pain of the one in misery or turned His face away, but has listened when he called for help (22:24). This answers the complaint of verse 1 that God was far away. David gives the same testimony in 34:6, where God heard and saved a poor man who cried to Him. For Jesus, the Father's answer came in the resurrection and exaltation: because He humbled Himself even to the cross, God lifted Him up and granted Him the supreme name (Philippians 2:8-9). Isaiah says that after His soul's anguish the Servant will see light and be satisfied (Isaiah 53:11).
- Psalm 22:23-24 (BSB)“You who fear the LORD, praise Him! All descendants of Jacob, honor Him! All offspring of Israel, revere Him! For He has not despised or detested the torment of the afflicted. He has not hidden His face from him, but has attended to his cry for help.”David calls all who fear the LORD to praise Him, because God did not despise the afflicted one's suffering.
- Psalm 34:6 (BSB)“This poor man called out, and the LORD heard him; He saved him from all his troubles.”David testifies elsewhere that when a poor man called, the LORD heard and saved him.
- Philippians 2:8-9 (BSB)“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross. Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names,”Because Jesus humbled Himself to death on a cross, God exalted Him to the highest place.
- Isaiah 53:11 (BSB)“After the anguish of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities.”After His soul's anguish, the Servant will see light and be satisfied, showing that God answered His suffering.
Theological
True or False: 22:24 grounds the call to praise in the fact that God did not despise the afflicted one's suffering but heard his cry.
Answer: True
This is true. The call to all who revere the LORD among Jacob's and Israel's offspring (22:23) is grounded with a causal clause: God has not scorned or loathed the affliction of the afflicted one, nor hidden His face, but heard him when he cried out (22:24). The verse answers the apparent abandonment of 22:1. The afflicted one has been vindicated. The same testimony appears in 34:6. In Christ, the vindication is the resurrection and exaltation that followed His humiliation even to the cross (Philippians 2:8-9), and Isaiah 53:11 promises that after His soul's anguish the Servant will see light and be satisfied.
- Psalm 22:23-24 (BSB)“You who fear the LORD, praise Him! All descendants of Jacob, honor Him! All offspring of Israel, revere Him! For He has not despised or detested the torment of the afflicted. He has not hidden His face from him, but has attended to his cry for help.”David calls all who fear the LORD to praise Him, because God did not despise the afflicted one's suffering.
- Psalm 34:6 (BSB)“This poor man called out, and the LORD heard him; He saved him from all his troubles.”David testifies elsewhere that when a poor man called, the LORD heard and saved him.
- Philippians 2:8-9 (BSB)“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross. Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names,”Because Jesus humbled Himself to death on a cross, God exalted Him to the highest place.
- Isaiah 53:11 (BSB)“After the anguish of His soul, He will see the light of life and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities.”After His soul's anguish, the Servant will see light and be satisfied, showing that God answered His suffering.
General
True or False: In 22:9-10, David says God has been his God only since he became king.
Answer: False
This is false. David traces God's care back to the very start of his life: God brought him out of the womb, kept him safe while he was still nursing, and has been his God since birth (22:9-10). On that basis he pleads for God to stay near, since trouble is close and no one else can help (22:11). Another psalmist likewise says he has leaned on God from birth (Psalm 71:6). Paul says God set him apart from birth and called him by grace (Galatians 1:15), and God told Jeremiah He knew him and set him apart as a prophet before forming him in the womb (Jeremiah 1:5). God set Jeremiah and Paul apart for their callings before they were born, and David's confession shows the same order: God's care for him began before he could do anything at all.
- Psalm 22:9-11 (BSB)“Yet You brought me forth from the womb; You made me secure at my mother’s breast. From birth I was cast upon You; from my mother’s womb You have been my God. Be not far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.”David traces God's care back to his birth and pleads for God to stay near in trouble.
- Psalm 71:6 (BSB)“I have leaned on You since birth; You pulled me from my mother’s womb. My praise is always for You.”Another psalmist confesses reliance on God from birth, when God brought him from the womb.
- Galatians 1:15 (BSB)“But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace, was pleased”Paul says God set him apart from his mother's womb and called him by grace.
- Jeremiah 1:5 (BSB)““Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as a prophet to the nations.””God knew Jeremiah and set him apart as a prophet before he was born.
