Psalm 22/fulltext

Authorship

This Psalm was authored by David.

Outline

(This began as Wendland's Expository Outline, but may be adapted.)

I The agony. (1-21).

A. Feelings of abandonment by God: Crying day and night, but God does not hear. Despite these feelings the psalmist declares:

1. You are holy.

2. You saved our fathers in the past.

B. The psalmist is despised by men:

1. He is like a worm.

2. He is reproached.

3. They laugh him to scorn.

4. They shoot out their lip.

5. They shake their heads at him.

6. They mock him because God didn’t deliver him.

C. The psalmist is totally dependant upon God.

1. God took him out of the womb.

2. He gave him hope, even as an infant.

D. He appeals because trouble is near, there is none to help, and a strong enemy is coming against him.

1. They are strong as bulls,

2. They are like a lion ready to devour.

3. The enemy is like dogs.

E. He appeals on the basis of his condition:

1. He is poured out like water.

2. His bones are out of joint.

3. His heart is like wax; melted in the midst of his bowels.

4. His strength is dried up like a potsherd.

5. His tongue cleaves to his jaws.

6. He is brought me into the dust of death.

F. He appeals to God, his strength, to deliver him:

1. From the sword.

2. From the enemy that is like dogs on his trail.

3. From the lion's mouth.

4. From the horns of the unicorns.

II. The ecstacy. (22-31)

A. God’s name is declared:

1. To the brethren.

2. In the midst of the congregation.

B. God is praised by all the seed of Israel because:

1. He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted.

2. He has not hid His face from them.

3. When God’s people cried, He heard.

C. The psalmist pays his vows.

D. The meek eat and are satisfied.

E. Their heart lives forever.

F. All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord and all nations shall worship before Him.

G. The Kingdom is the Lord’s, and He is governor among the nations.

1. All will worship Him.

2. All will come and declare His righteousness.

3. His works will be declared to generations to come.

Textual Criticism

The following is from Barthélemy's Critique textuelle de l’Ancien Testament volume on the Psalms. For a key to the various symbols and abbreviations, click here.

Ps 22,9(8) גֹּל {A} MT // exeg: G, Hebr, S, T

Ps 22,16(15)A כֹּחִי {A}

Ps 22,16(15)B תִּשְׁפּתֵנִי {A} MT, G, σ', Hebr, S, T // facil styl: g1, g2

Ps 22,17(16)A כְּלָבִים {B} MT, σ', S // assim 13: G, T / err-ponct: α'θ', Hebr clav כַּלָּבִים

Ps 22,17(16)B כָּאֲרִי {B} MT, σ' // err-graph: m כארו / exeg: G, S, α' / paraphr: T / def-int: Hebr

Ps 22,22(21) עֲנִיתָנִי {B} MT, α', θ', Hebr, T // assim 21: G, σ', S, clav עֲנִיָּתִי

Ps 22,30(29)A אָכְלוּ {A}

Ps 22,30(29)B דִּשְׁנֵי {A} MT, G, α'σ', Hebr, T // exeg: S

Ps 22,30(29)C וְנַפְשׁוֹ {C} MT, θ', Hebr // lic: σ', T / err-graph: G, ε', ς', S clav ונפשי

Ps 22,30(29)D לֹא {C} MT, T / / theol: G, α', Hebr, S clav לוֹ

Ps 22,30(29)E חִיָּה {C} MT, S, T // facil-synt: G, α', θ', σ', Hebr clav חַיָּה

Ps 22,31(30) זֶרַע {B} MT, α', σ', Hebr //paraphr: S, T / assim30C: G, θ' clav זרעי