Psalms 22 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
Time Period
~1000 BC (reign of King David)
Location
Ancient Israel, likely Jerusalem
Audience
The people of Israel; used in corporate worship and temple liturgy
Situation
A lament psalm attributed to David during a time of intense suffering and persecution. The psalmist expresses feelings of abandonment while surrounded by enemies who mock and threaten him.
Key Background
This is one of the most significant messianic psalms, with vivid descriptions of suffering that Christians see as prophetically fulfilled in Christ's crucifixion (pierced hands and feet, casting lots for garments, mocking by enemies). The psalm follows the pattern of Hebrew lament psalms, moving from despair to trust and ultimately to praise and thanksgiving. David likely drew from his own experiences of persecution by Saul or other enemies, expressing both raw anguish and ultimate confidence in God's deliverance.
My my why have you me? Why are you so far from rescuing me, so far from the words of my
My God, I cry out by day, but you don't answer. By night I call, but I find no
Yet you are apart, enthroned on the praises of
In you our ancestors put their trust; they and you them
They cried out to you and were rescued. They trusted in you and were never down.
But I am a not even human — ridiculed by everyone, by the people.
Everyone who sees me me; they sneer, they their
"He on — let rescue him! Let God pull him free, since he takes such in him!"
Yet you are the one who me from the womb, who kept me safe at my mother's breast.
I was in from birth; from my mother's womb, you have been my God.
Don't be far from me — trouble is close, and there is no one else to help.
Many surround me; strong of close in on me.
They open their mouths wide against me — ravening roaring and tearing.
I am out like water, and all my bones are pulled apart. My has become like wax — it melts inside me.
My is dried up like broken pottery, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You lay me down in the of
surround me; a of closes in. They my hands and my feet.
I can all my bones. They stare at me and gloat.
They my among themselves and for what I'm wearing.
But you, — don't be far away. My come quickly to help me.
my from the sword, my from the jaws of the dogs.
me from the lion's mouth! From the horns of — you have me.
I will declare your to my people; in the middle of the I will praise you:
You who in of — praise him! All you descendants of — honor him! Stand in wonder before him, all you descendants of Israel!
For he has not despised or been disgusted by the suffering of the one. He has not from him — when he cried out, he listened.
Because of you, my praise rises in the gathering. I will fulfill my before those who stand in awe of him.
The will eat and be satisfied. Those who seek Yahweh will praise him — may your
All the ends of the earth will remember and to Yahweh. All the families of the nations will down before you.
For belongs to Yahweh; he rules over the nations.
All the of the earth will feast and bow down. All who go down to the will kneel before him — even those who cannot keep themselves alive.
will him; the coming generation will be told about Yahweh.
They will come and declare his justice to a not born: he has it.