Psalm 22

Psalm 22 belongs to Book One (Psalms 1–41) of the Psalms. Its superscription identifies it as "a Psalm of David" and includes the musical direction "upon Aijeleth Shahar," a phrase commonly interpreted as "the hind of the dawn." It follows Psalm 21, a thanksgiving for the king's victory, and its lament of a suffering individual marks a sharp change in tone.

Structure

• Verses 1–2: The psalmist cries out day and night without receiving an answer and laments, "Why hast thou forsaken me?"
• Verses 3–5: He recalls the holy God who delivered the fathers when they trusted in Him and cried out to Him.
• Verses 6–8: He compares himself to a worm and describes those who shake their heads and mock him, saying, "He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him."
• Verses 9–11: He confesses that he has relied on God from his mother's womb and pleads with God not to be far from him.
• Verses 12–18: He is surrounded by enemies likened to bulls of Bashan, lions, and dogs. His bones are out of joint, his tongue is parched, his hands and feet are pierced, and his enemies divide his garments and cast lots for his vesture.
• Verses 19–21: He pleads for deliverance from the sword, the dog, and the lion's mouth. At the end of verse 21 the tone shifts: "thou hast heard me."
• Verses 22–26: He vows to praise God among his brethren and in the congregation and to pay his vows, extolling the God who hears the cry of the afflicted.
• Verses 27–31: He proclaims that the ends of the earth and all nations, those who go down to the dust, and a people yet to be born will worship the LORD.

Key Verses

• Psalm 22:1: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" The Gospels record these words as spoken by Jesus on the cross.
• Psalm 22:18: "They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture." John 19:24 cites this verse as fulfilled.
• Psalm 22:3: "O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel." This verse is frequently cited as linking God with the praises of His people.

People and Places

• David: Named in the superscription as the author of the psalm.
• Jacob: In verse 23 his seed, that is, the congregation of Israel, is called to praise the LORD.
• Bashan: A fertile pastureland in the northern region east of the Jordan River, famous for its well-fed cattle. In verse 12 the enemies are likened to its strong bulls.

Interpretive Considerations

Jewish tradition reads the psalm as a song about the suffering and deliverance of a righteous individual or of the community of Israel. Christian tradition reads it as pointing to the passion of Jesus. Interpretations also differ within Christianity. Some regard it as a messianic prophecy in which David foresaw the Messiah, while others hold that David's own experience became a type foreshadowing the sufferings of Christ.

The word rendered "they pierced" in verse 16 is read differently in different manuscripts. The corresponding word in the Masoretic Text reads "like a lion," whereas ancient translations such as the Septuagint render it closer to "they pierced."

The New Testament draws on this psalm in several places:

• Verse 1 appears in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34 as one of the Seven Last Words from the cross.
• The mockery of verses 7–8 parallels Matthew 27:39, 43.
• Verse 22 is quoted in Hebrews 2:12.

Interpretations of Jesus' cry also differ. Some hold that it called to mind the psalm as a whole, which ends in deliverance and praise, while others hold that it expressed the anguish of actual abandonment.

In the Korean Church

Verses 1 and 18 are frequently cited in sermons on Holy Week, the crucifixion, and the Seven Last Words. Verse 3 is commonly used to explain the meaning of praise, for example at praise and worship gatherings.