Psalm 22


Psalm 22 is the 22nd psalm of the Book of Psalms, generally known in English by its first verse, in the King James Version, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?". The Book of Psalms is the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a book of the Christian Old Testament. In the Greek Septuagint version of the bible, and in its Latin translation in the Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 21 in a slightly different numbering system. In Latin, it is known as "Deus, Deus meus".
The psalm is a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Protestant liturgies.

History and context

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 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.
The psalm is also interpreted as referring to the plight of the Jewish people and their distress and alienation in exile. For instance, the phrase "But I am a worm" 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."
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 leaving her, at which point she quoted Psalm 22:1 saying "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me."

Heading

Ayelet Hashachar 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. Some, however, understand by the name some instrument of music, or an allegorical allusion to the subject of the psalms.
Where English translations have "psalm," the underlying Hebrew word is מִזְמוֹר, a song with instrumental accompaniment. This is part of the series of "Davidic Psalms". 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.
The heading further assigns the psalm as "for the conductor." This is apparently a reference to the use of psalms in the liturgy. The exact meaning is unclear.
The song is to be sung to the tune "Hind of Dawn", in a style apparently known to the original audience, according to the traditional interpretation. In the recent literature, however, it is argued that "Hind of Dawn" cultic role of the priest designated person acting as menatseach, as head of the ritual.

