In the most general sense, Psalm 22 is about a person who is crying out to God to save him from the taunts and torments of his enemies, and (in the last ten verses) thanking God for rescuing him.
Jewish interpretations of Psalm 22 identify the individual in the psalm with a royal figure, usually King David or Queen Esther.3
The psalm is also interpreted as referring to the plight of the Jewish people and their distress and alienation in exile.4 For instance, the phrase "But I am a worm" (Hebrew: ואנכי תולעת) refers to Israel, similarly to Isaiah 41: "Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I help thee, saith the LORD, and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel."5
Tractate Megillah of the Babylonian Talmud contains an extended collection of midrash expanding on the Book of Esther. Commenting on Esther 5:1, Rabbi Levi is quoted saying that, as Esther passed through the hall of idols on the way to the throne room to plead with the king, she felt the Shekhinah (divine presence) leaving her, at which point she quoted Psalm 22:1 saying "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me."6
Ayelet Hashachar (Hebrew: "hind of the dawn") is found in the title of the psalm. It is probably the name of some song or tune to the measure of which the psalm was to be chanted.8 Some, however, understand by the name some instrument of music, or an allegorical allusion to the subject of the psalms. In the recent literature,[which?] however, it is argued that "Hind of Dawn" is a cultic role of the priest designated person acting as מְנַצֵּחַ (menatseach), as head of the ritual.
Where English translations have "psalm", the underlying Hebrew word is מִזְמוֹר (mizmor), a song with instrumental accompaniment. This is part of the series of "Davidic Psalms" (mizmor le-david). Traditionally, their authorship was attributed to King David; however, in scholarly exegesis this attribution has been variously qualified or challenged since the late 19th century. The Hebrew particle le can mean "for", "about", or "by", so that it remains open to interpretation whether these psalms originate with David, or whether the heading refers, rather, to the chief character of the poetry, as being concerned with Davidic kingship in the narrow sense, or even divine kingship more generally.9
The heading further assigns the psalm as "for the conductor" (לַֽמְנַצֵּחַ). This is apparently a reference to the use of psalms in the (temple) liturgy. The exact meaning is unclear.10
In verse 12, the "strong bulls of Bashan" represent "frightening power"; in Amos 4:1 the "cows of Bashan" represent luxury.11
The New Testament makes numerous allusions to Psalm 22, mainly during the crucifixion of Jesus.
Verse 1, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?", is quoted in Mark 15:34; Matthew 27:4612 Codex Vaticanus transliterates this differently from the canonical Greek text. Codex Vaticanus Matthew 27.46 has: Eloey, Eloey, lema sabaktanei which is similar to the old Syriac Psalm 22 Alóhi Alóhi lmóno shbáqthoni. Codex Vaticanus Mark 15.34 has: Eloi, Eloi, lama zabafthanei which matches the Hebrew Psalm 22 (אלי אלי למה עזבתני) Elí, Elí, láma azavtháni.
Verse 7, "They hurl insults, shaking their heads", is quoted in Mark 15:29; Matthew 27:39.13
Verse 8, "He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him", is quoted in Matthew 27:43.14
Verse 18, "They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment", is quoted in Mark 15:24; Matthew 27:35; Luke 23:34; John 19:24.15
Verse 22, "I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you", is quoted Hebrews 2:12.16
The following table shows the Hebrew text1718 of the Psalm with vowels, alongside the Koine Greek text in the Septuagint19 and the English translation from the King James Version. Note that the meaning can slightly differ between these versions, as the Septuagint and the Masoretic text come from different textual traditions.20 In the Septuagint, this psalm is numbered Psalm 21.
Psalm 22 is traditionally recited on the Fast of Esther, on the day before Purim.23
This psalm is recited during synagogue services on Purim by various groups. Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews say Psalm 22 at the beginning of the evening service on Purim night. Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews, as well as Ashkenazi Jews who follow the nusach of the Vilna Gaon, recite Psalm 22 as the Song of the Day in the Purim morning service.2425
Verse 4 is part of the opening paragraph of Uva letzion.2627
Verse 12 is recited during Selichot.28
Verse 26 is found in the repetition of the Amidah in the Rosh Hashanah morning service.29
Verse 29 is a part of the Song of the Sea, which is recited during Pesukei dezimra in the morning prayer. This verse is also said during Mussaf on Rosh Hashanah.30
According to the Gospel of Matthew and Gospel of Mark, Jesus cried out the opening verse of Psalm 22 from the cross (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34).31 Although Jesus said its first verse alone in his duress, it is well established that the first word or words of a Jewish text are understood as indicating its entirety,32 so thereby he regards the whole psalm as foreshadowing his passion and resurrection.33
Christians34 contend that "They have pierced my hands and my feet" (Psalm 22:16), and "I can count all my bones" (Psalm 22:17) are prophecies indicating the manner of Jesus's crucifixion: that he would be nailed to a cross (John 20:25) and, per the Levitical requirement for a sacrifice, that none of his bones would be broken (Numbers 9:11–13). (Christians view Jesus as an atoning sacrifice.)