Theological
True or False: In 22:9-10, David dates God's care for him only from the time he was anointed king.
Answer: False
This is false. David grounds his plea in God's prior and gracious initiative: God drew him from the womb, made him secure at the breast, and has been his God from birth (22:9-10). The relationship began with God's action, not David's. That is why he can plead for God's nearness when no human helper remains (22:11). Psalm 71:6 makes the same confession, and the pattern appears in God's sovereign calling of Jeremiah before birth (Jeremiah 1:5) and of Paul, set apart from birth and called by grace (Galatians 1:15). God's purpose for these servants, and His care for David, began before any of them could respond or act.
- Psalm 22:9-11 (BSB)“Yet You brought me forth from the womb; You made me secure at my mother’s breast. From birth I was cast upon You; from my mother’s womb You have been my God. Be not far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.”David traces God's care back to his birth and pleads for God to stay near in trouble.
- Psalm 71:6 (BSB)“I have leaned on You since birth; You pulled me from my mother’s womb. My praise is always for You.”Another psalmist confesses reliance on God from birth, when God brought him from the womb.
- Galatians 1:15 (BSB)“But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace, was pleased”Paul says God set him apart from his mother's womb and called him by grace.
- Jeremiah 1:5 (BSB)““Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as a prophet to the nations.””God knew Jeremiah and set him apart as a prophet before he was born.
General
According to 22:16, what has the gang of evildoers done to the sufferer?
Answer: They pierced his hands and his feet
David says a pack of dogs and a gang of evildoers have closed in and pierced his hands and feet (22:16). He is so wasted that he can count his bones, while his enemies stare and gloat (22:17). The Gospels do not quote this verse, but they do record the wounds of Jesus' crucifixion. After He rose, He showed His disciples His hands and feet (Luke 24:39), and when Thomas demanded to see where the nails had gone into Jesus' hands, Jesus invited him to look and touch (John 20:25, 27). Christians have long seen in this verse a striking picture of the crucifixion.
- Psalm 22:16-17 (BSB)“For dogs surround me; a band of evil men encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet. I can count all my bones; they stare and gloat over me.”David describes evildoers encircling him and piercing his hands and feet as they stare at him.
- Luke 24:39 (BSB)“Look at My hands and My feet. It is I Myself. Touch Me and see—for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.””The risen Jesus showed His disciples His hands and feet to prove it was really He.
- John 20:25 (BSB)“So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “Unless I see the nail marks in His hands, and put my finger where the nails have been, and put my hand into His side, I will never believe.””Thomas refused to believe unless he saw the nail marks in Jesus' hands.
- John 20:27 (BSB)“Then Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.””Jesus invited Thomas to look at His hands and touch His side.
Theological
What does 22:16 say the encircling evildoers have done?
Answer: They pierced his hands and his feet
The encircling enemies, pictured as dogs and a band of wicked men, have pierced the sufferer's hands and feet (22:16), leaving him emaciated and exposed to their gloating stares (22:17). The Gospels do not quote this verse, but their accounts correspond closely: the risen Jesus identified Himself by His hands and feet (Luke 24:39), and Thomas's demand to see where the nails had gone and Jesus' invitation to touch His hands show the wounds of crucifixion (John 20:25, 27). Christians have long read the verse as a vivid portrait of Christ's crucifixion.
- Psalm 22:16-17 (BSB)“For dogs surround me; a band of evil men encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet. I can count all my bones; they stare and gloat over me.”David describes evildoers encircling him and piercing his hands and feet as they stare at him.
- Luke 24:39 (BSB)“Look at My hands and My feet. It is I Myself. Touch Me and see—for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.””The risen Jesus showed His disciples His hands and feet to prove it was really He.
- John 20:25 (BSB)“So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “Unless I see the nail marks in His hands, and put my finger where the nails have been, and put my hand into His side, I will never believe.””Thomas refused to believe unless he saw the nail marks in Jesus' hands.
- John 20:27 (BSB)“Then Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and look at My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.””Jesus invited Thomas to look at His hands and touch His side.
General
In 22:7-8, what do the mockers say about the sufferer?
