Psalm 22
"My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?"
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Psalm 22 begins with the darkest cry in the Psalms: "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" — the words Jesus prayed from the cross. The writer is mocked, surrounded, poured out like water, with bones disjointed and hands and feet pierced. Yet he says God has not hidden his face: he attended to the cry for help. The psalm ends with all the ends of the earth turning to the LORD, proclaiming all that he has done.
Where it is in the Bible: Psalm 22
Before You Read
Who wrote it. David (22:1). He wrote it in his own suffering, but Christians have always heard Jesus speaking through it.
What it is. A journey from the darkest cry of abandonment to the widest proclamation of praise. It moves from "Why?" to "He has done it."
Why it matters. Jesus quoted the opening words from the cross (Matthew 27:46). The psalm describes his death in remarkable detail before it happened.
When the church sings it. On Good Friday, Palm Sunday, and the Fourth Sunday of Lent in Year B.
Map of the Psalm
| Section | Verses | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Why Have You Forsaken Me? | 22:1-11 | Abandoned, mocked, but still trusting |
| 2. I Am Poured Out | 22:12-21 | A description of suffering |
| 3. He Has Done It | 22:22-31 | From cry to praise — the nations will hear |
Section by Section
Section 1 of 3Why Have You Forsaken Me?
"My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, so far from my words of groaning?" (22:1).
These are the words Jesus cried from the cross. They are real. The feeling is real.
"I cry out by day, O my God, but You do not answer, and by night, but I have no rest" (22:2).
"Yet You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel" (22:3).
The writer does not stop trusting, even while he cannot feel God's presence.
"But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people" (22:6).
"All who see me mock me; they sneer and shake their heads" (22:7). They say: "He trusts in the LORD, let the LORD deliver him; let the LORD rescue him, since He delights in him" (22:8).
Those words were said to Jesus on the cross (Matthew 27:43).
Yet even now: "From my mother's womb You have been my God" (22:10). "Be not far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help" (22:11).
Section 2 of 3I Am Poured Out
"I am poured out like water, and all my bones are disjointed. My heart is like wax; it melts away within me" (22:14).
"For dogs surround me; a band of evil men encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet" (22:16).
"They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing" (22:18).
The soldiers did this at the cross (John 19:24).
"But You, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me" (22:19).
Section 3 of 3He Has Done It
"I will proclaim Your name to my brothers; I will praise You in the assembly" (22:22).
Something has shifted. The cry has been heard.
"For He has not despised or detested the torment of the afflicted. He has not hidden His face from him, but has attended to his cry for help" (22:24).
"All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. All the families of the nations will bow down before Him" (22:27).
"For dominion belongs to the LORD and He rules over the nations" (22:28).
"They will come and proclaim His righteousness to a people yet unborn— all that He has done" (22:31).
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "Why have You forsaken me?" (22:1) | Real abandonment, not theater. |
| "Yet You are holy" (22:3) | He keeps trusting even without feeling God's presence. |
| "They have pierced my hands and feet" (22:16) | Written centuries before crucifixion was invented. |
| "Cast lots for my clothing" (22:18) | Fulfilled exactly at the cross. |
| "but has attended to his cry for help" (22:24) | God answered — the dark cry becomes praise. |
| "All that He has done" (22:31) | The last line: It is finished (John 19:30). |
Back Then
Crucifixion was a Roman form of execution, centuries after David wrote. Yet the psalm describes bones disjointed, hands and feet pierced, and garments divided — details that fit the cross precisely.
"Dogs" in this context meant enemies or Gentile opponents, not animals.
Literal Reader Alert
Is this about David or about Jesus? Both. David wrote from real suffering. But the details of the psalm go beyond anything that happened to David. Early Christians recognized Jesus as the true speaker of this psalm.
Can I use these words when I feel abandoned? Yes. Jesus prayed them. He made this prayer his own, and in doing so, he made our cries his own too.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| David / Jesus | Abandoned | "Why have You forsaken me?" (22:1) |
| David / Jesus | Surrounded | Enemies, mockers, no helper (22:6-8) |
| David / Jesus | Heard | God did not hide His face (22:24) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
Where are you in this psalm? Tap one.
I feel abandoned by God
Jesus prayed these same words. He is with you in it.
I am surrounded by trouble
"Be not far from me, for trouble is near" (22:11).
I've come through something hard
God has not hidden His face from you.
I want to join the praise
All the ends of the earth will bow.
You Might Have Heard
"If God loved Jesus, why did he let him suffer?"
What's true: Jesus suffered real abandonment on the cross.
What the passage is mainly about: The cry of forsakenness is real — and God answered it. "He has not hidden His face from him, but has attended to his cry for help" (22:24). The cross was not the end. All that He has done becomes the world's announcement.
Where Jesus is: He is the speaker of this psalm. He cried it from the cross and rose from the dead, and by doing so he turned the darkest cry in history into the widest proclamation of praise.
Good News
God did not hide His face.
"He has not despised or detested the torment of the afflicted. He has not hidden His face from him, but has attended to his cry for help" (22:24).
Jesus' cry was answered with resurrection. And so will yours be.
Psalm 22 begins with the darkest cry and ends with all nations praising. Jesus prayed it from the cross and rose again — turning abandonment into proclamation: all that He has done.
Big Idea
Psalm 22 begins "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" and ends with "all that He has done." Jesus prayed it from the cross, rose from the dead, and turned the darkest cry into the widest proclamation.
If this passage brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
Luther said Psalm 22 is the great psalm of the passion. It is Christ speaking from the cross. And it shows that the theology of the cross is not defeat — it is the road to resurrection.
In Church
Many churches follow the Revised Common Lectionary. It sings Psalm 22 on Good Friday in all three years, Palm Sunday in Year B, and the Fourth Sunday of Lent in Year B.
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. All the families of the nations will bow down before Him.
How did that feel?
Using this at church
Read in church on
- Second Sunday in Lent Year BPsalm, Psalm 22:23-31
- Fifth Sunday of Easter Year BPsalm, Psalm 22:25-31
- Lectionary 12 Year CPsalm, Psalm 22:19-28
- Lectionary 28 Year BPsalm, Psalm 22:1-15
For a newsletter or sermon notes
Psalm 22, explained in plain words. The cry from the cross: David's words of abandonment and suffering become Jesus' prayer on Good Friday — and turn into the world's widest proclamation of praise. About 10 minutes. https://freescripture.org/stories/psalm-22/
Lines for the next eight Sundays, on Digital Lutheran Church