Psalms 22: Why Have You Forsaken Me
A psalm of suffering that opens in the depths of forsakenness and ends in worldwide praise, foretelling the cross and triumph of Christ.
Psalms 22 (WEB)
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?
2 My God, I cry in the daytime, but you don’t answer; in the night season, and am not silent.
3 But you are holy, you who inhabit the praises of Israel.
4 Our fathers trusted in you. They trusted, and you delivered them.
5 They cried to you, and were delivered. They trusted in you, and were not disappointed.
6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people.
7 All those who see me mock me. They insult me with their lips. They shake their heads, saying,
8 “He trusts in Yahweh; let him deliver him. Let him rescue him, since he delights in him.”
9 But you brought me out of the womb. You made me trust at my mother’s breasts.
10 I was thrown on you from my mother’s womb. You are my God since my mother bore me.
11 Don’t be far from me, for trouble is near. For there is no one to help.
12 Many bulls have surrounded me. Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.
13 They open their mouths wide against me, lions tearing prey and roaring.
14 I am poured out like water. All my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax; it is melted within me.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have brought me into the dust of death.
16 For dogs have surrounded me. A company of evildoers have enclosed me. They have pierced my hands and feet.
17 I can count all of my bones. They look and stare at me.
18 They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.
19 But don’t be far off, Yahweh. You are my help: hurry to help me.
20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog.
21 Save me from the lion’s mouth! Yes, from the horns of the wild oxen, you have answered me.
22 I will declare your name to my brothers. In the midst of the assembly, I will praise you.
23 You who fear Yahweh, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify him! Stand in awe of him, all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, Neither has he hidden his face from him; but when he cried to him, he heard.
25 Of you comes my praise in the great assembly. I will pay my vows before those who fear him.
26 The humble shall eat and be satisfied. They shall praise Yahweh who seek after him. Let your hearts live forever.
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to Yahweh. All the relatives of the nations shall worship before you.
28 For the kingdom is Yahweh’s. He is the ruler over the nations.
29 All the rich ones of the earth shall eat and worship. All those who go down to the dust shall bow before him, even he who can’t keep his soul alive.
30 Posterity shall serve him. Future generations shall be told about the Lord.
31 They shall come and shall declare his righteousness to a people that shall be born, for he has done it.
Psalms 22 (KJV)
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 daytime, 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 Lord 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 Lord: 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 Lord, 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 Lord that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
28 For the kingdom is the Lord’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 Lord for a generation.
31 They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.
Psalms 22 (ASV)
1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou sofar from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou answerest 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 put to shame.
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 Commit thyself unto Jehovah; let him deliver him: Let him rescue him, seeing he delighteth in him.
9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb; Thou didst make me trust when I was upon my mother’s breasts.
10 I was cast upon thee from the womb; Thou art my God since my mother bare me.
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 gape upon me with their mouth, Asa 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 within me.
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: A company of evil-doers have inclosed me; They pierced my hands and my feet.
17 I may count all my bones. They look and stare upon me;
18 They part my garments among them, And upon my vesture do they cast lots.
19 But be not thou far off, O Jehovah: O thou my succor, 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; Yea, from the horns of the wild-oxen thou hast answered me.
22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: In the midst of the assembly will I praise thee.
23 Ye that fear Jehovah, praise him; All ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; And stand in awe of 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 Of thee cometh my praise in the great assembly: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.
26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied; They shall praise Jehovah that seek after him: Let your heart live for ever.
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn unto Jehovah; And all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
28 For the kingdom is Jehovah’s; And he is the ruler over the nations.
29 All the fat ones of the earth shall eat and worship: All they that go down to the dust shall bow before him, Even he that cannot keep his soul alive.
