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Psalm Twenty-two
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 22
To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar
a Psalm of David. The only
thing observable in the title of this psalm is the sense of the words
"Aijeleth Shahar"
left untranslated; which
according to some of the
JewishF7Jarchi
Kimchi
& Abendana in loc. interpreters
is the
name of a musical instrument; to which our version inclines; and a learned JewF8Leo
Mutinens. Shilte Hagibborim
fol. 5. 1. says
it is the instrument which the
mourning women used on account of distress which was sudden
not known till it
came
as a man does not think of the morning till he sees it.
"Aijeleth" with him has the signification of mourning
as
"Eli" in Joel 1:8; and "Shahar"
as in Isaiah 47:11; so אלית
and אליית are used in the MisnahF9Misn.
Celim
c. 15. 6. & 16. 7. & Maimon. & Bartenora in ib. for a
mourning woman; and with others it is the beginning of a song to the tune of
which the psalm was setF11Aben Ezra in loc. but I rather think the
words express the subject matter of the psalm
and that they may be rendered
concerning "Aijeleth Shahar"; which signify
either according to the
Chaldee paraphrase
"the daily morning sacrifice"; or
as some Jewish
writersF12Vide Kimchium & Abendauam in loc. observe
the
"morning star"; or
according to the Septuagint
"the morning
help"F13So Menachem in Jarchi
and others in Kimchi &
Abendana in loc. ; or rather "the morning hind"; or "hind of the
morning": but who should be designed hereby is the question. The Jews
would have any rather than the Messiah; some say EstherF14R. R. in
Jarchi in loc.
who so seasonably and readily appeared for the Jews in
distress
and was the means of their deliverance; but there is not one word in
the psalm that agrees with her; and there are some things which were manifestly
spoken of a man
and not a woman
Psalm 22:8; others say DavidF15In
Kimchi in loc.
when he fled from Saul
or
as others
from Absalom: but the
disjointing the bones of this person
the piercing his hands and feet
parting
his garments
and casting lots on his vesture
mentioned in Psalm 22:14; were never fulfilled in him.
OthersF16Kimchi & Ben Melech in loc. would have the congregation
of Israel in captivity intended; but it is plain that a single person is spoken
of throughout; and he is manifestly distinguished from others
from his
brethren
from the congregation
from the seed of Jacob and Israel
Psalm 22:22; and
indeed
no other than the
Messiah can be meant: and of this there ought to be no doubt with Christians
when Psalm 22:1 is compared with Matthew 27:46; Psalm 22:8 with Matthew 27:43; Psalm 22:18 with Matthew 27:35; Psalm 22:22 with Hebrews 2:12; and the Jews themselves
sometimes say
that by "Aijeleth Shahar" is meant the ShechinahF17Zohar
in Lev. fol. 5. 4. & Imre Binah in ib.
or the divine Majesty; and in what
way soever these words are rendered
they agree with Christ: he is the antitype
of "the daily morning sacrifice"
the Lamb of God
who continually
takes away the sin of the world; and very fitly is he so called in the title of
a psalm which speaks so much of his sufferings and death
which are a
propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of his people; he is "the bright and
morning star"
Revelation 22:16; the dayspring from on
high
the sun of righteousness
and light of the world: he had "morning
help" in his very infancy
when his life was sought for by Herod; and had
early and seasonable help and assistance in the acceptable time
and in the day
of salvation
and early in the morning was he raised from the dead
and had
glory given him: but as the words are better rendered "the morning
hind"
this suits with Christ
who is frequently compared to a roe or a
young hart
Song of Solomon 2:9; and he may be compared
to a "hind" for its lovingness to its mate and young
Proverbs 5:19; the love of Christ to his
church and people being very strong and affectionate
and passing knowledge;
and also for its loveliness and goodliness
Genesis 49:21; Christ being exceeding
amiable and lovely
and fairer than the children of men; likewise for its
gentleness and harmlessness
Christ being meek and lowly
holy and harmless;
and for its antipathy to serpents
there being an enmity between Christ
the
seed of the woman
and the serpent and his seed; for its being hunted by dogs
as Christ was by Herod
by the Scribes and Pharisees
by Judas
and the band of
soldiers; see Psalm 22:16; for its being fit for food
Deuteronomy 14:5; and as it is said to be
the fitter for being hunted
Christ's flesh being meat indeed
and the more
suitable to faith
as being sacrificed for us; and for its long life it is said
to have
Christ
though once dead
being alive again
and living for evermore;
to which may be added its great swiftness
expressive of the readiness of
Christ to comply with his Father's proposals and do his will; to come into this
world in the fulness of time
and set about the work he came to do; to deliver
up himself into the hands of his enemies
and lay down his life for his people;
and of his haste to help them in distress
and visit them with his gracious
presence
and to appear a second time to them unto salvation. He may be called
the hind of "the morning"
looking lovely and beautiful as the
morning
and swift and cheerful as the hind when it rises from its rest
and
runs its course; or because of his being hunted in the morning of his infancy
by Herod; or because it was early in the morning the chief priests consulted to
take away his life; and as early also he rose from the dead
when God made his
feet like hinds feet
and set him on his high places
Psalm 18:33. The ancient Christian writers
generally understood it of Christ wholly. Justin MartyrF18Dialog cum
Tryphone
p. 325. says
the whole psalm is spoken of Christ; and Tertullian
observesF19Adv. Judaeos
c. 10.
that it contains the whole
passion
or all the sufferings of Christ. The late Mons. FourmontF20In
hunc Psalm. M. S. penes me
fol. 8. 9.
the elder
professor of the Oriental
languages in the university of Paris
has a very singular notion
that this
psalm was written by Jeremiah
when he was drawn up from the dungeon
and is a
history of his life and sufferings
in which he was a type of Christ.
Psalm 22:1 My
God
My God
why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping
Me
And from the words of My groaning?
YLT
1To the Overseer
on `The
Hind of the Morning.' -- A Psalm of David. My God
my God
why hast Thou
forsaken me? Far from my salvation
The words of my roaring?
My God
my God
.... God is the God of Christ as he is man;
he prepared a body for him
an human nature; anointed it with the oil of
gladness; supported it under all its sorrows and sufferings
and at last
exalted it at his own right hand:
and Christ behaved towards him as his
covenant God; prayed to him
believed in him
loved him
and was obedient to
him as such; and here expresses his faith of interest in him
when he hid his
face from him
on account of which he expostulates with him thus
"why
hast thou forsaken me?" which is to be understood
not as if the
hypostatical or personal union of the divine and human natures were dissolved
or that the one was now separated from the other: for the fulness of the
Godhead still dwelt bodily in him; nor that he ceased to be the object of the
Father's love; for so he was in the midst of all his sufferings
yea
his
Father loved him because he laid down his life for the sheep; nor that the
principle of joy and comfort was lost in him
only the act and sense of it; he
was now deprived of the gracious presence of God
of the manifestations of his
love to his human soul
and had a sense of divine wrath
not for his own sins
but for the sins of his people
and was for a while destitute of help and
comfort; all which were necessary in order to make satisfaction for sin: for as
he had the sins of his people imputed to him
he must bear the whole punishment
of them
which is twofold the punishment of loss and the punishment of sense;
the former lies in a deprivation of the divine presence
and the latter in a
sense of divine wrath
and both Christ sustained as the surety of his people.
This expostulation is made not as ignorant of the reason of it; he knew that as
he was wounded and bruised for the sins of his people
he was deserted on the
same account; nor as impatient
for he was a mirror of patience in all his
sufferings; and much less as in despair; for
in these very words
he strongly
expresses and repeats his faith of interest in God; see Psalm 22:8; and also Isaiah 50:6. But this is done to set forth
the greatness and bitterness of his sufferings; that not only men hid their
faces from him
and the sun in the firmament withdrew its light and heat from
him
but
what was most grievous of all
his God departed from him. From hence
it appears that he was truly man
had an human soul
and endured sorrows and
sufferings in it; and this may be of use to his members
to expect the hidings
of God's face
though on another account; and to teach them to wait patiently
for him
and to trust in the Lord
and stay themselves upon their God
even
while they walk in darkness and see no light;
why art thou so far from
helping me? or from my salvation; from saving and delivering him out of his
sorrows and sufferings? not that he despaired of help; he firmly believed he
should have it
and accordingly had it: but he expostulates about the deferring
of it. He adds
and from the words of
my roaring? which expresses the vehemency of his spirit in crying to God
the exceeding greatness of his sorrows
and his excruciating pains and
sufferings: this is what the apostle means by his "strong crying and
tears"
Hebrews 5:7; or "the words of my
roaring are far from my salvation"; there is a great space or
interval between the one and the other
as GussetiusF21Comment. Ebr.
p. 788. observes.
