The big picture
Psalms 22 opens in verse 1 with “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 16 with “For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my…”, and closes in verse 31 with “They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, deliver, praise, trusted, fear. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Psalms · King James Version · 31Psalms 22:1-8
1–8: My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from…
Psalms 22:1–8 opens with “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the…” and reaches “He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 22 develops its own movement around LORD, deliver, praise, trusted, fear, with particular weight carried by trusted, deliver, confounded.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.
Psalms 22:1-8
King James Version1My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
2O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.
3But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
4Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
5They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
6But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
7All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
Psalms 22:9-16
9–16: Thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I…
Psalms 22:9–16 opens with “But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my…” and reaches “For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 22 develops its own movement around LORD, deliver, praise, trusted, fear, with particular weight carried by bulls, compassed, mother’s.
Context that brings the passage to life
“But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts.” The line’s distinctive content terms include breasts, didst, hope. Its relationship to verses 10 shows what work it does in this passage.
“Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.” The line’s distinctive content terms include help, near, trouble. Its relationship to verses 10 and 12 shows what work it does in this passage.
Psalms 22:9-16
King James Version9But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts.
10I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly.
11Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
12Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
13They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.
14I 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.
15My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
16For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
Psalms 22:17-24
17–24: I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
Psalms 22:17–24 opens with “I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.” and reaches “For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 22 develops its own movement around LORD, deliver, praise, trusted, fear, with particular weight carried by fear, LORD, praise.
Context that brings the passage to life
“I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.” The line’s distinctive content terms include bones, look, stare. Its relationship to verses 18 shows what work it does in this passage.
“But be not thou far from me, O LORD : O my strength, haste thee to help me.” The line’s distinctive content terms include haste, help, LORD. Its relationship to verses 18 and 20 shows what work it does in this passage.
Psalms 22:17-24
King James Version17I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
18They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
19But be not thou far from me, O LORD : O my strength, haste thee to help me.
20Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.
21Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
22I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
23Ye that fear the LORD , praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.
24For 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.
Psalms 22:25-31
25–31: My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows…
Psalms 22:25–31 opens with “My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear…” and reaches “They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 22 develops its own movement around LORD, deliver, praise, trusted, fear, with particular weight carried by LORD, nations, praise.
Context that brings the passage to life
“My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Psalms 22:25-31
King James Version25My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.
26The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
27All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD : and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
28For the kingdom is the LORD’s : and he is the governor among the nations.
29All 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.
30A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
31They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Psalms 22:1 begins with “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?”
Where the chapter turns
Psalms 22:19 forms a natural hinge: “But be not thou far from me, O LORD : O my strength, haste thee to help me.”
The final note
Psalms 22:31 leaves the reader with “They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, deliver, praise, trusted, fear, seed help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
What does the reader know that Isaac is not told?
The opening identifies a test. That framing matters for the entire account.
What is actually offered?
A ram provided in place of Isaac. Preserve the difference between the threatened act and the outcome.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
- hath
- has
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.