Some Christian commentators, such as E. W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes,35 and H. A. Ironside,36 point out that the word translated 'worm' in "I am a worm and not a man" (Psalm 22:6) is tola,37 a Middle Eastern worm that lives in a tree and is crushed for its red dye, also translated 'crimson'. It is also the word used in (Isaiah 41:14) in the servant songs of Isaiah.38
All four Gospels report the Roman soldiers casting lots for Jesus' clothes (Matthew 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:24). John reports the action of the soldiers in the language of the psalm, then stating that the soldiers' action occurred "that the scripture might be fulfilled," followed at once by quoting Psalm 22:18 ("They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots."). The Gospel of Matthew in the Codex Amiatinus and other Latin manuscripts contain a clause (not found either in the Greek nor, apparently, in Jerome's original version of the Vulgate39), at the end of Matthew 27:35 "ut [ad]impleretur quod dictum est per prophetam dicentem 'Miserunt sortem...'" ("so that what was said through the prophet might be fulfilled, 'They cast lots...'").40
Jerome correlates Jesus' direction to the disciples, "Tell my brothers (nuntiate fratribus meis)" to meet Jesus in Galilee (Matthew 28:10) with Psalm 22:23: "I will tell forth (Adnuntiabo) your name to my brothers (fratribus meis)."41
In the Roman Rite, prior to the implementation of the Mass of Paul VI, this psalm was sung at the Stripping of the Altar on Maundy Thursday to signify the stripping of Christ's garments before crucifixion. The psalm was preceded and followed by the antiphon "Diviserunt sibi vestimenta mea: et super vestem meam miserunt sortem" (They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment).42 The chanting of this psalm was suppressed in the 1970 revisions to the Mass. It is still included in many parts of the Anglican Communion.
Since the Middle Ages, this psalm was traditionally performed during the celebration of the vigils dimanche,4344 according to the Rule of St. Benedict set to 530, as St. Benedict of Nursia simply attributed Psalms 21 (20) 109 (108) offices vigils, "all sitting with ordre".45
In the pre-Tridentine Divine Office, the Psalm was said on Sundays at Prime. It was reassigned to Friday by Pope Pius V. In the current Divine Office promulgated in 1971 (Liturgy of the Hours), with the suppression of Prime, it was reassigned to the middle of the day (Terce, Sext, or None) on Friday of the third week.46
In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the evening of the fourth day of the month,47 as well as at Mattins on Good Friday.48
In the Orthodox Church, the Psalm forms part of the Third Kathisma, which is sung every Sunday (except Pascha) at Matins and at the Third Hour on Wednesdays in Lent, except in the Fifth Week when it is sung at the First Hour. The Psalm is also sung at the Royal Hours of Good Friday.
The psalm's own heading states that it is to be sung to the tune "Hind of Dawn", in a style apparently known to the original audience, according to the traditional interpretation. Heinrich Schütz wrote a settings of a metric paraphrase in German in two parts, "Hört zu ihr Völker in gemein", SWV 118, and "Ich will verkündgen in der Gmein", SWV 119, for the Becker Psalter, published first in 1628.
Verses 7 and 8 from this psalm (in the King James Version) are used in the text of Handel's English-language oratorio Messiah, HWV 56.49
Felix Goebel-Komala (1961-2016)50 published a version in 1994 entitled "Psalm of Hope", using words based on John Newton's hymn Amazing Grace as a refrain.51
Gilad Hochman set in 2008 verses 1-2 into a composition for vocal ensemble a cappella, entitled On the Verge of an Abyss,52
In exegetical scholarship, Psalm 22 is generally regarded as being of composite origin. It is understood to have originally consisted of the contents of verses 1-22/23, with verses 23/24-32 comprising a later addition.53 Further analysis also recognizes verses 4–6 as part of the later addition, and finds a third layer of editorial development in verses 28–32.54 The exact distinction between the two main parts of the psalm is also controversial, as verse 23 is sometimes counted as a part of the original psalm, but sometimes as part of the later addition.