Psalm 22:2 2 O My God
I cry in the
daytime
but You do not hear; And in the night season
and am not silent.
YLT
2My God
I call by day
and
Thou answerest not
And by night
and there is no silence to me.
O my God
I cry in the daytime
.... In the time of his
suffering on the cross
which was in the daytime:
but thou hearest me not; and yet he was always
heard
John 11:41; though he was not saved from
dying
yet he was quickly delivered from the power of death
and so was heard
in that he feared
Hebrews 5:7;
and in the night season: in the night in which he
was in the garden
sorrowing and praying
the night in which he was betrayed
and was apprehended; and though the natural desires of his human soul were not
heard and answered
that the cup might pass from him
yet his prayer in
submission to the will of God was: moreover
the daytime and night season may
design the incessant and continual prayer of Christ; he prayed always
night
and day:
and am not silent; but continue to pray
though as yet
seemingly not heard and answered; or there is "no silence to me"F23לא דמיה לי
"non est silentium mihi"
Pagninus
Montanus
Junius &
Tremellius; "intermissio"
Cocceius; "quies"
Gejerus;
"cessatio
quies
aut silentium"
Michaelis. ; that is
no rest from
sorrow and pain; or "no likeness to me"F24"Non est
mihi similitudo"
Gussetius
p. 193.
there are none like me
no sorrow
like my sorrow
as in Lamentations 1:12.
Psalm 22:3 3 But You are holy
Enthroned
in the praises of Israel.
YLT
3And Thou [art] holy
Sitting -- the Praise of Israel.
But thou art holy
.... Which may be
considered either as an argument with his God
why he should hear and answer
him
since he is holy
just
and faithful; he has promised
when any call upon
him in a day of trouble
he will hear and answer them
and will be glorified by
them; this Christ did
and therefore pleads his faithfulness to his promise: or
rather a reason quieting him under divine desertion
and a sense of divine
wrath
that God was righteous in all his ways
and holy in all his works; and
that whereas he was the surety of his people
and had all their sins on him
it
was perfectly agreeable to the holiness and justice of God to treat him in the
manner he did; yea
it was done to declare his righteousness
that he might
appear to be just
while he is the justifier of him that believes in him;
O thou that
inhabitest the praises of Israel; either the place where
Israel offered the sacrifices of praise to God
the tabernacle or temple
the
house of prayer and praise in which Jehovah dwelt: or the true Israel of God
praising him
who are formed for himself
and called by his grace to show forth
his praises; among whom he takes up his residence: or else the praises
themselves; and so the phrase denotes God's gracious acceptance of them
and
well pleasedness in them
signified by his inhabiting of them
and the frequent
and constant ascription of them to him: and perhaps respect may be had chiefly
to the praises of his people for providing such a Saviour for them
settling
him in the fulness of time
and not sparing him
but delivering him up into the
hands of justice and death for them; and for giving all things freely with him.
Psalm 22:4 4 Our fathers trusted in
You; They trusted
and You delivered them.
YLT
4In Thee did our fathers
trust -- they trusted
And Thou dost deliver them.
Our fathers trusted in thee
.... By whom are meant
Abraham
Isaac
and Jacob
from whom our Lord descended; and the people of
Israel when in Egypt
in the times of the judges
and in all ages before the
coming of Christ
of whom
as concerning the flesh
or as to his human nature
Christ came
Romans 9:5; these
as they were sojourners
and went from place to place
especially the patriarchs
and were often in
trouble and distress
when they called upon the Lord
looked to him
and put
their trust and confidence in him; not in themselves
their own wisdom
riches
and strength
nor in others
in any mere creature
nor in any outward thing
or
arm of flesh
but in the Lord Jehovah
in whom is everlasting strength; they
believed in the power of God
that he was able to help and deliver them
and
they had faith in him that he would; they depended upon his word and promise
and were persuaded he would never suffer his faithfulness to fail; they
committed themselves to the Lord
and stayed themselves upon him;
they trusted; this is repeated not only for the sake of emphasis
pointing out something remarkable and commendable
and for the greater
certainty of it
more strongly confirming it; or to observe the many that put
their trust in the Lord
the numerous instances of confidence in him; but also
to denote the constancy and continuance of their faith
they trusted in the
Lord at all times;
and thou didst deliver them; out of the hands of all
their enemies
and out of all their sorrows and afflictions; instances of which
we have in the patriarchs
and in the people of Israel when brought out of
Egypt
and through the Red sea and wilderness
and in the times of the judges
when they were distressed by their neighbours
and God sent them a deliverer
time after time.
Psalm 22:5 5 They cried to You
and
were delivered; They trusted in You
and were not ashamed.
YLT
5Unto Thee they cried
and
were delivered
In Thee they trusted
and were not ashamed.
They cried unto thee
and were delivered
.... As the
Israelites did in Egyptian bondage
and as they in later times did when in
distress; see Exodus 2:23; &c. The crying is to be
understood of prayer to God
and sometimes designs mental prayer
sighing
and
groaning
which cannot be uttered
when no voice is heard
as in Moses
Exodus 14:15; but oftener vocal prayer
put
up in times of distress
and denotes the vehemency of trouble
and eagerness of
desire to be heard and relieved; and this cry was from faith
it followed upon
and was accompanied with trusting in the Lord; it was the prayer of faith
which is effectual and availeth much
and issued in deliverance;
they trusted in thee
and were not confounded: or ashamed;
neither of the object of their trust
the living God
as those who trust in
graven images; so Moab was ashamed of Chemosh
Jeremiah 48:13; nor of their hope and trust
in him
it being such as makes not ashamed
Psalm 119:116
Romans 5:5; nor of the consequences of it;
When men trust in anything and it fails them
and they have not what they
expect by it
they are filled with shame and confusion
Isaiah 30:2; but they that trust in the
Lord are never confounded
or made ashamed; their expectations do not perish:
now Christ mentions this case of his ancestors as a reason of the praises of
Israel
which they offered up to God for deliverances
and which he inhabited
Psalm 22:3; as also by way of encouragement
to himself in his present circumstances
that though the Lord was at a distance
from him
and seemed not to regard him and his cries
yet that he would deliver
him; and likewise as an argument with God that he would do so
since it had
been his wonted way and method with his fathers before; moreover he may take
notice of it in order to represent his own forlorn
uncomfortable
and
deplorable condition
which was abundantly worse than theirs
and the reverse
of it
as it seemed at present.
Psalm 22:6 6 But I am a worm
and no man; A reproach of men
and despised by the people.
YLT
6And I [am] a worm
and no
man
A reproach of man
and despised of the people.