Answer: He trusts God, so let God come and save him
David feels less than human, like a worm, scorned and despised (22:6). Onlookers sneer and wag their heads, taunting that since he relies on the LORD and God delights in him, God should come to his rescue (22:7-8). Matthew records that at the cross passers-by shook their heads and the religious leaders taunted Jesus in almost the same terms, saying He trusted in God and God should deliver Him (Matthew 27:39-43). Mark and Luke record similar scorn from passers-by and rulers (Mark 15:29-32; Luke 23:35). Isaiah foretold a Servant whom people would despise and reject (Isaiah 53:3).
- Psalm 22:6-8 (BSB)“But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they sneer and shake their heads: “He trusts in the LORD, let the LORD deliver him; let the LORD rescue him, since He delights in him.””David describes himself as scorned and quotes the taunts of those who mock his trust in God.
- Matthew 27:39-43 (BSB)“And those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross!” In the same way, the chief priests, scribes, and elders mocked Him, saying, “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him. He trusts in God. Let God deliver Him now if He wants Him. For He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’””At the cross, passers-by shake their heads and the leaders mock Jesus' trust in God in nearly the psalm's words.
- Mark 15:29-32 (BSB)“And those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, come down from the cross and save Yourself!” In the same way, the chief priests and scribes mocked Him among themselves, saying, “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself! Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” And even those who were crucified with Him berated Him.”Mark records the same head-shaking abuse and mockery of Jesus on the cross.
- Luke 23:35 (BSB)“The people stood watching, and the rulers sneered at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.””Luke records the rulers scoffing that Jesus should save Himself if He is God's Chosen One.
- Isaiah 53:3 (BSB)“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.”Isaiah foretold a Servant who would be despised and rejected by men.
Theological
What taunt do the mockers aim at the sufferer's faith in 22:7-8?
Answer: He trusts God, so let God come and save him
The sufferer is degraded to a worm, an object of contempt (22:6), and his enemies turn his faith itself into a taunt: he committed himself to the LORD, so then God should rescue him, if God truly delights in him (22:7-8). The Gospels record the fulfillment with striking precision: passers-by wagged their heads, and in Matthew the religious leaders mocked Jesus' trust in God in almost the psalm's own words (Matthew 27:39-43), while Mark and Luke record the same scene of scorn (Mark 15:29-32; Luke 23:35). The contempt matches Isaiah's portrait of the Servant, despised and rejected (Isaiah 53:3). The mockers assumed that God's apparent silence proved He had rejected the sufferer; the rest of the psalm shows otherwise.
- Psalm 22:6-8 (BSB)“But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they sneer and shake their heads: “He trusts in the LORD, let the LORD deliver him; let the LORD rescue him, since He delights in him.””David describes himself as scorned and quotes the taunts of those who mock his trust in God.
- Matthew 27:39-43 (BSB)“And those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross!” In the same way, the chief priests, scribes, and elders mocked Him, saying, “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him. He trusts in God. Let God deliver Him now if He wants Him. For He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’””At the cross, passers-by shake their heads and the leaders mock Jesus' trust in God in nearly the psalm's words.
- Mark 15:29-32 (BSB)“And those who passed by heaped abuse on Him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, come down from the cross and save Yourself!” In the same way, the chief priests and scribes mocked Him among themselves, saying, “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself! Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” And even those who were crucified with Him berated Him.”Mark records the same head-shaking abuse and mockery of Jesus on the cross.
- Luke 23:35 (BSB)“The people stood watching, and the rulers sneered at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.””Luke records the rulers scoffing that Jesus should save Himself if He is God's Chosen One.
- Isaiah 53:3 (BSB)“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.”Isaiah foretold a Servant who would be despised and rejected by men.
General
According to 22:27-28, who will come back to God and bow down?
Answer: People of every nation, even the farthest
The praise spreads outward. The afflicted will eat their fill (22:26), and the whole world will call God to mind and come back to Him, with every family of the nations bowing before Him (22:27). The reason is that the kingdom is the LORD's and He governs the nations (22:28). Rich and dying alike will bow (22:29). God had promised Abraham that all earth's families would be blessed through him (Genesis 12:3), Jesus sent His disciples to make disciples of every nation (Matthew 28:19), and John saw a countless crowd from all nations and tribes gathered before God's throne and the Lamb (Revelation 7:9-10).
- Psalm 22:27-28 (BSB)“All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. All the families of the nations will bow down before Him. For dominion belongs to the LORD and He rules over the nations.”The psalm foresees the whole world turning to the LORD, because the kingdom is His.
