BOOK 19 OF 66 · WISDOM & POETRY · KING JAMES BIBLE

Psalms 22

Psalms book home•Chapter 22 of 150•31 verses

Chapter overviewAt a glance + deeper study

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Psalms 22 Overview

A Davidic lament describes mockery, piercing, divided garments, and extreme suffering, then turns to answered prayer and a vision of all nations worshipping the LORD.

PsalmsBook

22Chapter

31Verses

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Before you read Psalms 22

Coming from

Psalm 21 centered on thanksgiving for the king's god-given victory. Psalms is an anthology rather than a continuous chronological story, so the connection here is canonical and thematic.

In this chapter

A Davidic lament describes mockery, piercing, divided garments, and extreme suffering, then turns to answered prayer and a vision of all nations worshipping the LORD.

Leads into

Psalm 23 turns to the lord as shepherd, host, and lifelong keeper, continuing the Psalter’s arranged movement without requiring that the two psalms describe consecutive historical events.

Key understandingExplore deeper

Psalm 22 belongs to Book I of the Psalter (Psalms 1–41). The Gospels repeatedly connect this psalm with Jesus' crucifixion, including His opening cry, mockery, and divided garments.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Central truth

The forsaken sufferer moves from agony to worldwide praise.

Lament truth

In Psalm 22, biblical faith brings grief, fear, confusion, and need directly to God rather than hiding them.

Messianic truth

In Psalm 22, later Scripture shows that the royal or suffering language here reaches its fullest significance in Jesus Christ.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Matthew 27:35-46

The crucifixion narrative echoes the divided garments, mockery, and opening cry of Psalm 22.

John 19:24

John explicitly connects the divided garments with Scripture fulfillment.

Hebrews 2:12

The psalm’s praise after suffering is placed on the lips of Christ among His brethren.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Keep lament in context

Do not mistake every anguished sentence in Psalm 22 for the psalmist’s settled theological conclusion; lament often voices how the crisis feels before faith answers it.

Keep messianic in context

Give explicit New Testament interpretation priority in Psalm 22; do not manufacture additional prophetic details beyond what Scripture establishes.

Read Psalms 22 watching for…

why forsaken.

mocking and trust.

hands and feet.

garments divided.

all kindreds worship.

Chapter outline3 sections

1-10The suffering one cries out while remembering God’s faithfulness from birth 11-21He describes enemies and suffering and pleads for deliverance 22-31Deliverance leads to praise before the congregation and worship among the nations

To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David.My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.

But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.

They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.

I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly.

Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.

Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.

They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.

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.

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.

For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.

They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

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

Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.

Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.

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.

My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.

The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.

All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.

For the kingdom is the LORD's: and he is the governor among the nations.

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.

A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.

They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

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Psalms 22:21

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