Chapter Summary
Core Passages from Psalms 22
Psalms 22:1My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
This opening cry, famously quoted by Jesus on the cross, captures the deep pain of feeling completely alone and forsaken by God in a moment of extreme suffering.Psalms 22:18they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.
This specific detail of enemies dividing garments and casting lots for clothing is a startlingly accurate prophecy of what would happen to Jesus at his crucifixion.Psalms 22:24For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him.
This verse marks the psalm's great turn, declaring with confidence that despite feelings of abandonment, God has not ignored the sufferer but has heard their cry for help.
Historical & Cultural Context
A Cry from the Depths of Despair
The psalm opens in a scene of intense personal crisis. The speaker, traditionally identified as David, is surrounded by enemies who mock his faith and inflict severe physical and emotional pain. He feels utterly isolated, not only from human help but seemingly from God Himself. This first half is a raw, desperate lament, a prayer from the very edge of endurance where hope seems lost.
A Vow of Praise and a Vision of Hope
Midway through, the tone shifts dramatically from desperate plea to confident praise. The psalmist, assured of his rescue, vows to declare God's name to the community. The focus then expands outward, moving from personal testimony to a vision of communal worship, and finally to a prophecy of all nations and future generations turning to worship the Lord. The initial, private agony becomes the foundation for universal adoration.
From Forsaken to Forever Praised
Psalm 22 guides the reader through a powerful emotional experience. It begins with the psalmist feeling completely abandoned by God while surrounded by enemies. The scene is one of public humiliation and intense physical suffering, which then transforms into a powerful declaration of faith and a call for the whole world to worship God for His faithfulness.
The Cry of the Forsaken (Psalms 22:1-11)
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.
3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4 In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
8 "He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!"
9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.
10 I was cast upon you from my birth, and since my mother bore me you have been my God.
11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.
Commentary:
Feeling abandoned by God, the psalmist cries out in anguish while remembering God's past faithfulness.
Related Verse Analysis
Surrounded by Evil (Psalms 22:12-18)
12 Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
13 They open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast;
15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.
16 For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet -
17 I can count all my bones - they stare and gloat over me;
18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.
Commentary:
The psalmist graphically describes his physical torment and the cruelty of his enemies in ways that foreshadow the cross.
An Urgent Plea for Rescue (Psalms 22:19-21)
19 But you, O Lord, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog!
21 Save me from the mouth of the lion!
Commentary:
The psalmist makes a final, desperate appeal for God to intervene and save him immediately.
A Declaration of Universal Praise (Psalms 22:22-31)
22 I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him, and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him.
25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
26 The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord! May your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.
28 For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.
29 All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive.
30 Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
31 they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.
Commentary:
Confident in his rescue, the psalmist vows to praise God, and his testimony expands into a vision of worldwide worship for all time.
Related Verse Analysis
Core Truths Revealed in Suffering
The Suffering Messiah
Psalm 22 is one of the most significant messianic prophecies in the Old Testament. The specific details of the suffering - the cry of being forsaken, the mocking words of onlookers, the pierced hands and feet, and the dividing of garments - are all fulfilled in the Gospel accounts of Jesus' crucifixion. It reveals that Christ's suffering was not random but was foretold as part of God's redemptive plan.
Honest Lament as an Act of Faith
This psalm gives us permission to be brutally honest with God in our pain. The psalmist doesn't pretend everything is fine. He lays his feelings of abandonment and despair bare. Yet, this is not a loss of faith but an expression of it, as he directs his complaint to the only One he believes can save him.
God's Presence in Apparent Absence
The central struggle is the feeling that God is silent and distant. However, the psalm's progression shows that God's perceived absence does not mean He is inactive. The turn to praise is based on the conviction that God has heard and will act, teaching us that deliverance often follows our darkest moments of trial.
From Personal Pain to Universal Praise
The psalm beautifully illustrates how God can use individual suffering to bring about a greater purpose. The psalmist's personal deliverance becomes a testimony that inspires his community and, ultimately, all the nations of the earth to worship God. It shows that our stories of rescue are meant to be shared to point others to God's faithfulness.
Finding Hope in Times of Trouble
Psalm 22 shows that Jesus's suffering was intensely personal and deeply isolating, as he experienced the feeling of being forsaken by his Father (v. 1). It also reveals that his physical torment was brutal and humiliating, as prophesied in verses 16-18. This psalm helps you understand the true depth of what Jesus endured on the cross, both physically and spiritually, for the sake of salvation.
This psalm provides a roadmap for navigating suffering. You can cry out to God with complete honesty about your pain and feelings of abandonment, as the psalmist did (v. 1-2). At the same time, you can intentionally recall God's past faithfulness in your life and in history (v. 4-5) as an anchor for your faith, trusting that He hears you even when He feels silent (v. 24).
Turning lament into praise means making a conscious choice to worship God based on His character, even before your circumstances change. The psalmist vows to praise God (v. 22) while still in distress, demonstrating a faith that looks forward to God's promised deliverance. Your testimony includes the victory at the end and the trust you maintained during the struggle.
God Hears the Cry of the Afflicted
Psalm 22 declares that God is a witness to our deepest suffering, even when He feels impossibly far away. It shows that authentic faith does not ignore pain but cries out to God from within it. This message offers deep hope: the path of suffering, when walked with trust, leads to deliverance, testimony, and praise that extends to the ends of the earth, not destruction.
What This Means for Us Today
Psalm 22 invites you to bring your whole, unfiltered self to God. It gives you a language for your pain and a reason for your hope. Your story of suffering and God's faithfulness is meant to become a song of praise that encourages your community and points future generations to the God who hears and saves.
- What pain or feeling of abandonment do you need to honestly bring to God today?
- Who in your life needs to hear your story of how God has been faithful in a difficult time?
- How can you practice praising God for His character even while you wait for your circumstances to change?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
Connections Across Scripture
This passage directly quotes Psalm 22:1 and fulfills the prophecies of dividing garments (v. 18) and mocking (v. 7-8) during Jesus's crucifixion.
John's Gospel explicitly notes that the soldiers' casting of lots for Jesus's tunic was a fulfillment of the prophecy in Psalm 22:18.
The author quotes Psalm 22:22 to show that Jesus is not ashamed to call us his brothers, identifying with humanity through his suffering.
Thematic Parallels
This chapter offers another powerful example of moving from deep personal suffering and despair to a remembrance of God's faithfulness and hope.
Known as the 'Suffering Servant' passage, this chapter provides another key Old Testament prophecy about the suffering and sacrifice of the Messiah.
Discussion Questions
- When have you felt like God was silent or distant in a time of need? How does the honesty of Psalm 22:1-2 encourage you in those moments?
- The psalmist moves from despair to a vow of praise before his situation seems to have changed. What does this teach us about the relationship between faith, feelings, and worship?
- How does knowing that Jesus experienced the abandonment described in this psalm affect your understanding of his love and his ability to empathize with your own suffering?