But I am a worm
and no man
.... Christ calls himself
a worm
not because of his original
for he was not of the earth earthy
but
was the Lord from heaven; nor because of his human nature
man being a worm
and the Son of Man such
Job 25:6; and because of his meanness and
low estate in that nature
in his humiliation; nor to express his humility
and
the mean thoughts he had of himself
as David
his type
calls himself a dead
dog
and a flea
1 Samuel 24:14; but on account of the
opinion that men of the world had of him; so Jacob is called "a
worm"
Isaiah 41:14; not only because mean in his
own eyes
but contemptible in the eyes of others. The Jews esteemed Christ as a
worm
and treated him as such; he was loathsome to them and hated by them;
everyone trampled upon him and trod him under foot as men do worms; such a
phrase is used of him in Hebrews 10:29; there is an agreement in
some things between the worm and Christ in his state of humiliation; as in its
uncomeliness and disagreeable appearance; so in Christ the Jews could discern
no form nor comeliness wherefore he should be desired; and in its weakness
the
worm being an impotent
unarmed
and defenceless creatures
hence the Chaldee
paraphrase renders it here "a weak worm"; and though Christ is the
mighty God
and is also the Son of Man whom God made strong for himself
yet
mere was a weakness in his human nature and he was crucified through it
2 Corinthians 13:4; and it has been
observed by some
that the word תולעת here used
signifies the scarlet worm
or the worm that is in the grain or berry with
which scarlet is dyed; and like
is scarlet worm did our Lord look
when by way
of mockery be was clothed with a scarlet robe; and especially when he appeared
in his dyed garments
and was red in his apparel
as one that treadeth in the
wine fat; when his body was covered with blood when he hung upon the cross
which was shed to make crimson and scarlet sins as white as wool. When Christ
says he was "no man"
his meaning is
not that he was not truly and
really man
for he assumed a true body and a reasonable soul; he partook of the
same flesh and blood with his children
and was in all things made like unto
his brethren
excepting sin; but that he was a man of no figure
he bore no
office
and had no title of honour; he was not a Rabbi
nor a member of the
Jewish sanhedrim; he had no share of government
either in the civil or
ecclesiastic state; he was a carpenter's son
and a carpenter; nor was he
treated as a man
but in the most inhuman manner; he was despised and rejected
of men
he was called a madman
and said to have a devil;
a reproach of men; he was reproached by men
as if he had been
the worst of men; the reproaches of God and of his people all fell on him
insomuch that his heart was broken with them; see Psalm 69:7; and it was reckoned a reproach
to men to be seen in his company
or to be thought to belong to him
and be a
disciple of his; hence some
who believed he was the Messiah
yet would not
confess him
because they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God
John 12:42;
and despised of the people; rejected with contempt
as the Messiah
refused with scorn as the stone of Israel
disallowed of men
and set at nought by them; by "the people" are meant the people of
the Jews
his own people and nation; which contempt of him they signified both
by gestures and words
as in the following verses.
(When
the female of the scarlet worm species was ready to give birth to her young
she would attach her body to the trunk of a tree
fixing herself so firmly and
permanently that she would never leave again. The eggs deposited beneath her
body were thus protected until the larvae were hatched and able to enter their
own life cycle. As the mother died
the crimson fluid stained her body and the
surrounding wood. From the dead bodies of such female scarlet worms
the
commercial scarlet dyes of antiquity were extracted.F24Dr. Henry
Morris
"Biblical Basis for Modern Science"
p. 73. Baker Book House
1985. What a picture this gives of Christ
dying on the tree
shedding his precious
blood that he might "bring many sons unto glory" (Hebrews 2:10)! He died for us
that we
might live through him! Psalm 22:6 describes such a worm and gives
us this picture of Christ. (cf. Isaiah 1:18) Editor.)
Psalm 22:7 7 All those who see Me
ridicule Me; They shoot out the lip
they shake the head
saying
YLT
7All beholding me do mock at
me
They make free with the lip -- shake the head
All they that see me laugh me to scorn
.... To the
afflicted pity should be shown; but instead or pitying him in his distresses
they laughed at him; this must be understood of the soldiers when they had him
in Pilate's hall
and of the Jews in general when he hung upon the cross; some
particular persons must be excepted
as John the beloved disciple
the mother
of our Lord
Mary Magdalene
and some other women
who stood afar off beholding
him;
they shoot out the lip; or "open with the
lip"F25יפטירו בשפה
"hiatum fecerunt labiis suis"
Grotius; "they make a mow with
their lip"
Ainsworth. ; they made mouths at him
they put out their lips
or gaped upon him with their mouths
and in a way of sport and pastime made
wide mouths and drew out their tongues
as in Job 16:10;
they shake the head
saying; in a way of scorn and
derision
as in Lamentations 2:15. This was fulfilled in
the Jews
Matthew 27:39.
Psalm 22:8 8 “He trusted[b] in the Lord
let Him
rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him
since He delights in Him!”
YLT
8`Roll unto Jehovah
He doth
deliver him
He doth deliver him
for he delighted in him.'
He trusted on the Lord
that he would deliver him
.... Not that
they spoke in a deriding way of the object of his trust
for
as impious as
they were
this they did not do; but of his trust in the Lord
which they
looked upon to be a false one
as would appear by his not being delivered
as
he trusted; but his confidence was a well grounded one
though jeered at by
these men
and he was delivered in the Lord's own time and way from all his
enemies
and out of all his troubles;
let him deliver him
seeing he delighted in him; this is
another ironical sarcastic flout
not at God
but at Christ
and at his
profession of trust in God
his claim of interest in his favour
and of
relation to him as being the Son of his love
in whom he was well pleased; he
always was the delight of his Father; he expressed his well pleasedness in him
at his baptism
and transfiguration on the mount; he took pleasure in him while
he was suffering and dying in the room and stead of his people; and he
delivered him
raised him from the dead
and brought him into a large place
because he delighted in him
Psalm 18:19; These very words were said by
the Jews concerning Christ
as he hung upon the cross
Matthew 27:43.
Psalm 22:9 9 But You are He who
took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts.
YLT
9For thou [art] He bringing
me forth from the womb
Causing me to trust
On the breasts of my mother.
But thou art he that took me out of the womb
.... The
Papists affirm
that there was something miraculous in the manner of Christ's
coming into the world
as well as in his conception; that his conception of a
virgin was miraculous is certain
being entirely owing to the wonderful and
mysterious overshadowing of the Holy Ghost
and which was necessary to preserve
his human nature from the contagion of sin
common to all that descend from
Adam by ordinary generation; that so that individual of human nature might be
proper to be united to the Son of God
and that it might be a fit sacrifice for
the sins of men; but otherwise in all other things
sin only excepted
he was
made like unto us; and it is a clear case
that his mother bore him the usual
time
and went with him her full time of nine months
as women commonly do; see
Luke 1:56; and it is as evident that he was
born and brought forth in the same manner other infants are
seeing he was
presented
to the Lord in the temple
and the offering was brought for him
according to the law respecting the male that opens the womb
Luke 2:22; and the phrase that is here used
is expressive of the common providence of God which attends such an event
every man being as it were midwifed into the world by God himself; see Job 10:18; though there was
no doubt
a
peculiar providence which attended the birth of our Lord
and makes this
expression more peculiarly applicable to him; since his mother Mary
when her
full time was come
was at a distance from the place of her residence
was in
an inn
and in a stable there
there being no room for her in the inn
and so
very probably had no women about her to assist her
nor any midwife with her;
and there was the more visible appearance of the hand of God in this affair
who might truly be said to take him out of the womb:
thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts; which may be
understood of the expectation and hope
common to infants
which have not the
use of reason
with all creatures
whose eyes wait upon the Lord
and he gives
them their meat in due season; and here may regard the sudden and suitable
provision of milk in the mother's breast
to which there is in the infant a
natural desire
and an hope and expectation of. The words may be rendered
as
they are by some
"thou didst keep me in safety"
or make me safe and
secureF26מבטיחי "tu me tutum
fecisti"
Cocceius; so Michaelis.
when I was "upon my mother's
breast": this was verified in Christ at the time Herod sought to take away
his life; he was then in his mother's arms
and sucked at her breast; when the
Lord in a dream acquainted Joseph with Herod's design
and directed him to flee
with the young child and his mother into Egypt
where they were kept in safety
till the death of Herod. This sense of the words frees them from a difficulty
how the grace of hope
or of faith and confidence
can
in a proper sense
be
exercised in the infant state; for though the principle of grace may be
implanted so early
yet how it should be exercised when there is not the due
use of reason is not easy to conceive; if
therefore
the words are taken in
this sense
the meaning must be
that he was caused to hope as soon as he was
capable of it
which is sometimes the design of such a phrase; see Job 31:18; unless we suppose something
extraordinary in Christ's human nature
which some interpreters are not willing
to allow
because he was in all things like unto us excepting sin; but I see
not
that seeing the human nature was an extraordinary one
was perfectly holy
from the first of it
the grace of God was upon it as soon as born
and it was
anointed with the Holy Ghost above its fellows
why it may not be thought to
exercise grace in an extraordinary manner
so early as is here expressed
literally understood.
Psalm 22:10 10 I was cast upon You from
birth. From My mother’s womb You have been My God.
YLT
10On Thee I have been cast
from the womb
From the belly of my mother Thou [art] my God.
