THE SUFFERING MESSIAH PROPHECIES IN PSALM 22
A Cry of Anguish and a Song of Praise
To the Chief Musician; set to [the tune of] Aijeleth Hashshahar (The Doe of the Dawn). A Psalm of David.
22 My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?
Why are You so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?
2
O my God, I call out by day, but You do not answer;
And by night, but I find no rest nor quiet.
3
But You are holy,
O You who are enthroned in [the holy place where] the praises of Israel [are offered].
4
In You our fathers trusted [leaned on, relied on, and were confident];
They trusted and You rescued them.
5
They cried out to You and were delivered;
They trusted in You and were not disappointed or ashamed.
6
But I am [treated as] a worm [insignificant and powerless] and not a man;
I am the scorn of men and despised by the people.
7
All who see me laugh at me and mock me;
They [insultingly] open their lips, they shake their head, saying,
8
“He trusted and committed himself to the Lord, let Him save him.
Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.”
9
Yet You are He who pulled me out of the womb;
You made me trust when on my mother’s breasts.
10
I was cast upon You from birth;
From my mother’s womb You have been my God.
11
Do not be far from me, for trouble is near;
And there is no one to help.
12
Many [enemies like] bulls have surrounded me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.
13
They open wide their mouths against me,
Like a ravening and a 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 [by anguish] within me.
15
My strength is dried up like a fragment of clay pottery;
And my [dry] tongue clings to my jaws;
And You have laid me in the dust of death.
16
For [a pack of] dogs have surrounded me;
A gang of evildoers has encircled me,
They pierced my hands and my feet.
17
I can count all my bones;
They look, they stare at me.
18
They divide my clothing among them
And cast lots for my garment.
19
But You, O Lord, do not be far from me;
O You my help, come quickly to my assistance.
20
Rescue my life (my darling) from the sword,
My only life from the paw of the dog (the executioner).
21
Save me from the lion’s mouth;
From the horns of the wild oxen You answer me.
22
I will tell of Your name to my countrymen;
In the midst of the congregation I will praise You.
23
You who fear the Lord [with awe-inspired reverence], praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor Him.
Fear Him [with submissive wonder], all you descendants of Israel.
24
For He has not despised nor detested the suffering of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from him;
But when he cried to Him for help, He listened.
25
My praise will be of You in the great assembly.
I will pay my vows [made in the time of trouble] before those who [reverently] fear Him.
26
The afflicted will eat and be satisfied;
Those who [diligently] seek Him and require Him [as their greatest need] will praise the Lord.
May your hearts live forever!
27
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations will bow down and worship before You,
28
For the kingship and the kingdom are the Lord’s
And He rules over the nations.
29
All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship;
All those who go down to the dust (the dead) will bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep his soul alive.
30
Posterity (a seed) will serve Him;
They will tell of the Lord to the next generation.
31
They will come and declare His righteousness
To a people yet to be born—that He has done it [and that it is finished].
THE SUFFERING MESSIAH PROPHECIES IN PSALM 22
This Psalm is addressed to the chief musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, a phrase often translated as “Deer of the Morning.” While the exact meaning of this title is debated, the Psalm seems to be a blend of references to both David and the suffering Messiah, Christ.
The apostle Peter considers David a prophet
- Acts 2:29-31
- “Brothers, I may confidently and freely say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
- And so, being a prophet and knowing fully that God had sworn to him with an oath that He would seat one of his descendants on his throne,
- he foresaw and spoke [prophetically] of the resurrection of the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), that He was not abandoned [in death] to Hades (the realm of the dead), nor did His body undergo decay.
David, through the Spirit, foresaw future events concerning the Messiah. This chapter is rich with prophecies that came to pass during Christ’s suffering.