- Genesis 12:3 (BSB)“I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.””God promised Abraham that all the families of the earth would be blessed through him.
- Matthew 28:19 (BSB)“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”The risen Jesus sent His disciples to make disciples of all nations.
- Revelation 7:9-10 (BSB)“After this I looked and saw a multitude too large to count, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!””John sees a countless multitude from every nation worshiping God and the Lamb.
Theological
What scope of worship do 22:27-28 envision?
Answer: People of every nation, even the farthest
The thanksgiving widens from the congregation of Israel (22:22-26) to the whole earth: the farthest reaches will call Him to mind and come back to Him, and every clan among the nations will worship before Him (22:27). The ground is God's universal kingship (22:28). The vindication of the afflicted one issues in the ingathering of the nations, the outworking of the Abrahamic promise (Genesis 12:3). The risen Christ sends His church to disciple all nations (Matthew 28:19), and Revelation 7:9-10 shows the certain result: a countless multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and tongue, gathered before God's throne and the Lamb.
- Psalm 22:27-28 (BSB)“All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. All the families of the nations will bow down before Him. For dominion belongs to the LORD and He rules over the nations.”The psalm foresees the whole world turning to the LORD, because the kingdom is His.
- Genesis 12:3 (BSB)“I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.””God promised Abraham that all the families of the earth would be blessed through him.
- Matthew 28:19 (BSB)“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”The risen Jesus sent His disciples to make disciples of all nations.
- Revelation 7:9-10 (BSB)“After this I looked and saw a multitude too large to count, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!””John sees a countless multitude from every nation worshiping God and the Lamb.
General
What does David say is happening to his heart in 22:14?
Answer: It is melting within him like wax
David describes a body and spirit giving way. He feels spilled out like water, his bones pulled out of joint, and his heart softening like wax inside him (22:14). His strength is as dry as a broken piece of pottery, his tongue sticks fast in his dry mouth, and God has brought him down to death's dust (22:15). These are pictures of a man near death. The Gospels show Jesus in similar extremity: in Gethsemane His soul was overwhelmed with sorrow even to death (Matthew 26:38), and on the cross He said He was thirsty (John 19:28). Even the lowering into death is described as God's doing, just as Isaiah says the LORD willed to crush His Servant (Isaiah 53:10).
- Psalm 22:14-15 (BSB)“I am poured out like water, and all my bones are disjointed. My heart is like wax; it melts away within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You lay me in the dust of death.”David describes his body and spirit collapsing, and says God has laid him in the dust of death.
- Matthew 26:38 (BSB)“Then He said to them, “My soul is consumed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.””In Gethsemane Jesus said His soul was consumed with sorrow to the point of death.
- John 19:28 (BSB)“After this, knowing that everything had now been accomplished, and to fulfill the Scripture, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.””On the cross Jesus said that He was thirsty.
- Isaiah 53:10 (BSB)“Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush Him and to cause Him to suffer; and when His soul is made a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.”Isaiah says it was the LORD's will to crush His Servant and make His soul a guilt offering.
Theological
In 22:14, how does David describe the condition of his heart?
Answer: It is melting within him like wax
Verses 14-15 describe total physical and inner collapse: spilled like water, bones out of joint, a heart melting like wax, strength as dry as a shard of pottery, a tongue stuck fast in the mouth, and finally being laid in death's dust. The last line names God as the one doing it, so even this suffering lies within His sovereign purpose. The Gospels show the same extremity in Christ, whose soul was sorrowful even to death in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:38) and who said on the cross that He was thirsty (John 19:28). Isaiah 53:10 makes the divine agency explicit: the LORD willed to crush His Servant, making His soul a guilt offering.
- Psalm 22:14-15 (BSB)“I am poured out like water, and all my bones are disjointed. My heart is like wax; it melts away within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You lay me in the dust of death.”David describes his body and spirit collapsing, and says God has laid him in the dust of death.
- Matthew 26:38 (BSB)“Then He said to them, “My soul is consumed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.””In Gethsemane Jesus said His soul was consumed with sorrow to the point of death.
- John 19:28 (BSB)“After this, knowing that everything had now been accomplished, and to fulfill the Scripture, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.””On the cross Jesus said that He was thirsty.
- Isaiah 53:10 (BSB)“Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush Him and to cause Him to suffer; and when His soul is made a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.”Isaiah says it was the LORD's will to crush His Servant and make His soul a guilt offering.