I was cast upon thee from the womb
.... Either by himself
trusting in God
hoping in him
and casting all the care of himself upon him;
or by his parents
who knew the danger he was exposed to
and what schemes were
laid to take away his life; and therefore did
in the use of all means they
were directed to
commit him to the care and protection of God: the sense is
that the care of him was committed to God so early; and he took the care of him
and gave full proof of it:
thou art my God from my mother's belly: God was his
covenant God from everlasting
as he loved his human nature
chose it to the
grace of union
and gave it a covenant subsistence; but he showed himself to be
his God in time
and that very early
calling him from the womb
and making
mention of his name from his mother's belly
and preserving him from danger in
his infancy; and it was his covenant interest in God
which
though mentioned
last
was the foundation of all his providential care of him and goodness to
him. Now all these early appearances of the power and providence of God
on the
behalf of Christ as man
are spoken of in opposition to the scoffs and flouts
of his enemies about his trust in God
and deliverance by him
and to encourage
his faith and confidence in him; as well as are so many reasons and arguments
with God yet to be with him
help and assist him
as follows.
Psalm 22:11 11 Be not far from Me
For
trouble is near; For there is none to help.
YLT
11Be not far from me
For
adversity is near
for there is no helper.
Be not far from me
.... Who had been so near unto him
as to
take him out of the womb
and to take the care of him ever since; this is to be
understood not with respect to the omnipresence of God
who is everywhere
and
is not far from any of us; but of his presence
which was now withdrawn from
Christ
and he was filled with a sense of divine wrath
and with sorrow and
distress; and also of his powerful and assisting presence which he had
promised
and Christ expected
and believed he should have
as he had: the
reasons for it follow:
for trouble is near; Satan was marching
towards him with his principalities and powers
to attack him in the garden and
on the cross; Judas
one of his own disciples
was at hand to betray him; a
multitude with swords and staves were about to seize him; the sins and
chastisement of his people were just going to be laid upon him; the sword of
justice was awaked against him
ready to give the blow; the hour of death was
near
he was brought to the dust of it
as in Psalm 22:15. A second reason is given
for there is none to help; none among his
disciples: one of them was to betray him
another to deny him
and all to
forsake him and flee from him
as they did; nor any among the angels in heaven;
for though they ministered to him in the wilderness
and strengthened him in
the garden
there were none near him on the cross
that it might be manifest
that salvation was wrought out alone by him
Isaiah 63:5; and
indeed
if any of these
had been willing to have helped him
it was not in their power to do it
none
but God could; and therefore he applies to him
who had promised and was as
good as his word
Isaiah 49:8.
Psalm 22:12 12 Many bulls have surrounded
Me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me.
YLT
12Many bulls have surrounded
me
Mighty ones of Bashan have compassed me
Many bulls have compassed me
.... By whom are meant
the chief priests
elders
Scribes
and Pharisees
among the Jews
and Herod
and Pontius Pilate among the Gentiles
comparable to bulls for their
fierceness
rage
and fury against Christ
Psalm 2:1; and for their pushing at him
with their horns of power and authority
and for their trampling him under
their feet
his person and offices; these compassed him about at his
apprehension
arraignment
trial
and condemnation; and there were many of them
to one child
Jesus:
strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round; Bashan was a
very fruitful country
in which cattle of various sorts
and bulls among the
rest
were fed and fattened; see Deuteronomy 32:14; bulls are noted for
their strength in other writersF1"Fortes tauri"
Virgil.
Georgic. l. 1. v. 65. Ovid. Metamorph. l. 9. Fab. 1. . Hence great men
who
abounded in riches and power
and used them to the oppression of the poor
are
compared to the kine of Bashan
Amos 4:1; and a very fit name this was for
the kings and princes of the earth; for Caiaphas
Annas
and the chief priests
that lived upon the fat of the land
who beset Christ around
and employed all
their power and policy to take him and bring him to death; nor is it unusual
with Heathen writersF2Homer. Iliad. 2. v. 48. Horat. Satyr. l. 1.
Satyr. 3. v. 110. to compare great personages to bulls.
Psalm 22:13 13 They gape at Me with
their mouths
Like a raging and roaring lion.
YLT
13They have opened against me
their mouth
A lion tearing and roaring.
Verse 13
They gaped upon me with their mouths
.... Either by
way of derision and contempt
Job 16:10; or belching out blasphemy
against him
or rather
with the greatest vehemency
crying out "Crucify
him
crucify him"
Luke 23:21; and this they did
as a ravening and roaring
lion
when it has got its prey and rejoices
Amos 3:4; and being in such hands
and
encompassed about with such enemies
as Christ was in the garden
in the high
priest's hall
and in Pilate's judgment hall
is a third reason or argument
used by him with God his Father
to be near to him and not far from him.
Psalm 22:14 14 I am poured out like
water
And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted
within Me.
YLT
14As waters I have been
poured out
And separated themselves have all my bones
My heart hath been like
wax
It is melted in the midst of my bowels.
I am poured out like water
.... This may refer to
Christ's sweat in the garden
when through his agony or conflict with Satan
and his vehemency in prayer
and the pressure on his mind
in a view of his
people's sins
and the wrath of God for
them
and the accursed death he was
about to undergo on that account
sweat in great abundance came from all parts
of his body
and not only stood in large drops
but fell to the ground like
great drops of blood; so that his body was all covered with water
or rather
seemed to be dissolving into water
or else to the quantity of tears he shed
both there and elsewhere; his sorrow was great even unto death
which vented
itself in floods of tears; his prayers were offered up with strong crying and
tears; his head was
as Jeremiah wished his might be
as waters
and his eyes a
fountain of tears
yea
his whole body seemed to be bathed with them: or else
to the shedding of his blood
and the pouring out his soul unto death for his
people
which was voluntarily done by himself
or by his enemies; which they
shed like water
and made no account of it
Psalm 79:3. Some have thought this respects
the opinion some had of him
even some of his own disciples
when he was dead;
all their hopes of his being their Redeemer and Saviour being gone
he was as
water spilled on the ground
which cannot be gathered up; see 2 Samuel 14:14; but rather the phrase
intends his being quite dispirited
his heart failing
his soul sorrowful unto
death
his hands feeble
his knees weak like water
and he just ready to faint
and die; see Joshua 7:5
Ezekiel 7:17;
and all my bones are out of joint; not through the stretching
of his body on the cross
which seems to be designed in Psalm 22:17; but as it is with persons in a
panic
their joints seem to be loosed
and their bones parting asunder
their
legs tremble
no member can perform its office
but as if everyone was
dislocated and out of its place; see Psalm 6:2;
my heart is like wax
it is melted in the midst of my bowels; as wax melts
before the fire
so did the heart of Christ at the wrath and fury of God
which
was poured forth like fire upon him; and which he had a sense of
when in the
garden and on the cross
bearing the sins of his people
and sustaining the
punishment due unto them for it was not because of his enemies
nor merely at
the presence of God
and his righteous judgments
which is sometimes the case;
see 2 Samuel 17:10; but at the apprehension of
divine wrath
and feeling the same
as the surety of his people; and what an
idea does this give of the wrath of God! for if the heart of Christ
the Lion
of the tribe of Judah
melted at it
what heart can endure
or hands be strong
when God deals with them in his wrath? Ezekiel 22:14.
Psalm 22:15 15 My strength is dried up
like a potsherd
And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the
dust of death.
YLT
15Dried up as an earthen
vessel is my power
And my tongue is cleaving to my jaws.
