Psalms 22

Berean Standard Bible · Compare translations · 1010 BC – 970 BC · United kingdom · Tap a verse to copy, share or highlight ·

31 verses · 537 words · ~3 min read · ~4 min listen

The Psalm of the Cross

Matthew 27:32–56; Mark 15:21–41; Luke 23:26–43; John 19:16–30

For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Doe of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David.

¹My God, my God,

why have You forsaken me?

Why are You so far from saving me,

so far from my words of groaning?

²I cry out by day, O my God,

but You do not answer,

and by night,

but I have no rest.

³Yet You are holy,

enthroned on the praises of Israel.

⁴In You our fathers trusted;

they trusted and You delivered them.

⁵They cried out to You and were set free;

they trusted in You and were not disappointed.

⁶But I am a worm and not a man,

scorned by men and despised by the people.

⁷All who see me mock me;

they sneer and shake their heads:

⁸“He trusts in the Lord,

let the Lord deliver him;

let the Lord rescue him,

since He delights in him.”

⁹Yet You brought me forth from the womb;

You made me secure at my motherʼs breast.

¹⁰From birth I was cast upon You;

from my motherʼs womb You have been my God.

¹¹Be not far from me,

for trouble is near

and there is no one to help.

¹²Many bulls surround me;

strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.

¹³They open their jaws against me

like lions that roar and maul.

¹⁴I am poured out like water,

and all my bones are disjointed.

My heart is like wax;

it melts away within me.

¹⁵My 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.

¹⁶For dogs surround me;

a band of evil men encircles me;

they have pierced my hands and feet.

¹⁷I can count all my bones;

they stare and gloat over me.

¹⁸They divide my garments among them

and cast lots for my clothing.

¹⁹But You, O Lord, be not far off;

O my Strength, come quickly to help me.

²⁰Deliver my soul from the sword,

my precious life from the power of wild dogs.

²¹Save me from the mouth of the lion;

at the horns of the wild oxen You have answered me!

²²I will proclaim Your name to my brothers;

I will praise You in the assembly.

²³You who fear the Lord, praise Him!

All descendants of Jacob, honor Him!

All offspring of Israel, revere Him!

²⁴For 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.

²⁵My praise for You resounds in the great assembly;

I will fulfill my vows before those who fear You.

²⁶The poor will eat and be satisfied;

those who seek the Lord will praise Him.

May your hearts live forever!

²⁷All the ends of the earth

will remember and turn to the Lord.

All the families of the nations

will bow down before Him.

²⁸For dominion belongs to the Lord

and He rules over the nations.

²⁹All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;

all who go down to the dust will kneel before Him—

even those unable to preserve their lives.

³⁰Posterity will serve Him;

they will declare the Lord to a new generation.

³¹They will come and proclaim His righteousness

to a people yet unborn—

all that He has done.

Footnotes (6)

a v1 Cited in Matthew 27:46and Mark 15:34
b v8 Cited in Matthew 27:43
c v15 MT; or My mouth, a possible reading of the original Hebrew text
d v16 DSS, LXX, Vulgate, and Syriac; most MT like a lion at my hands and feet
e v18 Cited in John 19:24; see also Matthew 27:35,Mark 15:24,and Luke 23:34
f v22 LXX I will sing Your praises in the assembly; cited in Hebrews 2:12.

Study notes on this chapter · 2

Prophecy & fulfillmentLinked by the New Testament

The psalm of the forsaken sufferer

David's lament begins 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' and describes mockery, thirst, and soldiers dividing his garments. The gospel writers echo it at the cross: Jesus quotes the opening line, and John notes the casting of lots for his clothing.

When: Written by David (c. 1000 BC); events of the crucifixion c. AD 30–33.

Original passagePsalms 22:1Psalms 22:18

Where the New Testament applies itMatthew 27:46Mark 15:34John 19:23–24

Ways people read this (1)

Read by the New Testament as a psalm of righteous suffering that finds its deepest meaning in Jesus' passion.

Editorial note by BibleWay. Interpretations vary; dates are approximate scholarly estimates.

Prophecy & fulfillmentLinked by the New Testament

Here am I and the children God has given me

Hebrews says Jesus shares flesh and blood with those he saves, and puts Isaiah's words and a line from Psalm 22 in his mouth: 'I will declare your name to my brothers', 'I will put my trust in him', 'Here am I, and the children God has given me.'

When: Isaiah, c. 735 BC; Hebrews, before AD 70 (most likely).

Original passageIsaiah 8:17–18Psalms 22:22

Where the New Testament applies itHebrews 2:11–14