The original psalm (v. 2-22/23) is thought to date from the pre-exilic period, that is, before the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BC. The second part, because of the significant rescue of Israel, was probably added only in the post-exilic period. The most recent portion of the composition (v. 28–32), on account of its universalist perspective, is considered to date from the Hellenistic period, likely the late 4th century BC.55
The reproachful, plaintive question "why" of suffering (verse 2) in the 22nd Psalm touches the deepest sense of godforsakenness in the face of suffering and multiple persecution by enemies.56 Because of the vagueness of the plea being made by the first part of the psalm it has become a timeless testimony applicable to many situations of persecution. The complaints about the absence of God are punctuated by praise (v. 4), confidences (v. 5–6, 10–11) and petitions (v. 20–22) interrupted.57
The second part of the psalm is the gratitude of the petitioner in the light of his salvation (v. 22) in the context of Israel (v. 26–27) and expands in worship YHWH the perspective of the peoples of the world. 58
Text according to the King James Version. /wiki/King_James_Version ↩
Parallel Latin/English Psalter / Psalmus 21 (22) Archived May 7, 2017, at the Wayback Machine medievalist.net http://medievalist.net/psalmstxt/ps21.htm ↩
Talmud Bavli, Tractate Megillah, Schottenstein Ed., Mesorah Publications, New York, 1991; page 15b2, footnote 16 explains that Psalm 22 contains prophetic references to Esther. ↩
Writing and Reading the Scroll of Isaiah: Studies of an Interpretative Tradition, p. 412-413 ↩
"Isaiah 41 / Hebrew - English Bible / Mechon-Mamre". www.mechon-mamre.org. http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt1041.htm ↩
Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Megillah, page 15b (Vilna edition). ↩
Psalm 22: New King James Version https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalms+22&version=nkjv ↩
See for example Charles Augustus Briggs; Emilie Grace Briggs (1960) [1906]. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms. International Critical Commentary. Vol. 1. Edinburgh: T & T Clark. p. 190. https://archive.org/details/p1criticalexeget15briguoft ↩
Hans-Joachim Kraus (1993). Psalmen 1–59: A Continental Commentary. Translated from the German by Hilton C. Oswald. Minneapolis: Fortress Press. p. 22–23. https://books.google.com/books?id=fkdx-GuZRzoC&pg=PA22 ↩
John F. A. Sawyer. The Terminology of the Psalm Headings. In: Ders.: Sacred Texts and Sacred Meanings. Studies in Biblical Language and Literature. Sheffield, 2011. ↩
Jerusalem Bible (1966), Footnote a at Amos 4:1 /wiki/Jerusalem_Bible ↩
Kirkpatrick, A. F. (1901). The Book of Psalms: with Introduction and Notes. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. Vol. Book IV and V: Psalms XC-CL. Cambridge: At the University Press. p. 838. Retrieved February 28, 2019. /wiki/Alexander_Kirkpatrick ↩
"Psalms – Chapter 22". Mechon Mamre. https://mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2622.htm ↩
"Psalms 22 - JPS 1917". Sefaria.org. https://www.sefaria.org/Psalms.22?ven=The_Holy_Scriptures:_A_New_Translation_(JPS_1917)&lang=bi ↩
"Psalm 21 - Septuagint and Brenton's Septuagint Translation". Ellopos. Retrieved 3 March 2025. https://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/septuagint/chapter.asp?book=24&page=21 ↩
A 1917 translation directly from Hebrew to English by the Jewish Publication Society can be found here or here, and an 1844 translation directly from the Septuagint by L. C. L. Brenton can be found here. Both translations are in the public domain. /wiki/Jewish_Publication_Society_of_America_Version ↩
In the Jewish verse numbering, the ascription of this psalm is verse 1, and the rest of the psalm begins from verse 2. However, the Christian verse numbering does not count the ascription as a separate verse. /wiki/Chapters_and_verses_of_the_Bible ↩
In the King James Version, the use of small caps for LORD indicates that the Hebrew original reads YHWH. The substitution of "Lord" for the name YHWH is part of an ancient liturgical tradition in both Judaism and Christianity. /wiki/Tetragrammaton ↩
The Artscroll Tehillim, p. 329 ↩
Samet, Rabbi Elchanan. "Shiur #22: Psalm 22 - "My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me" Complaint, Supplication, and Thanksgiving Appendix: Psalm 22 and Purim". eshivat Har Etzion. Archived from the original on August 16, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20190816145944/https://www.etzion.org.il/en/shiur-22-psalm-22-my-god-my-god-why-have-you-forsaken-me-complaint-supplication-and-thanksgiving ↩