My strength is dried up like a potsherd
.... The
radical moisture of his body was dried up through his loss of blood and
spirits
and through the violent fever upon him
brought on him by his being
hurried from court to court; and which generally attends persons under a panic
in consternation and fear of danger and death
and at crucifixion; or this was
occasioned by the inward sorrow and distress of his mind
which affected his
body and dried his bones
as a broken spirit is said to do
Proverbs 17:22; and chiefly it was brought
upon him through the sense he had the wrath of God
which like fire dried up
his strength
just as a potsherd burnt in a furnace; which expresses his
dolorous sufferings
which were typified by the passover lamb being roasted
with fire
and the manna being baked in pans;
and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; so that he could not
or
rather would not
speak; this phrase sometimes signifying silence
Job 29:10
Ezekiel 3:26. Thus Christ answered not a
word to the charges of the false witnesses before the high priest
nor to the
accusations of the chief priests and elders before Pilate; nor did he open his
mouth
when he was led to be crucified
neither against the law and justice of
God
nor against his people for whom he suffered
nor against his enemies who
used him cruelly; when he was reviled he reviled not again; but rather this was
occasioned by thirst
through the violent fever that was upon him; see Lamentations 4:4; Hence
when he hung upon
the cross
he said
"I thirst"
John 19:28;
and thou hast brought me into the dust of death; meaning
either death itself
which brings to the dust
and which is signified in this
psalm by going down to it
Psalm 22:29; or the grave
where the body
crumbles into dust
and where it is covered with dust
and therefore is said to
sleep in the dust of the earth
Daniel 12:2; and accordingly the Targum
renders it here
"thou hast shut me up in the house of the grave":
now Christ both died and was laid in the grave
though he did not lie there so
long as to corrupt and decompose
yet he might be truly said to be laid in the
dust: and this is attributed to God
to his counsel
disposal
and Providence;
and even whatever was done to Christ antecedent to his death
and which led on
to it
were what God's hand and counsel had determined to be done; and though
it was with wicked hands the Jews took Christ and used him in the manner after
related
and crucified and slew him
he was delivered to them by the
determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God; and by these he was delivered
into the hands of justice
and brought to death itself
Acts 2:23.
Psalm 22:16 16 For dogs have surrounded
Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced[c] My hands
and My feet;
YLT
16And to the dust of death
thou appointest me
For surrounded me have dogs
A company of evil doers have
compassed me
Piercing my hands and my feet.
For dogs have compassed me
.... By whom are meant
wicked men
as the following clause shows; and so the Chaldee paraphrase
renders it
"the wicked who are like to many dogs"; and to these such
are often compared in Scripture
Matthew 7:6; and it may be the Roman soldiers
who were Gentiles
may be chiefly intended
whom the Jews used to call dogs
Matthew 15:26; these assembled together in
Pilate's hall and surrounded Christ
and made sport with him; to these were
committed the execution of him
they crucified him
and sat around him watching
him while on the cross
as they also did when in the grave: some have thought
the dregs of the Jewish people are designed
the common people
such as Job
says he would not set with the dogs of his flock
Job 30:1; who encompassed Christ on the
cross
wagging their heads at him; though I see not but that all of them
even
the chief among them
the high priest
sanhedrim
Scribes
and Pharisees
may
be intended; who are so called because of their impurity in themselves; for
their avarice and covetousness
being greedy dogs that could never have enough;
and for their impudence
calumnies
malice
and envy
against Christ: the
allusion seems to be to hunting dogs
who
when they have got the creature they
have been in pursuit of
surround it and fall upon it. Christ
in the title of
this psalm
is called Aijeleth Shahar
"the morning hind"
who was
hunted by the Jews
and at last surrounded and taken by them;
the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me; the Jewish
sanhedrim
the chief priests and elders
who assembled together to consult his
death
before whom he was brought when taken; and in
the midst of whom he was
set and examined
and by them unanimously condemned; and who
notwithstanding
all their pretensions to religion
were a set of wicked men: and also the whole
congregation of the Jews
the body of the people
who were united in their
request for his crucifixion and death; and who in great numbers got together
and in a circle stood around him when on the cross
insulting him;
they pierced my hands and my feet; by nailing them to the
cross
which
though not related by the evangelists
is plainly suggested in John 20:25; and is referred to in other
passages of Scripture
Zechariah 12:10; and clearly points at the
kind of death Christ should die; the death
of the cross
a shameful and
painful one. In this clause there is a various reading; in some copies in the
margin it is
"as a lion my hands and my feet"
but in the text
"they have dug" or "pierced my hands and my feet"; both are
joined together in the Targum
"biting as a lion my hands and my
feet"; as it is by other interpretersF3Amamae Antibarb. Bibl. p.
743. ; and SchultensF4Origin. Heb. l. 1. c. 12. s. 8. Vid. Jacob.
Alting. Dissert. Philolog. 5. s. 27-34. retains the latter
rendering the
preceding clause in connection with it thus
"the
assembly of the wicked have broken me to pieces
as a lion
my hands and my
feet.'
In
the Targum
in the king of Spain's Bible
the phrase
"as a lion"
is
left out. The modern Jews are for retaining the marginal reading
though
without any good sense
and are therefore sometimes charged with a wilful and
malicious corruption of the text; but without sufficient proof
since the
different reading in some copies might be originally occasioned by the
similarity of the letters י and ו;
and therefore finding it in their copies
or margin
sometimes כארו
and sometimes כארי
have
chose that which best suits their purpose
and is not to be wondered at;
however
their "masoretic" notes
continued by them
sufficiently
clear them from such an imputation
and direct to the true reading of the
words; in the small Masorah on the text it is observed that the word is twice
used as here pointed
but in two different senses; this is one of the places;
the other is Isaiah 38:13; where the sense requires it
should be read "as a lion": wherefore
according to the authors of
that note
it must have a different sense here
and not to be understood of a
lion; the larger Masorah
in Numbers 24:9; observes the word is to be
found in two places
in that place and in Psalm 22:16; and adds to that
it is
written כארו
"they pierced"; and Ben
Chayim confirmsF5In Maarcath א
fol. 10.
2. ad Calc. Buxtorf. Bibl. this reading
and says he found it so written it
some correct copies
and in the margin כארי; and so
it is written in several manuscripts; and which is confirmed by the Arabic
Syriac
Ethiopic
Greek
and Vulgate Latin versions; in which it is rendered
"they dug my hands and my feet"; and so took it to be a verb and not
a noun: so Apollinarius in his metaphrase; and which is also confirmed by the
points; though taking כארי for a participle
as the
Targum
that reading may be admitted
as it is by some learned menF6Pocock.
Miscell. c. 4. p. 59
60. Pfeiffer. Exercitat. 8. s. 37. Carpzov. Critic. Sacr.
p. 838
839. Alting. ut supra. (Dissert. Philolog. 5.) s. 48
49.
who render
it "digging" or "piercing"
and so has the same sense
deriving the word either from כאר or כור
which signify to dig
pierce
or make hollow; and
there are many instances of plural words which end in י
the מ omitted
being cut off by an apocope; see 2 Samuel 23:8; and either way the words are
expressive of the same thing
and manifestly point to the sufferings of Christ
and that kind of death he should die
the death of the cross
and the nailing
of his hands and feet to it
whereby they were pierced. This passage is
sometimes applied by the JewsF7Pesikta in Yalkut
par. 2. fol. 56.
4. themselves to their Messiah.
Psalm 22:17 17 I can count all My bones. They
look and stare at Me.
YLT
17I count all my bones --
they look expectingly
They look upon me
I may tell all my bones
.... For what with the
stretching out of his body on the cross
when it was fastened to it as it lay
on the ground
and with the jolt of the cross when
being reared up
it was
fixed in the ground
and with the weight of the body hanging upon it
all his
bones were disjointed and started out; so that
could he have seen them
he
might have told them
as they might be told by the spectators who were around
him; and so the Septuagint
Vulgate Latin
Arabic
and Ethiopic versions render
it
"they have numbered all my bones"; that is
they might have done
if: the Targum is
"I will number all the scars of my members"
made
by the blows
scourges
and wounds he received;
they look and stare upon me; meaning not his bones
but his enemies; which may be understood either by way of contempt
as many
Jewish interpreters explain it: so the Scribes and elders of the people
and
the people themselves
looked and stared at him on the cross
and mocked at
him
and insulted him; or by way of rejoicing
saying
"Aha
aha
our eye
hath seen"
namely
what they desired and wished for
Psalm 35:21; a sight as was enough to have
moved an heart of stone made no impression on them; they had no sympathy with
him
no compassion on him
but rejoiced at his misery: this staring agrees with
their character as dogs.
Psalm 22:18 18 They divide My garments
among them
And for My clothing they cast lots.
YLT
18They apportion my garments
to themselves
And for my clothing they cause a lot to fall.