Text

Hebrew Bible version

Following is the Hebrew text of Psalm 22:
VerseHebrew
1לַֽמְנַצֵּחַ עַל־אַיֶּ֥לֶת הַ֜שַּׁ֗חַר מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד
2אֵלִ֣י אֵ֖לִי לָמָ֣ה עֲזַבְתָּ֑נִי רָח֥וֹק מִ֜ישֽׁוּעָתִ֗י דִּבְרֵ֥י שַֽׁאֲגָתִֽי
3אֱלֹהַ֗י אֶקְרָ֣א י֖וֹמָם וְלֹ֣א תַֽעֲנֶ֑ה וְ֜לַ֗יְלָה וְֽלֹא־דֽוּמִיָּ֥ה לִֽי
4וְאַתָּ֥ה קָד֑וֹשׁ י֜וֹשֵׁ֗ב תְּהִלּ֥וֹת יִשְׂרָאֵֽל
5בְּךָ בָּֽטְח֣וּ אֲבֹתֵ֑ינוּ בָּֽ֜טְח֗וּ וַֽתְּפַלְּטֵֽמוֹ
6אֵלֶ֣יךָ זָֽעֲק֣וּ וְנִמְלָ֑טוּ בְּךָ֖ בָֽטְח֣וּ וְלֹא־בֽוֹשׁוּ
7וְאָֽנֹכִ֣י תוֹלַ֣עַת וְלֹא־אִ֑ישׁ חֶרְפַּ֥ת אָ֜דָ֗ם וּבְז֥וּי עָֽם
8כָּל־רֹ֖אַי יַלְעִ֣גוּ לִ֑י יַפְטִ֥ירוּ בְ֜שָׂפָ֗ה יָנִ֥יעוּ רֹֽאשׁ
9גֹּ֣ל אֶל־יְהֹוָ֣ה יְפַלְּטֵ֑הוּ יַ֜צִּילֵ֗הוּ כִּ֘י חָ֥פֵץ בּֽוֹ
10כִּֽי־אַתָּ֣ה גֹחִ֣י מִבָּ֑טֶן מַ֜בְטִיחִ֗י עַל־שְׁדֵ֥י אִמִּֽי
11עָלֶיךָ הָשְׁלַ֣כְתִּי מֵרָ֑חֶם מִבֶּ֥טֶן אִ֜מִּ֗י אֵ֥לִי אָֽתָּה
12אַל־תִּרְחַ֣ק מִ֖מֶּנִּי כִּֽי־צָרָ֣ה קְרוֹבָ֑ה כִּ֖י אֵ֥ין עוֹזֵֽר
13סְבָבוּנִי פָּרִ֣ים רַבִּ֑ים אַבִּירֵ֖י בָשָׁ֣ן כִּתְּרֽוּנִי
14פָּצ֣וּ עָלַ֣י פִּיהֶ֑ם אַ֜רְיֵ֗ה טֹרֵ֥ף וְשֹׁאֵֽג
15כַּמַּ֥יִם נִשְׁפַּכְתִּי֘ וְֽהִתְפָּֽרְד֗וּ כָּֽל־עַצְמ֫וֹתָ֥י הָיָ֣ה לִ֖בִּי כַּדּוֹנָ֑ג נָ֜מֵ֗ס בְּת֣וֹךְ מֵעָֽי
16כֹּחִ֗י וּ֖לְשׁוֹנִי מֻדְבָּ֣ק מַלְקוֹחָ֑י וְלַֽעֲפַר־מָ֥וֶת תִּשְׁפְּתֵֽנִי
17כִּֽי־סְבָב֗וּנִי כְּלָ֫בִ֥ים עֲדַ֣ת מְ֖רֵעִים הִקִּיפ֑וּנִי כָּֽ֜אֲרִ֗י יָדַ֥י וְרַגְלָֽי
18אֲסַפֵּ֥ר כָּל־עַצְמוֹתָ֑י הֵ֥מָּה יַ֜בִּ֗יטוּ יִרְאוּ־בִֽי
19יְחַלְּק֣וּ בְגָדַ֣י לָהֶ֑ם וְעַל־לְ֜בוּשִׁ֗י יַפִּ֥ילוּ גוֹרָֽל
20וְאַתָּ֣ה יְ֖הֹוָה אַל־תִּרְחָ֑ק אֱ֜יָֽלוּתִ֗י לְעֶזְרָ֥תִי חֽוּשָׁה
21הַצִּ֣ילָה מֵחֶ֣רֶב נַפְשִׁ֑י מִיַּד־כֶּ֜֗לֶב יְחִֽידָתִֽי
22הוֹשִׁיעֵֽנִי מִפִּ֣י אַרְיֵ֑ה וּמִקַּרְנֵ֖י רֵמִ֣ים עֲנִיתָֽנִי
23אֲסַפְּרָ֣ה שִׁמְךָ֣ לְאֶחָ֑י בְּת֖וֹךְ קָהָ֣ל אֲהַֽלְלֶֽךָּ
24הַֽלְל֗וּהוּ כָּל־זֶ֣רַע יַֽעֲקֹ֣ב כַּבְּד֑וּהוּ וְג֥וּרוּ מִ֜מֶּ֗נוּ כָּל־זֶ֥רַע יִשְׂרָאֵֽל
25כִּ֚י לֹא־בָזָ֨ה וְלֹ֪א שִׁקַּ֡ץ עֱנ֬וּת עָנִ֗י וְלֹֽא־הִסְתִּ֣יר פָּנָ֣יו מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וּֽבְשַׁוְּע֖וֹ אֵלָ֣יו שָׁמֵֽעַ
26מֵֽאִתְּךָ֣ תְֽהִלָּ֫תִ֥י בְּקָהָ֣ל רָ֑ב נְדָרַ֥י אֲשַׁלֵּ֗ם נֶ֣גֶד יְרֵאָֽיו
27וְיִשְׂבָּ֗עוּ יְהַֽלְל֣וּ יְ֖הֹוָה דֹּֽרְשָׁ֑יו יְחִ֖י לְבַבְכֶ֣ם לָעַֽד
28וְיָשֻׁ֣בוּ אֶל־יְ֖הֹוָה כָּל־אַפְסֵי־אָ֑רֶץ וְיִשְׁתַּֽחֲו֥וּ לְ֜פָנֶ֗יךָ כָּל־מִשְׁפְּח֥וֹת גּוֹיִֽם
29כִּ֣י לַֽ֖יהֹוָה הַמְּלוּכָ֑ה וּ֜מוֹשֵׁ֗ל בַּגּוֹיִֽם
30כָּל־דִּשְׁנֵי־אֶ֗רֶץ לְפָנָ֣יו יִ֖כְרְעוּ כָּל־יוֹרְדֵ֣י עָפָ֑ר וְ֜נַפְשׁ֗וֹ לֹ֣א חִיָּֽה
31זֶ֥רַע יַֽעַבְדֶ֑נּוּ יְסֻפַּ֖ר לַֽאדֹנָ֣י לַדּֽוֹר
32יָבֹאוּ וְיַגִּ֣ידוּ צִדְקָת֑וֹ לְעַ֥ם נ֜וֹלָ֗ד כִּ֣י עָשָֽׂה