General
In Hebrews 2:12, whose words does the writer say 22:22 records?
Answer: Jesus, speaking of those He calls brothers
Once rescued, David vows to make God's name known to his brothers and to praise Him among the gathered worshipers of Israel (22:22). Hebrews quotes this verse as the words of Jesus, who does not hesitate to call those He sanctifies, meaning those He makes holy, His brothers, since they belong to one family (Hebrews 2:11-12). The risen Christ leads His people in praising the Father. After His resurrection Jesus Himself sent word to His disciples calling them His brothers (Matthew 28:10; John 20:17).
- Psalm 22:22 (BSB)“I will proclaim Your name to my brothers; I will praise You in the assembly.”Once rescued, David vows to declare God's name to his brothers and praise Him among the worshipers.
- Hebrews 2:11-12 (BSB)“For both the One who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. He says: “I will proclaim Your name to My brothers; I will sing Your praises in the assembly.””Hebrews quotes this verse as the words of Jesus, who is not ashamed to call His people brothers.
- Matthew 28:10 (BSB)““Do not be afraid,” said Jesus. “Go and tell My brothers to go to Galilee. There they will see Me.””The risen Jesus sent word to His disciples, calling them His brothers.
- John 20:17 (BSB)““Do not cling to Me,” Jesus said, “for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go and tell My brothers, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.’””After His resurrection Jesus again called His disciples His brothers and spoke of My Father and your Father.
Theological
To whom does Hebrews 2:12 attribute the words of 22:22?
Answer: Jesus, speaking of those He calls brothers
The vow of 22:22 marks the move from lament to thanksgiving: the delivered sufferer will declare God's name to his brothers in the congregation. Hebrews places these words in the mouth of Christ, the sanctifier, who shares one family with those He sanctifies and freely names them brothers (Hebrews 2:11-12). The vindicated Messiah leads the worship of the redeemed. The Gospels show the risen Jesus doing exactly this, sending word to His brothers (Matthew 28:10) and speaking of the Father as both His Father and theirs (John 20:17).
- Psalm 22:22 (BSB)“I will proclaim Your name to my brothers; I will praise You in the assembly.”Once rescued, David vows to declare God's name to his brothers and praise Him among the worshipers.
- Hebrews 2:11-12 (BSB)“For both the One who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. He says: “I will proclaim Your name to My brothers; I will sing Your praises in the assembly.””Hebrews quotes this verse as the words of Jesus, who is not ashamed to call His people brothers.
- Matthew 28:10 (BSB)““Do not be afraid,” said Jesus. “Go and tell My brothers to go to Galilee. There they will see Me.””The risen Jesus sent word to His disciples, calling them His brothers.
- John 20:17 (BSB)““Do not cling to Me,” Jesus said, “for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go and tell My brothers, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.’””After His resurrection Jesus again called His disciples His brothers and spoke of My Father and your Father.
General
How does the last line of 22:21 change the direction of the psalm?
Answer: David declares that God has answered him
Verses 19-21 are David's final plea. He asks God not to stay far away but to hurry to help, and to rescue his life from the sword, the wild dogs, and the lion's mouth. Then, at the end of verse 21, with the wild oxen's horns in view, the prayer breaks into a declaration that God has answered him. This is the hinge of the psalm: the complaint of verse 2 that God gives no answer is now reversed, and from here on the psalm is praise. Hebrews says Jesus prayed with cries and tears, pleading with the Father, who was able to rescue Him from dying, and was heard (Hebrews 5:7). Peter proclaims that God raised Him, freeing Him from death's agony (Acts 2:24), and Hebrews says Jesus endured the cross for the joy that lay ahead of Him (Hebrews 12:2).
- Psalm 22:19-21 (BSB)“But You, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me. Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of wild dogs. Save me from the mouth of the lion; at the horns of the wild oxen You have answered me!”David's final plea for rescue ends with the declaration that God has answered him.
- Hebrews 5:7 (BSB)“During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.”Hebrews says Jesus prayed with cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death and was heard.
- Acts 2:24 (BSB)“But God raised Him from the dead, releasing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep Him in its grip.”Peter proclaims that God raised Jesus, freeing Him from the agony of death.
- Hebrews 12:2 (BSB)“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before Him and is now seated at God's right hand.
