Psalms 22 · Psalms

My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?

Psalm 22 is a lament by David, expressing feelings of abandonment by God and describing his suffering. Despite his distress, David affirms his trust in God and anticipates future praise and deliverance.

Summary

Psalm 22 is a lament attributed to King David, expressing a deep sense of abandonment by God. It opens with David crying out, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (22:1). David feels distant from God despite his cries for help both day and night (22:2). He recalls how God delivered the ancestors of Israel when they trusted in Him (22:4-5), contrasting this with his own feelings of being scorned and despised by others (22:6-7). This sets the stage for a vivid portrayal of suffering and a plea for divine intervention.

The passage goes on to describe David's distress and the hostility he faces. He is mocked by those around him who doubt his faith in God (22:8). David uses intense imagery to describe his anguish, feeling surrounded by enemies like "strong bulls of Bashan" and "dogs" that have pierced his hands and feet (22:12, 16). His physical and emotional state is one of exhaustion and vulnerability, with his strength dried up and his enemies dividing his garments (22:15, 18). Despite this, he calls on God to stay close and deliver him from danger (22:19-21).

The psalm concludes with a shift from lament to praise. David expresses confidence that God has not ignored his suffering and will ultimately hear and respond (22:24). He vows to declare God's name and praise Him in the congregation (22:22-23). The passage ends with a vision of universal worship, where all nations will remember and turn to the Lord, acknowledging His dominion over all (22:27-28). The final verses anticipate future generations proclaiming God's righteousness, highlighting the enduring significance of God's actions (22:30-31).

Chiastic structure

ⓘ
A

Psalms 22:1-2

“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?... I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not...”

B

Psalms 22:3-5

“But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.”

A'

Psalms 22:19-21

“But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.”

A and A' both express the psalmist's feeling of being forsaken and the subsequent plea for deliverance, while B highlights the contrast with God's past faithfulness.

Interpretation and theological stakes

The primary conclusion of Psalm 22 is the profound emotional and spiritual struggle experienced by an individual who feels abandoned by God. This sense of abandonment is articulated through a vivid lament that transitions from despair to hope. The speaker, traditionally identified as King David, grapples with feelings of isolation and rejection, both from God and from others, yet ultimately reaffirms trust in God’s deliverance. The psalm captures the tension between personal suffering and the enduring faith in divine intervention, highlighting the speaker's journey from anguish to a confident expectation of God's response and the eventual acknowledgment of God's sovereignty by all nations.

One mainstream interpretation, particularly in Christian traditions, views Psalm 22 as a prophetic foreshadowing of Jesus Christ's crucifixion. This perspective hinges on the striking parallels between the psalm's imagery and the events of the crucifixion. For example, verse 16 mentions "they pierced my hands and my feet," which Christians interpret as a direct reference to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus. Additionally, verse 18, which speaks of dividing garments and casting lots, corresponds with the New Testament accounts of soldiers casting lots for Jesus' clothing (Matthew 27:35). These connections lead Christians to see the psalm as a messianic prophecy, fulfilled in the events of Christ's passion.

In contrast, Rabbinic Judaism interprets Psalm 22 as a personal lament of David, devoid of any messianic prophecy. Jewish tradition emphasizes the immediate context of the text, where David expresses his own suffering and sense of divine abandonment. The vivid imagery and expressions of distress are understood as poetic devices used by David to convey his personal turmoil. Verses such as 22:7, which describe scorn and mockery, are seen as reflective of David’s experiences rather than predictive of future events. This interpretation focuses on the historical and individual aspects of the psalm, viewing it as a testament to human vulnerability and the enduring relationship between David and God.

Both interpretations highlight the dual nature of the psalm as both a personal lament and a text of broader significance. The Christian reading underscores a theological continuity between the Old and New Testaments, whereas the Jewish interpretation maintains the focus on the historical and individual context of David. Together, these readings reveal the layered complexity of the psalm, where personal suffering is intertwined with a greater narrative of faith and deliverance. The tension between despair and hope in the text reflects a universal human experience, inviting reflection on the enduring nature of faith amidst trials and the ultimate affirmation of divine justice and sovereignty.

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