Psalm 22:6-11
Psalm 22:6-11
A messianic vision. Psalms 22, 23, and 24 are viewed as a messianic trio portraying Christ’s suffering, intimate relationship with God, and His ultimate triumph.
No known incident in the life of David fits the details of this psalm. The expressions describe an execution, not an illness; yet that execution is more appropriate to Jesus’ crucifixion than David’s experience. The Gospel writers also saw connections between some of the words in this psalm (vv. 8, 16, 18) and other events in Christ’s Passion. Also Hebrews 2:12 quotes Psalm 22:22. Thus the church has understood this psalm to be typological of the death of Jesus Christ. This means that David used many poetic expressions to portray his immense sufferings, but these poetic words became literally true of the suffering of Jesus Christ at His enemies’ hands. The interesting feature of this psalm is that it does not include one word of confession of sin, and no imprecation against enemies. It is primarily the account of a righteous man who was being put to death by wicked men.
The Mockery of the Crucifixion (vv. 6–8)
The third of these six sections moves from the earlier sense of having been abandoned by God to the scorn of the people, who mock him on this basis: “He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him” (v. 8). These words, as well as the gestures that accompanied them, were reproduced precisely at the crucifixion: “Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!’ In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. ‘He saved others,’ they said, ‘but he can’t save himself! He’s the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, “I am the Son of God” ’ ” (Matt. 27:39–43).
No known incident in the life of David fits the details of this psalm. The expressions describe an execution, not an illness; yet that execution is more appropriate to Jesus’ crucifixion than David’s experience. The Gospel writers also saw connections between some of the words in this psalm (vv. 8, 16, 18) and other events in Christ’s Passion. Also Hebrews 2:12 quotes Psalm 22:22. Thus the church has understood this psalm to be typological of the death of Jesus Christ. This means that David used many poetic expressions to portray his immense sufferings, but these poetic words became literally true of the suffering of Jesus Christ at His enemies’ hands. The interesting feature of this psalm is that it does not include one word of confession of sin, and no imprecation against enemies. It is primarily the account of a righteous man who was being put to death by wicked men.
22:6–8. The psalmist, though scorned by men, was convinced that the God of his youth would not abandon him forever. David lamented the fact that men despised him. He felt like a worm, worthless, defenseless, and treated with utter contempt. They hurled insults at him (cf. Matt. 27:39, 44), mocking his faith since the LORD was not rescuing him. The expressions used in Psalm 22:8 were adapted by those who mocked at Jesus’ cross (Mat. 27:42–43), not realizing that they were fulfilling this prophecy and that He was the suffering Messiah.
22:9–10. The psalmist’s confidence was drawn from his training as a child. From the very beginning he was trained to trust in the Lord, who had brought him out of the womb. All his life the Lord had been his God.
4. Confidence—vv. 9–10
“Faith and hope begin to reassert themselves. At the same time the poor sufferer does exactly what his opponents have just recommended to him to do, to commit all issues to God. He recounts what God has meant to him in the past, and what He has done for him from earliest infancy, … ‘During every moment of my life till now Thou hast been my God and hast sustained me’ ” (Leupold, 199–200).