Theological
What turn does the final clause of 22:21 bring to the psalm?
Answer: David declares that God has answered him
The petitions of 22:19-21 reach their climax with the plea for deliverance from the sword, the dogs, and the lion, and then, with the wild oxen in view, the psalm pivots abruptly: God has answered. The unanswered cry of 22:2 is reversed, and the lament becomes thanksgiving for the rest of the psalm. In Christ the answer came through death, not by escape from it: He offered prayers with cries and tears and was heard (Hebrews 5:7), and God raised Him up, loosing death's agony because death could not hold Him (Acts 2:24). The cross gave way to exaltation, as Hebrews 12:2 says of the joy that lay ahead of Him.
- Psalm 22:19-21 (BSB)“But You, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me. Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of wild dogs. Save me from the mouth of the lion; at the horns of the wild oxen You have answered me!”David's final plea for rescue ends with the declaration that God has answered him.
- Hebrews 5:7 (BSB)“During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.”Hebrews says Jesus prayed with cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death and was heard.
- Acts 2:24 (BSB)“But God raised Him from the dead, releasing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep Him in its grip.”Peter proclaims that God raised Jesus, freeing Him from the agony of death.
- Hebrews 12:2 (BSB)“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before Him and is now seated at God's right hand.
General
What will future generations be told, according to 22:30-31?
Answer: His righteousness and the deeds He has done
The psalm ends by reaching into the future. Descendants will serve the LORD, the next generation will hear about the Lord, and people not yet born will be told of His righteousness and of everything He has accomplished (22:30-31). The psalm that began with one man's lonely cry ends with praise handed on from generation to generation. Psalm 78 describes the same duty of telling God's deeds to children still unborn (Psalm 78:4-6), and Psalm 102:18 speaks of writing God's works down so that people yet to be created will praise Him. Many Christians have heard in the psalm's closing note, that God has done it, an echo of Jesus' cry from the cross that His work was finished (John 19:30).
- Psalm 22:30-31 (BSB)“Posterity will serve Him; they will declare the Lord to a new generation. They will come and proclaim His righteousness to a people yet unborn—all that He has done.”The psalm ends with future generations serving the LORD and hearing of His righteousness.
- Psalm 78:4-6 (BSB)“We will not hide them from their children but will declare to the next generation the praises of the LORD and His might and the wonders He has performed. For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the coming generation would know them—even children yet to be born—to arise and tell their own children”Israel was to pass on God's praiseworthy deeds to the next generation and to children still unborn.
- Psalm 102:18 (BSB)“Let this be written for the generation to come, so that a people not yet created may praise the LORD.”Another psalm asks that God's works be written down so a people not yet created may praise Him.
- John 19:30 (BSB)“When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished.” And bowing His head, He yielded up His spirit.”Jesus' final words from the cross declared His work finished.
Theological
What content do 22:30-31 say will be proclaimed to later generations?
Answer: His righteousness and the deeds He has done
The psalm closes by extending the praise through time as it had extended it through space: posterity will serve the LORD, the Lord will be declared to the coming generation, and His righteousness and His completed work will be proclaimed to those still unborn (22:30-31). The individual lament has become the testimony of the whole covenant people across the ages, the same intergenerational duty Psalm 78:4-6 lays on Israel and Psalm 102:18 anticipates. Many Christians have heard in the final emphasis on what God has accomplished an echo of Christ's declaration from the cross that His work was finished (John 19:30).
- Psalm 22:30-31 (BSB)“Posterity will serve Him; they will declare the Lord to a new generation. They will come and proclaim His righteousness to a people yet unborn—all that He has done.”The psalm ends with future generations serving the LORD and hearing of His righteousness.
- Psalm 78:4-6 (BSB)“We will not hide them from their children but will declare to the next generation the praises of the LORD and His might and the wonders He has performed. For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the coming generation would know them—even children yet to be born—to arise and tell their own children”Israel was to pass on God's praiseworthy deeds to the next generation and to children still unborn.
- Psalm 102:18 (BSB)“Let this be written for the generation to come, so that a people not yet created may praise the LORD.”Another psalm asks that God's works be written down so a people not yet created may praise Him.
- John 19:30 (BSB)“When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished.” And bowing His head, He yielded up His spirit.”Jesus' final words from the cross declared His work finished.