Add parallel Print Page Options

Psalm 22

For the worship leader. A song of David to the tune “Deer of the Dawn.”[a]

Jesus prayed this individual lament from the cross (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34). Though it begins with a sense of abandonment, it ends on a triumphant note.

My God, my God, why have You turned Your back on me?
    Your ears are deaf to my groans.
O my God, I cry all day and You are silent;
    my tears in the night bring no relief.

Still, You are holy;
    You make Your home on the praises of Israel.
Our mothers and fathers trusted in You;
    they trusted, and You rescued them.
They cried out to You for help and were spared;
    they trusted in You and were vindicated.

But I am a worm and not a human being,
    a disgrace and an object of scorn.
Everyone who sees me laughs at me;
    they whisper to one another I’m a loser; they sneer and mock me, saying,
“He relies on the Eternal; let the Eternal rescue him
    and keep him safe because He is happy with him.”

But You are the One who granted me life;
    You endowed me with trust as I nursed at my mother’s breast.
10 I was dedicated to You at birth;
    You’ve been my God from my mother’s womb.
11 Stay close to me—
    trouble is at my door;
    no one else can help me.

12 I’m surrounded by many tormenters;
    like strong bulls of Bashan,[b] they circle around me with their taunts.
13 They open their mouths wide at me
    like ravenous, roaring lions.

14 My life is poured out like water,
    and all my bones have slipped out of joint.
My heart melts like wax inside me.
15 My strength is gone, dried up like shards of pottery;
    my dry tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
    You lay me in the dust of death.

16 A throng of evil ones has surrounded me
    like a pack of wild dogs;
They[c] pierced my hands and ripped a hole in my feet.
17 I count all my bones;
    people gawk and stare at me.
18 They make a game out of dividing my clothes among themselves;
    they cast lots for the clothes on my back.

19 But You, O Eternal, stay close;
    O You, my help, hurry to my side.
20 Save my life from violence,
    my sweet life from the teeth of the wild dog.
21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lion.
    From the horns of the wild oxen, You responded to my plea.

22 I will speak Your Name to my brothers and sisters
    when I praise You in the midst of the community.
23 You who revere the Eternal, praise Him—
    descendants of Jacob, worship Him;
    be struck with wonder before Him, all you children of Israel.
24 He’s not put off
    by the suffering of the suffering one;
He doesn’t pretend He hasn’t seen him;
    when he pleaded for help, He listened.

25 You stir my praise in the great assembly;
    I will fulfill my vows before those who humble their hearts before Him.
26 Those who are suffering will eat and be nourished;
    those who seek Him will praise the Eternal.
    May your hearts beat strong forever!
27 Those from the farthest reaches of the earth will remember
    and turn back to look for the Eternal;
All the families of the nations
    will worship You.
28 The Eternal owns the world;
    He exercises His gentle rule over all the nations.

29 All the wealthy of the world will eat and worship;
    all those who fall in the dust will bow before Him,
    even the life that is headed to the grave.
30 Our children will serve Him;
    future generations will hear the story of how the Lord rescued us.
31 They will tell the generations to come
    of the righteousness of the Lord,
    of what He has done.

Footnotes

  1. 22:title Hebrew, ayyeleth ha-shachar, perhaps the melody to which the song is sung
  2. 22:12 A region east of the Sea of Galilee
  3. 22:16 Most Hebrew manuscripts read, “like the lion.”

The Suffering, Praise, and Posterity of the Messiah

To the Chief Musician. Set to [a]“The Deer of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David.

22 My (A)God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Why are You so far from helping Me,
And from the words of My groaning?
O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear;
And in the night season, and am not silent.

But You are holy,
Enthroned in the (B)praises of Israel.
Our fathers trusted in You;
They trusted, and You delivered them.
They cried to You, and were delivered;
(C)They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.

But I am (D)a worm, and no man;
(E)A reproach of men, and despised by the people.
(F)All those who see Me ridicule Me;
They [b]shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
“He(G) [c]trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him;
(H)Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”

(I)But You are He who took Me out of the womb;
You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts.
10 I was cast upon You from birth.
From My mother’s womb
(J)You have been My God.
11 Be not far from Me,
For trouble is near;
For there is none to help.

12 (K)Many bulls have surrounded Me;
Strong bulls of (L)Bashan have encircled Me.
13 (M)They [d]gape at Me with their mouths,
Like a raging and roaring lion.

14 I am poured out like water,
(N)And all My bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It has melted [e]within Me.
15 (O)My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And (P)My tongue clings to My jaws;
You have brought Me to the dust of death.

16 For dogs have surrounded Me;
The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.
(Q)They[f] pierced My hands and My feet;
17 I can count all My bones.
(R)They look and stare at Me.
18 (S)They divide My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.

19 But You, O Lord, do not be far from Me;
O My Strength, hasten to help Me!
20 Deliver Me from the sword,
(T)My[g] precious life from the power of the dog.
21 (U)Save Me from the lion’s mouth
And from the horns of the wild oxen!

(V)You have answered Me.

22 (W)I will declare Your name to (X)My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
23 (Y)You who fear the Lord, praise Him!
All you [h]descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But (Z)when He cried to Him, He heard.

25 (AA)My praise shall be of You in the great assembly;
(AB)I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.
26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the Lord.
Let your heart live forever!

27 All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the [i]nations
Shall worship before [j]You.
28 (AC)For the kingdom is the Lord’s,
And He rules over the nations.

29 (AD)All the prosperous of the earth
Shall eat and worship;
(AE)All those who go down to [k]the dust
Shall bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep himself alive.

30 A posterity shall serve Him.
It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation,
31 They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born,
That He has done this.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 22:1 Heb. Aijeleth Hashahar
  2. Psalm 22:7 Show contempt with their mouth
  3. Psalm 22:8 LXX, Syr., Vg. hoped; Tg. praised
  4. Psalm 22:13 Lit. have opened their mouths at Me
  5. Psalm 22:14 Lit. in the midst of My bowels
  6. Psalm 22:16 So with some Heb. mss., LXX, Syr., Vg.; MT Like a lion instead of They pierced
  7. Psalm 22:20 Lit. My only one
  8. Psalm 22:23 Lit. seed
  9. Psalm 22:27 Gentiles
  10. Psalm 22:27 So with MT, LXX, Tg.; Arab., Syr., Vg. Him
  11. Psalm 22:29 Death