| From Psalms 22 | New Testament Fulfillment |
|---|---|
| My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? (22:1) | Matt. 27:46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud [agonized] voice, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” |
| But I am [treated as] a worm [insignificant and powerless] and not a man; I am the scorn of men and despised by the people. (22:6) | Matt. 27:29-31 And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and put a reed in His right hand [as a scepter]. Kneeling before Him, they ridiculed Him, saying, “Hail (rejoice), King of the Jews!” 30 They spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him repeatedly on the head. 31 After they finished ridiculing Him, they stripped Him of the scarlet robe and put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him. |
| All who see me laugh at me and mock me; They [insultingly] open their lips, they shake their head, saying, (22:7) | Matt. 27:39 Those who passed by were hurling abuse at Him and jeering at Him, wagging their heads [in scorn and ridicule], |
| “He trusted and committed himself to the Lord, let Him save him. Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.” (22:8) | Matt. 27:43 He trusts in God; let God rescue Him now, if He delights in Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” |
| Do not be far from me, for trouble is near; And there is no one to help. (22:11) | Mark 14:46-50 They laid hands on Him and seized Him. 47 But one of the bystanders [Simon Peter] drew his sword and struck [Malchus] the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. 48 Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest Me, as you would against a robber? 49 Day after day I was with you, teaching in the [courts and porches of the] temple, and you did not seize Me; but this has happened so that the Scriptures would be fulfilled.” 50 Then all of His disciples abandoned Him and fled. |
| Many [enemies like] bulls have surrounded me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me. | The metaphor of the “bulls of Bashan” encircling him (v. 12) is unique. A typical Hebrew word for bulls (such as bullocks) is par (see Gen. 32:15). But here the Hebrew word is abbiyr, which means “a strong or mighty one.” The natural bulls of Bashan are known in history for their size, strength, and wild nature. However, these “bulls” would be the angry and aggressive individuals at the cross who were demanding Christ’s crucifixion and mocking Him. Matthew 27:41–43 |
| I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax; It is melted [by anguish] within me. (22:14) | The “heart” melting “in the midst of my bowels” (v. 14) can be taken literally, referring to the terrible pain and feeling of pressure on Christ’s heart with the blood loss. John 19:31-34 Since it was the day of Preparation [for the Sabbath], in order to prevent the bodies from hanging on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high holy day) the Jews asked Pilate to have their legs broken [to hasten death] and the bodies taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man, and of the other who had been crucified with Him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came [flowing] out. |
| My strength is dried up like a fragment of clay pottery; And my [dry] tongue clings to my jaws; And You have laid me in the dust of death. (22:15) | The tongue cleaving to the jaws (v. 15) is a clear reference to the thirst created by the loss of blood and the dehydration process. As Christ neared death He cried out, “I thirst” (John 19:28). Matt. 27:48 Immediately one of them ran, and took a sponge, soaked it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink. |
| For [a pack of] dogs have surrounded me; A gang of evildoers has encircled me, They pierced my hands and my feet. (22:16) | Dogs was a common name for gentiles at that time Luke 23:36 The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him and [cruelly] offering Him sour wine, John 20:27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and put out your hand and place it in My side. Do not be unbelieving, but [stop doubting and] believe.” |
| They divide my clothing among them And cast lots for my garment. (22:18) | Matt. 27:35 And when they had crucified Him, they divided His clothes among them by casting lots. |
| Rescue my life (my darling) from the sword, My only life from the paw of the dog (the executioner). (22:20) | The Prophecy includes a prayer to deliver my “my darling” from the sword. We use the word darling to indicate a person to whom we express kindness or for whom we hold tender affection. The word darling used here (KJV) and in Psalms 35:17 comes from the Hebrew word yachiyd and refers to “one beloved person” Christ was the darling of the Father and would die, but He would also be delivered from death through the resurrection. |
| I will tell of Your name to my countrymen; In the midst of the congregation I will praise You. (22:22) | Christ would be resurrected to declare the name of the Lord to the congregation and the nations (Psalms 22:22) and the nations. |
| For He has not despised nor detested the suffering of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from him; But when he cried to Him for help, He listened. | God would see the affliction and would not hide His face from Him. 1 Corinthians 6:14 And God has not only raised the Lord [to life] but will also raise us up by His power. |
| All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, And all the families of the nations will bow down and worship before You, (22:27) | This is a reminder of Christ’s Great Commission. Mark 16:15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. |
| For the kingship and the kingdom are the Lord’s And He rules over the nations. (22:28) | During the Millennial reign, all nations shall ascend to Jerusalem to worship the Messiah. Zech. 14:16 Then everyone who is left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and celebrate the Feast of Booths (Tabernacles). |
| A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. (22:30 KJV) | As a result of the Messiah’s suffering, mankind was given a redemptive covenant. Hebrew word for seed is zera and refers to sowing to produce a harvest of grain on a farm. In verse 30 zera refers to a generational group or race of people. A “seed shall serve him” refers to the righteous seed that would receive the covenant of the Messiah. Believers in the New Covenant are a “chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation” 1 Peter 2:9). |
| They will come and declare His righteousness To a people yet to be born—that He has done it [and that it is finished]. (22:31) | Notice that righteousness would be declared to a generation yet to be born the “called out ones,” the Church. |
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