30 A seed shall serve him; It shall be told of the Lord unto the next generation.
31 They shall come and shall declare his righteousness Unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done it.
Summary
This is the most striking of all the suffering psalms, opening with the very words Jesus cried from the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” David pours out a desperate lament, feeling abandoned though he cries day and night, yet still confessing that God is holy and was the trust of the fathers. He describes himself as a worm and no man, scorned and mocked by those who shake their heads and say, “He trusts in Yahweh; let him deliver him.” The suffering grows graphic and precise: bones out of joint, a heart melted like wax, strength dried up, brought into the dust of death, surrounded by enemies who pierce his hands and feet, stare at his bones, divide his garments, and cast lots for his clothing. These details are quoted in the Gospels as fulfilled at Calvary. Then the psalm pivots dramatically at a cry for help that is answered, and the singer turns to praise, declaring God's name to his brothers in the assembly. The closing verses swell outward: the humble will be satisfied, all the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and future generations will be told of his righteousness, “for he has done it.” The psalm carries us from the darkness of the cross to the worldwide worship that flows from the finished work of Christ.
Voices
- The suffering sufferer (David) — The forsaken singer who cries from the dust of death, mocked and pierced, yet turns at last to lead the assembly in praise.
- God — The holy One who seems silent in the night yet does not despise the affliction of the afflicted, and who finally hears and delivers.
- The mockers and enemies — The crowd who scorn and shake their heads, the bulls and dogs who surround the sufferer and divide his garments.
- The great assembly — The brothers, the humble, and the ends of the earth who will remember, turn to the LORD, and worship the coming King.
Key Verse
Psalm 22:1 (WEB)
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?
Lessons Learned
- Faith can voice raw lament and a sense of abandonment while still clinging to God as “my God.”
- The detailed sufferings of this psalm were fulfilled in the crucifixion of Jesus, who quoted its opening cry.
- God does not despise the affliction of the afflicted; he hears the cry of the lowly.
- The path of suffering, in Christ, leads to deliverance, resurrection, and praise.
- The fruit of the cross is worldwide worship, as all the ends of the earth turn to the LORD.
- Lament is a faithful prayer. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1, WEB). Even the cry of abandonment is addressed to God and still calls him “my God.”
- The cross was foretold in detail. “They have pierced my hands and feet… They divide my garments among them” (Psalm 22:16, 18, WEB). Centuries before Calvary, the psalm describes Christ's suffering.
- God hears the afflicted. “For he has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted… but when he cried to him, he heard” (Psalm 22:24, WEB). No cry from the depths is beneath his notice.
- Suffering gives way to worldwide praise. “All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to Yahweh” (Psalm 22:27, WEB). The agony of the cross bears fruit in the worship of the nations.
- How can the same person cry “why have you forsaken me?” yet still say “my God” (22:1)?
- Which details of verses 14-18 do the Gospels show fulfilled at the cross of Jesus?
- Where does the psalm turn from lament to praise, and what causes the change?
- How does the ending (22:27-31) widen the scope from one sufferer to all the earth?
- When you feel God is far off, how might this psalm teach you to pray honestly without letting go of him?
- The cry holds together genuine anguish and persistent faith. The sufferer feels abandoned yet still belongs to God and addresses him directly, showing that honest lament is not the opposite of faith but one of its deepest forms.
- The Gospels record Jesus' pierced hands and feet, the dividing of his garments and casting lots for them, the mocking onlookers, and his thirst and exhaustion. Written long before crucifixion was practiced, the psalm reads like an eyewitness account of Calvary.
- The turn comes at the end of verse 21, where the sufferer says God “has answered me.” From there the tone shifts to declaration and praise, as deliverance transforms groaning into worship before the assembly.
- The final verses move outward from personal rescue to a global vision: the humble satisfied, the ends of the earth turning to God, future generations told of his righteousness. The cross bears fruit far beyond one life, drawing in the nations.
- This is a personal-application question. Reassure members that bringing raw, even angry, honesty to God is welcome, and that, like the psalmist, they can pour out the darkness while still holding to him as “my God.” Point them to Jesus, who prayed this very psalm.