Psalm 22

📝 Summary

Psalm 22 is one of the most strikingly detailed Old Testament passages that prophetically mirrors the suffering, death, and ultimate vindication of Jesus Christ. Written centuries before crucifixion was practiced and long before the birth of Christ, the psalm remarkably parallels the events of Jesus’ final hours—down to specific words, gestures, and actions. While skeptics may dismiss these connections as coincidence or retrospective projection, the depth and precision of the textual parallels between Psalm 22 and the crucifixion accounts are too deliberate to ignore. They provide compelling support for the prophetic integrity of Scripture and the foundational claims of the Christian faith.

⏳ Prophetic Fulfillments:

Psalm 22 Reference	Description	NT Fulfillment
Psalm 22:1-2My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?	Jesus’ cry on the cross	Matthew 27:46And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Mark 15:34And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Psalm 22:7-8All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”	Mockery during crucifixion	Matthew 27:39–44And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads… saying… “He trusts in God; let God deliver him now.” Mark 15:29–32And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads… “Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross.”
Psalm 22:14I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast;	Physical collapse and suffering	John 19:28After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” Luke 23:46Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!”
Psalm 22:16For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet—	Piercing of hands and feet	John 20:25Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails… I will never believe. John 20:27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands…”
Psalm 22:18They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.	Lots cast for Jesus’ garments	Matthew 27:35And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. John 19:23–24…they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.”
Psalm 22:22I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:	Proclamation after suffering	Hebrews 2:12“I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”
Psalm 22:27–31All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord… they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.	Global impact and redemption	John 19:30When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Revelation 7:9…a great multitude… from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb…

📜 Psalm 22 and the Passion of Christ

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1)

The sense of divine distance and anguish in the psalm precisely reflects the spiritual and emotional torment Jesus expressed during His crucifixion. By quoting the exact opening line of Psalm 22—”My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”—Jesus was not only voicing His suffering but also intentionally pointing to the prophetic nature of the psalm, signaling to His listeners that He was fulfilling what had been foretold.

🙈 Verses 7–8: Mockery and Scorn

“All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. ‘He trusts in the Lord,’ they say, ‘let the Lord rescue him…’” (Psalm 22:7–8)

These verses describe public ridicule and derision, closely matching how Jesus was taunted by bystanders and religious leaders while hanging on the cross as depicted in Matthew 27:39-44 and Mark 15:29-32.

💧 Verse 14: Physical Collapse

“I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint…” (Pslam 22:14)

This line evokes the intense physical agony and bodily deterioration Jesus experienced on the cross, including dislocated joints and extreme dehydration.

🔩 Verses 16–18: Piercing and Casting Lots

“They pierce my hands and my feet.” (Psalm 22:16)
“They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.” (Psalm 22:18)

These are arguably the most explicit parallels between Psalm 22 and the crucifixion:

• Jesus’ hands and feet were nailed to the cross (John 20:25–27).
• Roman soldiers cast lots for his clothing (John 19:23–24).

Although the Hebrew Masoretic text of Psalm 22:16 reads “like a lion,” the Septuagint (LXX)—a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures completed by Jewish scholars in the 3rd to 2nd centuries BCE—renders the phrase as “they pierced my hands and my feet.” This translation significantly predates the life of Christ and reflects a textual tradition different from the later Masoretic version. Importantly, the Septuagint was widely used in the Jewish diaspora and was the primary version of the Scriptures quoted by Jesus and the New Testament writers during His ministry. Thus, the use of “pierced” in Psalm 22:16 aligns closely with the Gospel descriptions of the crucifixion, and reflects the text known and cited in the early Christian era.

📣 Verse 22: Declaration and Resurrection

“I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you.” (Psalm 22:22)

This verse signals a transition from suffering to victory, often interpreted as a prophetic reference to the resurrection and the subsequent proclamation of the Gospel.

🌍 Global Impact: From Suffering to Worldwide Redemption

The closing verses of Psalm 22 mark a decisive turn—from anguish to victory, from personal pain to global proclamation:

“All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.”
(Psalm 22:27, ESV)

This remarkable foresight mirrors the mission and outcome of the Gospel, which declares redemption not only for Israel but for every tribe, tongue, and nation. The psalm ends with the words, “He has done it!”—strikingly similar to Christ’s final declaration on the cross:

“It is finished.” (John 19:30)

This is more than poetic coincidence. It represents a fulfilled arc of redemptive history—from prophecy to execution to global transformation. If the Christian message is true, its unparalleled global influence becomes a natural extension of divine truth:

• Moral Legacy: Tom Holland (Dominion) argues that human rights, humility, and dignity stem not from Rome or Greece, but from Christianity’s elevation of the weak and marginalized.
• Reverence Beyond Christianity: Jesus is revered:
  • In Islam as a prophet and miracle worker.
  • In Hinduism as a holy teacher or divine avatar.
  • In Buddhism as a figure of compassion and self-sacrifice.
• Civilization Impact: From hospitals and charities to abolitionism and civil rights, Christianity’s ethic has reshaped the world.
• Ongoing Reach: Today, billions follow Jesus—echoing Psalm 22’s vision that “all the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord.”

🛡️ Addressing Skepticism

Critics argue that Christians retroactively apply Psalm 22 to Jesus. However:

• The Gospel writers cite it explicitly, and their audiences—familiar with the Psalms—would have immediately recognized the allusions.
• The Septuagint, translated before Jesus’s time, already contained these prophetic-sounding verses, which undermines claims of post-event editing.
• Psalm 22 stands out among ancient literature for its remarkable coherence with crucifixion details—before crucifixion was even commonly practiced.

Whether one sees Psalm 22 as prophetic or poetic, its relevance to the crucifixion narrative is unmistakably powerful.

📖 From Ancient Psalm to Everlasting Kingdom

Psalm 22 begins in despair and ends in victory and worldwide worship—a trajectory that foreshadows the Gospel itself. What began with “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” ends with a worldwide proclamation:

“They shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
that he has done it.” (Psalm 22:31, ESV)

And that is precisely what the Gospel continues to do—proclaim to every generation that the suffering servant has conquered, and His name is being lifted high among the nations.

📚 References

• The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV). Crossway Bibles, 2001.
• The Septuagint (LXX). Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures, dated 3rd–2nd century BCE.
• Tom Holland, Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World. Basic Books, 2019. Holland argues that modern concepts of human rights, compassion for the weak, and the dignity of individuals are rooted not in classical antiquity but in Christianity’s radical moral revolution—particularly through the story of the crucified Christ.
• BibleGateway. “Psalm 22 – ESV.” https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+22&version=ESV