King James Version

  1. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
  2. O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.
  3. But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
  4. Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
  5. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
  6. But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
  7. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
  8. He trusted on the that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
  9. But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.
  10. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly.
  11. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
  12. Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
  13. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as 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 in the midst of my bowels.
  15. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
  16. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
  17. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
  18. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
  19. But be not thou far from me, O : O my strength, haste thee to help me.
  20. Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.
  21. Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
  22. I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
  23. Ye that fear the, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.
  24. For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.
  25. My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.
  26. The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
  27. All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the : and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
  28. For the kingdom is the 's: and he is the governor among the nations.
  29. All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.
  30. A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the for a generation.
  31. They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

    Uses

Judaism

Psalm 22 is traditionally recited on the Fast of Esther.
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.
Verse 4 is part of the opening paragraph of Uva letzion.
Verse 12 is recited during Selichot.
Verse 26 is found in the repetition of the Amidah in the Rosh Hashanah morning service.
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.

New Testament

The New Testament makes numerous allusions to Psalm 22, mainly during the crucifixion of Jesus.
Codex Vaticanus Matthew 27.46 and Mark 15.34 quote Psalm 22, transliterating it differently than modern day Greek text. Codex Vaticanus Matthew 27.46 has: Eloey, Eloey, lema sabaktanei what slightly coincides with old Syriac Psalm 22 Alóhi Alóhi lmóno shbáqthoni. Codex Vaticanus Mark 15.34 has: Eloi, Eloi, lama zabafthanei what is direct Hebrew copy of Psalm 22 Elí, Elí, láma azavtháni, though in Hebrew "Eloi" would be plural.
Verse 1, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?", is quoted in ;
Verse 7, "They hurl insults, shaking their heads", is quoted in ;
Verse 8, "He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him", is quoted in
Verse 18, "They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment", is quoted in ; ; ;
Verse 22, "I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you", is quoted

Christianity

Christians contend that "They have pierced my hands and my feet" , and "I can count all my bones" are prophecies indicating the manner of Jesus's crucifixion: that he would be nailed to a cross and, per the Levitical requirement for a sacrifice, that none of his bones would be broken .
Some Christian commentators, such as E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes, and H A Ironside a point out that the word use for worm in 'I am a worm and not a man' is 'tola' 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 in the servant songs of Isaiah. This would be consistent with the view of the suffering person being an atoning sacrifice, dying on a tree.

Catholic Church

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". 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, according to the Rule of St. Benedict set to 530, as St. Benedict of Nursia simply attributed Psalms 21 109 offices vigils, "all sitting with ordre."
In the Divine Office, the psalm is said on Fridays at Prime. In the Liturgy of the Hours, with the suppression of Prime, it was reassigned the Office of the middle of the day on Friday of the third week.

Historical-critical analysis

In exegetical scholarship, Psalm 22 is generally regarded as not being of a unified 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. 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. 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 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, on account of its universalist perspective, is considered to date from the Hellenistic period, likely the late 4th century.

Commentary

The reproachful, plaintive question "why" of suffering in the 22nd Psalm touches the deepest sense of godforsakenness in the face of suffering and multiple persecution by enemies. 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, confidences and petitions interrupted.
The second part of the psalm is the gratitude of the petitioner in the light of his salvation in the context of Israel and expands in worship YHWH the perspective of the peoples of the world that impressed God's action should show.
In the New Testament Jesus cites Psalm 22 shortly before his death on the cross, to make himself the psalm petitioner, and to own, according to Jewish tradition, the entire contents of the psalm.
Christologically this is considered problematic, inasmuch as Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity, can hardly say that God has forsaken him. However, as in the psalm, apparent abandonment by God is not the end. Rather, in both cases there is the sudden and abrupt rescue of the petitioner by God The usual division of the psalm into an action part and a praise or thanksgiving part, therefore, is interpreted by some to anticipate the Crucifixion and the Resurrection.