They part my garments among them
.... Such as died the
death of the cross were crucified nakedF8Vid Lipsium de Cruce
l. 2.
c. 7. p. 81.
and their clothes were the perquisites of the executioners;
there were four soldiers concerned in the crucifixion of Christ
and these
parted his garments into four parts
and everyone took his part;
and cast lots on my vesture; which was a seamless
coat
wove from the top to the bottom; and therefore
not willing to rend it
they cast lots upon it who should have it; all this was exactly fulfilled in
Christ
John 19:23.
Psalm 22:19 19 But You
O Lord
do not be far
from Me; O My Strength
hasten to help Me!
YLT
19And Thou
O Jehovah
be not
far off
O my strength
to help me haste.
But be not thou far from me
O Lord
.... See Gill on Psalm 22:11;
O my strength; Christ as God is the mighty God
the
Almighty; as Mediator
he is the strength of his people; but
as man
God is
his strength; he is the man of his right hand
whom he has made strong for
himself
and whom he has promised his arm shall strengthen
Psalm 80:17; and therefore he addresses him
in this manner here
saying
haste thee to help me; his help was alone in
God his strength; there were none that could help him but he
and he seemed to
stand afar off from helping him
Psalm 22:1; and his case being so
distressed
as is represented in the preceding verses
it required haste.
Psalm 22:20 20 Deliver Me from the sword
My precious life from the power of the dog.
YLT
20Deliver from the sword my
soul
From the paw of a dog mine only one.
Deliver my soul from the sword
.... Wicked men
whose
tongues were as a sharp sword
reproaching and blaspheming him
and bearing
false witness against him; and crying out
"Crucify him
crucify
him"
Luke 23:21; see Psalm 17:12; or any instrument of violence
as the iron bar with which the legs of the malefactors crucified with him were
broken
which he escaped; and the spear which pierced his side
after he had
commended his soul or spirit into the hands of his Father; or a violent death; for
though his death had the appearance of one
he was taken in a violent manner
and condemned to be put to death
and was crucified
yet his life was not taken
away by men; he laid it down
and gave up his breath himself;
my darling from the power of the dog
or "my
only one"F9יחייתד "unicam
meam"
V. L. Pagninus
Montanus
Vatablus
Tiguriue version
Cocceius
Junius & Tremellius. ; meaning his life or soul
as before; so called
not
because there is but one soul in the body
but because it was dear and valuable
to him; and hence we render it "darling"
an only one being usually
the darling of its parents; so a man's life is dear to him
all that he has
will he give for it
Job 2:4. Christ's life was a more precious
life than any man's
and peculiarly his own
in such sense as another man's
is
not his own; and his soul also was an only one
it was not polluted with
original sin
as the souls of other men are; it was pure and holy: the word
here used is sometimes rendered "desolate" and "solitary";
see Psalm 25:16; and it may have this sense
here
and be translated "my lonely" or "solitary one"F11"Solitariam
meam"
Piscator
Gejerus
Michaelis; so Ainsworth. ; he being forsaken by
God
and deserted by his disciples; his soul was in darkness
sorrow
and
distress
wherefore he prays it might be delivered "from the power of the dog";
either Satan is so called for his malice and envy
who had put it into the
heart of Judas to betray him
and had filled the Pharisees with envy at him
and who through it delivered him to Pilate; or the impure
cruel
and wicked
Roman soldiers
and in short all his crucifiers; called in the plural number
"dogs"; see Gill on Psalm 22:16.
Psalm 22:21 21 Save Me from the lion’s
mouth And from the horns of the wild oxen! You have answered Me.
YLT
21Save me from the mouth of a
lion: -- And -- from the horns of the high places Thou hast answered me!
Save me from the lion's mouth
.... Either the devil
who is as a roaring lion
whom Christ overcame both in the garden and on the
cross
and destroyed him and his works; or all his wicked enemies
especially
the most powerful of them
who were in greatest authority
as the chief priests
and elders; so rulers and civil magistrates
who are cruel and unmerciful
are compared
to lions
Proverbs 28:15;
for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns; some read
this as a prayer like the former
"hear thou me"F12עניתני "exaudi me"
Muis
Gejerus
Michaelis.
&c. that is
deliver me; but according to our version it expresses what God
had done
that he had heard him and saved him; and is used as a reason or
argument with him that he would regard also his other petitions: or it may have
respect to what follows
that since God had heard him
and delivered him out of
the hands of his most powerful enemies
therefore he would declare his name and
praise him; for the unicorn being a very strong creature
and its strength
lying much in its horn
with which it pushes and does mischief; see Numbers 23:22. Christ's strong and potent
enemies are intended here; such as Satan and his principalities and powers
the
sanhedrim of the Jews
Herod
Pontius Pilate
and others
from whose power he
was freed when raised from the dead. According to PlinyF13Nat. Hist.
l. 8. c. 21.
the monoceros
or unicorn
is the fiercest of wild beasts; in
its body like a horse
it has the head of an hart and feet of an elephant
the
tail of a bear
makes a great bellowing; has one black horn rising up in the
middle of the forehead
of two cubits long; it is denied that it was ever taken
alive
which agrees with Job 39:9; See Gill on Job 39:9 and See Gill on Job 39:10.
Psalm 22:22 22 I will declare Your name
to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
YLT
22I declare Thy name to my
brethren
In the midst of the assembly I praise Thee.
I will declare thy name unto my brethren
.... Not those
who were more nearly related to him according to the flesh; for though there
were some who believed in him
and to whom he declared the name of God
as
James and Joses
and Judas and Simon
Matthew 13:55; yet there were others that
did not believe on him
John 7:3; nor those more remotely related
to him
as all the Jews
who were his brethren and kinsmen also according to
the flesh; to these indeed he came and preached
but they received him not; but
rather his apostles
whom he called his brethren
even after his resurrection
and to whom he appeared and declared the name of God
Matthew 28:10; and the five hundred
brethren by whom he was seen at once may be also included; and even all true
believers in him
who through his incarnation
being their "goel" and
near kinsman
stands in such a relation to them
and through their adoption
into his Father's family
his Father being their Father
and his God their God;
which is manifested in regeneration
and evidenced by their doing the will of
God
which is believing in Christ
Matthew 12:49. By the "name" of
God is meant
not anyone of the names by which he is known
as God Almighty
Jehovah
&c. if any of these could be thought to be designed
the New
Testament name and title of God as the Father of Christ would bid fair for it;
but rather the perfections of God
which appear in Christ
and were glorified
in the work of redemption; or God himself; or else his Gospel
Acts 9:15; and which Christ declared and
manifested to his disciples
both before and after his resurrection
John 17:6; which latter seems here to be
referred unto;
in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee; meaning not
the congregation of the Jews
their synagogue
or temple
where he often
attended on public worship
and preached and praised the Lord; but rather the
company of his disciples
among whom he sung an hymn the night he was betrayed
and with whom he conversed by times for forty days after his resurrection:
unless the general assembly and church of the firstborn in heaven is intended
in the midst of which he praised the Lord
when he ascended on high
led
captivity captive
and received gifts for men; though it seems best to
understand this of the church of God
particularly among the Gentiles
under
the Gospel dispensation
where Christ in his members sings the praise of
electing
redeeming
and calling grace; see Psalm 18:49; compared with Romans 15:9. This is a proof of singing of
psalms and hymns in Gospel churches
and of its being a duty to be publicly
performed by the members of them
who may expect the presence of Christ in the
midst of his church
seeing he here promises to be there: these words are
applied to Christ in Hebrews 2:12.
Psalm 22:23 23 You who fear the Lord
praise Him! All
you descendants of Jacob
glorify Him
And fear Him
all you offspring of
Israel!
YLT
23Ye who fear Jehovah
praise
ye Him
All the seed of Jacob
honour ye Him
And be afraid of Him
all ye seed
of Israel.