Brauner, Reuven (2013). "Shimush Pesukim" (PDF) (2nd ed.). Eclectic Torah Compilations. Retrieved July 27, 2018. https://www.halakhah.com/rst/pesukim.pdf ↩
Scherman, Rabbi Nosson (2003). The Complete Artscroll Siddur (3rd ed.). Mesorah Publications, Ltd. p. 155. ISBN 9780899066509. 9780899066509 ↩
Scherman, Rabbi Nosson (1985). The Complete Artscroll Machzor – Rosh Hashanah (1st ed.). Mesorah Publications, Ltd. p. 353. ISBN 0-89906-676-3. 0-89906-676-3 ↩
Brown 1994, p. 2. 1460. - Brown, Raymond E. (1994). Death of the Messiah: From Gethsemane to the Grave; A Commentary on the Passion Narratives in the Four Gospels. Anchor Bible Reference Library. Vol. 2 (2 vols ed.). Garden City, NY: Doubleday. pp. 1455–1465. ISBN 978-0385193962. OCLC 27432279. https://archive.org/details/deathofmessiahvo00raym ↩
See for examples: Albright, W. F. "A Catalogue of Early Hebrew Lyric Poems (Psalm LXVIII)," HUCA 23 (1950-51) 1-39; Menn 2000, p. 331. ↩
Tkacz, Catherine Brown, "Esther, Jesus, and Psalm 22", The Catholic Biblical Quarterly Vol. 70, No. 4 (October 2008), pp. 709–728 https://www.jstor.org/stable/43726400 ↩
See for examples: Menn 2000, pp. 301–341; and Brown, Raymond E. (1994) Death of the Messiah: From Gethsemane to the Grave; A Commentary on the Passion Narratives in the Four Gospels (2 vols.; Anchor Bible Reference Library; New York: Doubleday) 2. 1455–1465. ↩
"Psalms 22 - E. W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Bible Commentaries". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bul/psalms-22.html ↩
"Psalms 22 - Ironside's Notes on Selected Books - Bible Commentaries". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/isn/psalms-22.html ↩
"Strong's Hebrew: 8438. תּוֹלָע (Tola)—43 Occurrences". https://biblehub.com/hebrew/strongs_8438.htm ↩
"Worm; Scarlet-Worm - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". https://www.biblestudytools.com/encyclopedias/isbe/worm-scarlet-worm.html ↩
Menn 2000, p. 332. ↩
Tkacz 2008, p. 716 ↩
Jerome Comm. Matt. 4.1969-72 (CC Series Latina 77, 281). apud Tkacz 2008, p. 716 ↩
Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Stripping of an Altar" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Catholic_Encyclopedia_(1913)/Stripping_of_an_Altar ↩
Psautier latin-français du bréviaire monastique, p. 62, 1938/2003 ↩
"La distribution des Psaumes dans la Règle de Saint Benoît". http://www.abbaye-montdescats.fr/?page_id=1887 ↩
traduction de Prosper Guéranger, Règle de saint Benoît, (Abbaye Saint-Pierre de Solesmes, réimpression 2007) p. 39. ↩
The main cycle of liturgical prayers takes place over four weeks. ↩
Church of England, Book of Common Prayer: The Psalter as printed by John Baskerville in 1762, pp. 196ff https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2019-10/The%20Book%20of%20Common%20Prayer%201662.pdf ↩
"The Book of Common Prayer: Proper Psalms On Certain Days" (PDF). The Church of England. p. 6. Retrieved 19 April 2023. https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2017-10/1-table-proper-lessons.pdf ↩
Block, Daniel I. (2001). "Handel's Messiah: Biblical and Theological Perspectives" (PDF). Didaskalia. 12 (2). Retrieved 19 July 2011. /wiki/Daniel_I._Block ↩
La Salle College Old Boys' Association, Mr. Felix Goebel-Komala - Down the Memory Lane – Lasallians Remembered, accessed 3 May 2024 /wiki/La_Salle_College ↩
GIA Publications, Psalm of Hope, published 1994, 1995, accessed 3 May 2024 https://giamusic.com/resource/psalm-of-hope-print-g4403 ↩
"On the Verge of an Abyss". www.giladhochman.com. Retrieved 2024-11-15. https://www.giladhochman.com/music/vocal/on-the-verge-of-an-abyss ↩
Hans-Joachim Kraus (1978), Psalmen 1–59 (in German). 5. Auflage. Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener Verlag. ISBN 3-7887-0554-X. p. 232. /wiki/ISBN_(identifier) ↩
Frank-Lothar Hossfeld; Erich Zenger (1993). Die Psalmen I. Psalm 1–50 (in German). Würzburg: Echter Verlag. ISBN 3-429-01503-0. p. 145. /wiki/ISBN_(identifier) ↩
Dörte Bester (2007). Körperbilder in den Psalmen: Studien zu Psalm 22 und verwandten Texten. (= Band 24 von Forschungen zum Alten Testament). Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2007. ISBN 9783161493614.[page needed] /wiki/ISBN_(identifier) ↩
Bester (2007)[page needed] /wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources ↩