Ye that fear the Lord
praise him
.... By whom are meant
not the proselytes among the Gentiles
as distinct from the Jews
which is the
sense of some Jewish interpretersF14Midrash Tillim
Jarchi &
Aben Ezra
in loc. ; but all the people of God
whether Jews or Gentiles
who
have the grace of filial and godly fear put into their hearts
with which they
worship God
and walk before him in all holy conversation; which is not a fear
of wrath
or a distrust of divine goodness; but is a reverential affection for
God
and is consistent with the greatest degree of faith
the strongest
expressions of spiritual joy and holy courage: it includes the whole worship of
God
internal and external; and such who have it in their hearts
and before
their eyes
are called upon by Christ to praise the Lord for him
for the
unspeakable gift of his love; that he has not spared his son
but delivered him
up for them
to undergo so much sorrow
and such sufferings as before related
to obtain salvation for them; and that he has delivered him out of them
raised
him from the dead
and has given him glory;
all ye the seed of Jacob
glorify him; not the
natural
but spiritual seed of Jacob
who walk in the steps of the faith of
that man of God; these are exhorted to glorify the Lord with their bodies and
spirits
which are his
being redeemed with the precious blood of Christ; by
believing in him
glorying in him
and offering praise unto him;
and fear him
all ye the seed of Israel; who are the
same with the seed of Jacob
Jacob and Israel being two names of the same
person; and design not Israel according to the flesh
but according to the
Spirit; the whole Israel of God
the all spiritual seed of Israel
who are
justified in Christ
and are saved in him; they are the same with them that
fear the Lord
and are here stirred up to exercise the grace of fear upon him;
to fear him only
and not men
though ever so mighty and powerful
as before
described in Psalm 22:12; and that not only because of
his power and greatness; but because of his grace and goodness
as shown forth
in Christ Jesus.
Psalm 22:24 24 For He has not despised
nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from
Him; But when He cried to Him
He heard.
YLT
24For He hath not despised
nor abominated
The affliction of the afflicted
Nor hath He hidden His face
from him
And in his crying unto Him He heareth.
For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the
afflicted
.... That is
Christ
who was afflicted by men
both by their
tongues
and by their hands; by devils
by the temptations of Satan for Christ
suffered being tempted
though he was not overcome; and by his attacks upon
him
both in the garden and on the cross; and by the Lord himself
Jehovah his
Father
who laid on him the iniquity and chastisement of his people
bruised
him
and put him to grief; awoke the sword of justice against him
and spared
him not: his afflictions were many
both in body and soul; in body
being
scourged
buffeted
bruised
pierced
racked
and tortured on the cross; in
soul
being made exceeding sorrowful
and an offering for sin; sustaining his
Father's wrath
and seeking and enduring affliction by the rod of it; see Isaiah 53:4; now
though his afflictions
and sufferings were despised by men
and he was despised and abhorred on
account of them; yet not by his Father
he took pleasure in them
and in him as
suffering for his people; not simply considered
as if he delighted in his
sufferings as such
but as they were agreeable to his counsel and covenant
and
brought about the salvation of his chosen ones: he accepted them in the room
and stead of his people; the sacrifice of Christ was of a sweet smelling savour
to him; he was well pleased with his righteousness
his law being magnified and
made honourable by it; and his death was precious in his sight
being the
propitiation for the sins of his people; so far was he from despising and
abhorring the afflictions of his son. And this is mentioned as a reason or
argument for praise and thanksgiving in them that fear the Lord; since God has
looked upon the redemption price his Son has paid for them sufficient; has not
despised
but accepted of it as the ransom of their souls: some render the
words
"the prayer of the afflicted"; so the Targum
and the Septuagint
version
and the versions that follow that; which agrees with the next words:
neither hath he hid his face from him; when men did
as ashamed of him
Isaiah 53:3; for though he forsook him for
a while
and in a little wrath hid his face from him for a moment
that he
might bear the whole curse of the law for us; yet he returned again
and did
not hide his face from him for even;
but when he cried unto him
he heard; cried not
only on account of his crucifiers
that God would forgive them; but on account
of himself
that he would not be afar off from him; that he would take his
spirit or soul into his hands
into which he committed it; that he would
deliver him from the power of death and the grave
and loose their bands; in
all which he was heard
Hebrews 5:7.
Psalm 22:25 25 My praise shall be
of You in the great assembly; I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.
YLT
25Of Thee my praise [is] in
the great assembly. My vows I complete before His fearers.
My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation
.... Or
"my praise is from thee"F15מאתך παρα σου
Sept. "a
te"
Pagninus
Montanus
Rivetus
Cocceius
Ainsworth. ; not that he
should have praise of God
as he had
when he was received up into heaven
and
set down at the right hand of God; but that God should be the object of his
praise
as he was the cause of it; his salvation and deliverance of him
and
resurrection from the dead
and exaltation of him
were the occasion and matter
of it: the place where Christ determined to praise the Lord is "the great
congregation"; either his apostles
who
though a little flock
yet
on
account of their extraordinary office and gifts
and peculiar privileges
were
the greatest congregation that ever was in the world; or the five hundred
brethren to whom Christ appeared at once after his resurrection; or else the whole
church under the Gospel dispensation; in the midst of which Christ is
and who
in the members of it praises the name of the Lord; and this especially will
have its accomplishment at the latter day
when great multitudes will be
converted
and the voice of praise and thanksgiving will be among them
Revelation 7:9;
I will pay my vows before them that fear him; either those
which he made in the council and covenant of grace
when he engaged to become a
surety for his people
to assume their nature
to suffer and die for them
to
redeem them from sin and misery
and bring them nigh to God
and save them with
an everlasting salvation; all which he has openly done; see Psalm 31:19; or those which he made in Psalm 22:21; that he would declare the name
of the Lord unto his brethren
and sing praise unto him in the midst of the
church; compare with this Psalm 116:12.
Psalm 22:26 26 The poor shall eat and be
satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the Lord. Let your
heart live forever!
YLT
26The humble do eat and are
satisfied
Praise Jehovah do those seeking Him
Your heart doth live for ever.
The meek shall eat and be satisfied
.... Such who
being made
thoroughly sensible of sin
look upon themselves the chief of sinners
and the
least of saints; and being truly convicted of the insufficiency of their own
righteousness
wholly trust to and rely on the righteousness of Christ; and
being
acquainted with their impotency and inability to do any good thing of
themselves
ascribe all to the grace of God
and have no dependence on anything
done by them; who are willing to be instructed and reproved by the meanest
saint; are not easily provoked to wrath; patiently bear indignities and
affronts
and are gentle unto all men: these shall "eat" the fat and
drink the sweet of Christ the bread of lift; they shall eat of his flesh by
faith
which is meat indeed; they shall find the word
and eat it; feed on the
wholesome words of Christ
the words of faith and good doctrine
and shall be
"satisfied"
or "filled": other food is not satisfying; it
proves gravel
ashes
and wind; it is not bread
and satisfies not; but such as
hunger and thirst after Christ and his righteousness
and are poor in their own
eyes
meek and humble; these are filled with good things to satisfaction
Matthew 5:6; Jarchi interprets these words
of the time of the redemption and the days of the Messiah;
they shall praise the Lord that seek him; in Christ
with their whole heart; who being filled by him and satisfied
bless the Lord
for their spiritual food and comfortable repast
as it becomes men to do for
their corporeal food
Deuteronomy 8:10;
your heart shall live for ever; this is an address of
Christ to them that fear the Lord
the seed of Jacob and Israel; the meek ones
and that seek the Lord
his face and favour
and who eat and are satisfied;
signifying
that they should be revived and refreshed
should be cheerful and
comfortable; should live by faith on Christ now
and have eternal life in them;
and should live with him for ever hereafter
and never die the second death.
Psalm 22:27 27 All the ends of the world Shall
remember and turn to the Lord
And all the families of the nations Shall worship before You.[d]
YLT
27Remember and return unto
Jehovah
Do all ends of the earth
And before Thee bow themselves
Do all
families of the nations
All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord
.... That is
all the elect of God among the Gentiles
who live in the farthermost parts of
the world
for whom Christ is appointed to be their salvation
and whom he
calls to look to him for it; these shall remember the Lord whom they have
forgotten
and against whom they have sinned
how great and how good he is;
they shall be put in mind of their sins and iniquities committed against him
and call to mind their latter end; and consider
that after death will come
judgment to which they must be brought; they shall be apprised of the grace and
goodness of God in Christ
in providing and sending him to be the Saviour of
lost sinners
by his sufferings and death
at large described in this psalm;
which will encourage them to turn unto the Lord
since they may hope for full
pardon of sin
through his blood and sacrifice; and to turn from their idols
and from all their evil ways
and from all dependence on themselves or on
creatures
to trust in and serve the living God in faith and fear; which
turning is usually brought about under and by the ministry of the word; which
is appointed to turn men from darkness to light
and from the power of Satan
unto God; and has this effect when it is attended with the Spirit and power of
God; for conversion is not the work of man
neither of ministers nor of men
themselves
but of God
in which men are at first passive; they are turned
and
then
under the influence of grace
become active
and turn to the Lord
by
believing in him
and so cleave unto him: and likewise remembrance of the above
things is not owing to themselves
but to the Spirit of God
who puts them into
their minds; and which is very necessary and essential to conversion
even as a
remembrance of past things is necessary to a restoration after backslidings
which is a second conversion;
and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee; not only
externally
by praying before the Lord
and attending on his word and
ordinances; but internally
in spirit and in truth
which worshippers the Lord
seeks; such spiritual worship being suitable to his nature
and such
worshippers believers in him are; this must be understood of some of all
nations
kindred and tongues
whom Christ has redeemed by his blood
and calls
by his grace; see Zechariah 14:16.
Psalm 22:28 28 For the kingdom is
the Lord’s
And He rules over the nations.
YLT
28For to Jehovah [is] the
kingdom
And He is ruling among nations.
For the kingdom is the Lord's
.... Not the
kingdom of nature and providence
though that is the Lord Christ's; but the
kingdom of grace
the mediatorial kingdom: this was Christ's by the designation
and constitution of his Father from eternity; the government of the church was
always upon his shoulders during the Old Testament dispensation; when he came
into this world
he came as a King; though his kingdom being not of this world
it came not with observation; but upon his ascension to heaven
whither he went
to receive a kingdom and return
he was made or declared Lord and Christ
and
was exalted as a Prince
as well as a Saviour; and in consequence of his being
set down at the right hand of God
he sent forth the rod of his strength
his
Gospel
into the Gentile world
which was succeeded to the conversion of
multitudes of them
among whom he has had a visible kingdom and interest ever
since; and which will more abundantly appear in the latter day
when he shall
be King over all the earth; and now this is a reason why so many
in the
distant parts of the world
and among all the kindreds of the nations
shall
remember
turn to him
and worship him;
and he is the Governor among the nations; he rules in
the hearts of some by his Spirit and grace
and over others with a rod of iron.
Psalm 22:29 29 All the prosperous of the
earth Shall eat and worship; All those who go down to the dust Shall bow before
Him
Even he who cannot keep himself alive.
YLT
29And the fat ones of earth
have eaten
And they bow themselves
Before Him bow do all going down to dust
And he [who] hath not revived his soul.
All they that be fat upon earth
.... Rich men
who abound in worldly substance
are in very flourishing and prosperous
circumstances
of whom for the most part this is literally true; yea
by these
sometimes are meant princes
rulers
the chief among the people in power and
authority
as well as in riches; see Psalm 78:31; the phrase may design such who
are in prosperous circumstances in their souls
in spiritual things
in faith
comfort
and spiritual joy
Psalm 92:14; but the former sense is best:
Jarchi inverts the words
"they shall eat"
that is
the meek shall
eat
"all the fat of the earth
and worship"; which may be understood
of the spiritual blessings of grace
which converted persons shall feed and
live upon
Psalm 63:5; the allusion may be to the fat
parts of the earth
and what grows thereon
made so by ashes
which the word
used has the signification of; for some lands are fattened by ashes being
strewed upon themF16"Effoetos cinerem immundum jactare per
agros"
Virgil. Georgic. l. 1. v. 79. ; but rather the rich and great men
of the earth are intended
who yet are but dust and ashes. They
shall eat
and worship; for as
in the first
times of the Gospel
not many mighty and noble were called
yet some were; so
more especially
in the latter day
many of this sort will be called
even
kings and queens; who will not live upon their titles of honour
their grandeur
and glory
but upon Christ and his Gospel
and will fall down before him
and
serve and worship him; see Psalm 72:10;
all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him; such as are
in mean circumstances of life; so that both rich and poor shall serve him; or
who are mean in their own eyes
sit in the dust of self-abhorrence
and put
their mouths in the dust
are in a low condition
out of which the Lord raises
them
Psalm 113:7. The Targum paraphrases it
"who go down to the house of the grave"; that is
the dead; and then
the sense is
that Christ is the Lord
both of the dead and living
and that
those that are under the earth
and are reduced to dust
as well as they that
live and are fat upon it
shall bow the knee to Christ
when raised again
who
is the Judge of quick and dead; see Romans 14:9
Philemon 2:10;
and none can keep alive his own soul; as no man can
quicken himself when dead in trespasses and sins; so when he is made alive
he
cannot preserve his life
nor nourish himself
nor make himself lively and
comfortable
nor cause his heart to live
as in Psalm 22:26; but by eating the flesh
and
drinking the blood of Christ
feeding and living upon him by faith: though some
take the sense to be
that such as are before described as converted persons
will not seek to save their lives
but will freely lay them down and part with
them for Christ's sake; but rather the meaning is
that so universal will the
kingdom of Christ be
as that high and low
rich and poor
will be bowing to
him; whoever are his enemies
and will not have him to rule over them
will be
brought before him and slain
and none of them will be able to save themselves;
so the Targum
"he will not quicken"
or "keep alive
the soul
of the wicked"; or as Jarchi interprets it
"he
will have no mercy on them
to keep their souls alive from hell.'
Psalm 22:30 30 A posterity shall serve
Him. It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation
YLT
30A seed doth serve Him
It
is declared of the Lord to the generation.
A seed shall serve him
.... That is
Christ
shall always have a seed to serve him in every age; a remnant according to the
election of grace; see Romans 9:29; so that as the former verses
speak of the amplitude of Christ's kingdom
through the calling of the
Gentiles
these words and the following express the duration of it: and this
"seed" either means Christ's seed; so the Septuagint version
and
others that follow it
render it
"my seed"; the spiritual seed and
offspring of Christ
which the Father has given him
and which shall endure for
ever
Isaiah 53:10; or else the church's seed
which comes to the same thing; not the natural seed of believers
but a
succession of godly men in the church
who are born in her
and nursed up at
her side; see Isaiah 59:21; such shall
and do
in every
age serve Christ
willingly and cheerfully
in righteousness and true holiness
without slavish fear
and yet with reverence and godly fear. The Chaldee
paraphrase is
"the seed of Abraham shall serve before him"; but this
seed designs not the Jews only
but the Gentiles also
and chiefly;
it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation; of his
people
his children whom he accounts of
reckons
and esteems as such; or the
seed shall be reckoned to the Lord
as belonging to him
"unto
generation"; that is
in every generationF17לדור
"in quacunque generatione"
Noldius
p. 236. No. 1076.
throughout
all ages
to the end of time; so the Targum
"to an after
generation"; or "a generation to come".
Psalm 22:31 31 They will come and declare
His righteousness to a people who will be born
That He has done this.
YLT
31They come and declare His
righteousness
To a people that is borne
that He hath made!
They shall come
.... One generation after another; there
shall always be a succession of regenerate persons
who shall come to Christ
and to his churches; and a succession of Gospel ministers among them
who shall
come forth
being sent and qualified by Christ;
and shall declare his righteousness
either the faithfulness
of God
in fulfilling his promises; especially those which respect the mission
of Christ
and salvation by him
as Zacharias did
Luke 1:68; or rather the righteousness of
Christ
which is revealed in the Gospel
and makes a most considerable part of
the declaration of it
and is published by Gospel ministers in all ages
as the
only justifying righteousness before God: and that
unto a people that shall be born; in successive
generations; that shall be brought upon the stage of time and life; or that
shall be born again; for to such only
in a spiritual and saving way
is the
righteousness of Christ declared
revealed
and applied
by the blessed Spirit
through the ministry of the word: it is added
that he hath done this; wrought this
righteousness; so Jarchi; that is
is the author of it; is become the end of
the law for it; has finished it
and brought it in; or else all the great
things spoken of in this psalm
relating to the Messiah
his sufferings
death
and resurrection
and the calling of the Gentiles; all which are the Lord's doings
and are what is declared in the Gospel: the Targum is
"the miracles which
he hath done"; the Septuagint version
and those that follow it
connect
this clause with the preceding thus
"to a people that shall be born
whom
the Lord hath made"; made them his people
created them in Christ
and
formed them for himself.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)