Psalms 22

King James Version · 31 verses · 954 cross-references linking it to 393 other chapters

Explore Psalms 22 in the interactive map

1To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?73 cross-references: Mark 15:34, Matthew 27:46, Hebrews 5:7, Psalms 22:16, Job 3:24
2O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.29 cross-references: Luke 18:7, Psalms 42:3, Psalms 88:1, Luke 22:41–46, Psalms 55:16–17
3But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.11 cross-references: Deuteronomy 10:21, Psalms 50:23, Isaiah 6:3, Psalms 99:9, Revelation 4:8
4Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.24 cross-references: Exodus 14:31, Exodus 14:13–14, Genesis 32:28, Hebrews 11:8–32, Psalms 44:1–7
5They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.19 cross-references: Romans 10:11, Isaiah 49:23, Romans 9:33, 1 Peter 2:6, Isaiah 45:17
6But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.57 cross-references: Isaiah 53:3, Job 25:6, Isaiah 49:7, Isaiah 41:14, Psalms 69:7–12
7All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,41 cross-references: Mark 15:29, Matthew 27:39–40, Psalms 109:25, Mark 15:20, Matthew 26:66–68
8He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.29 cross-references: Matthew 27:42–43, Mark 15:30–32, Psalms 91:14, Psalms 18:19, Matthew 17:5
9But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts.17 cross-references: Psalms 71:6, Isaiah 49:1–2, Psalms 71:17, Matthew 2:13–15, Psalms 139:15–16
10I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly.11 cross-references: Galatians 1:15, Jeremiah 1:5, Isaiah 49:1, Isaiah 46:3–4, John 20:17
11Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.28 cross-references: Psalms 71:12, Psalms 72:12, Psalms 10:1, Hebrews 5:7, Psalms 38:21
12Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.34 cross-references: Amos 4:1–3, Psalms 68:30, Acts 4:27, Matthew 27:1, Ezekiel 39:18
13They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.25 cross-references: 1 Peter 5:8, Psalms 35:21, Lamentations 2:16, Psalms 17:12, Lamentations 3:46
14I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.51 cross-references: Daniel 5:6, Job 23:16, Psalms 31:10, Joshua 7:5, Psalms 68:2
15My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.43 cross-references: John 19:28, Psalms 69:3, Isaiah 53:12, Psalms 38:10, Psalms 69:21
16For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.59 cross-references: John 19:37, Matthew 27:35, Zechariah 12:10, John 20:25, John 19:23
17I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.16 cross-references: Luke 23:35, Luke 23:27, Isaiah 52:14, Matthew 27:39–41, Job 33:21
18They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.9 cross-references: Matthew 27:35, Luke 23:34, Mark 15:24, John 19:23–24
19But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me.15 cross-references: Psalms 22:11, Psalms 10:1, Psalms 21:1, Psalms 40:13, Psalms 40:17
20Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.12 cross-references: Psalms 35:17, Zechariah 13:7, Psalms 17:13
21Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.22 cross-references: 2 Timothy 4:17, Numbers 23:22, 1 Peter 5:8, John 8:59, John 14:30
22I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.41 cross-references: Hebrews 2:11–12, Romans 8:29, Psalms 40:9–10, Psalms 71:18–19, Matthew 25:40
23Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.31 cross-references: Psalms 135:19–20, Revelation 15:4, Luke 1:50, Psalms 107:1–2, Psalms 50:23
24For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.29 cross-references: Hebrews 5:7, Isaiah 50:6–9, Psalms 118:5, Psalms 69:29–34, Psalms 34:6
25My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.26 cross-references: Psalms 35:18, Psalms 40:9–10, Psalms 111:1, Psalms 66:13, Psalms 116:14–19
26The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the Lord that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.32 cross-references: Psalms 69:32, Psalms 40:16, Isaiah 65:13, Psalms 105:3–4, Isaiah 25:6
27All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.99 cross-references: Psalms 86:9, Isaiah 45:22, Psalms 2:8, Revelation 7:9–12, Isaiah 49:6
28For the kingdom is the Lord’s: and he is the governor among the nations.12 cross-references: Zechariah 14:9, Psalms 47:7–8, Revelation 11:15, Obadiah 1:21, Daniel 7:14
29All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.35 cross-references: Philippians 2:10, Psalms 45:12, Psalms 113:7, Isaiah 26:19, Romans 14:10–12
30A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.27 cross-references: Hebrews 2:13, Psalms 87:6, Psalms 73:15, Galatians 3:26–29, 1 Peter 2:9
31They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.23 cross-references: Psalms 78:6, Psalms 86:9, Romans 1:17, Psalms 102:18, Isaiah 44:3–5

Explained connections

"My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Psalms 22:1 and Matthew 27:46
Jesus cries the opening line of Psalm 22 from the cross, in Aramaic. Quoting a psalm's first line evoked the whole psalm, which moves from abandonment and mockery to vindication and worldwide praise — so the cry is both real anguish and a claim on the psalm's ending.
The cry of dereliction in Mark Psalms 22:1 and Mark 15:34
Mark records the same cry, preserving the Aramaic 'Eloi, Eloi'. Bystanders mishear it as a call to Elijah — an irony, since the psalm Jesus is praying narrates the very scene they are part of.
Heads wagging at the cross Psalms 22:7 and Matthew 27:39
The psalmist describes onlookers who laugh, sneer and shake their heads. Matthew notes passers-by doing exactly this at Golgotha, one of several details he takes from Psalm 22 to show the crucifixion unfolding as Scripture described.
"He trusted in God; let him deliver him" Psalms 22:8 and Matthew 27:43
The psalmist's enemies taunt that he trusted the LORD, so let the LORD rescue him. The chief priests unknowingly speak almost the same words at the cross — Matthew lets the irony stand: the mockers are reciting the psalm of the righteous sufferer.
"I thirst" Psalms 22:15 and John 19:28
The psalmist's strength is dried up and his tongue sticks to his jaws. John says Jesus, knowing all was now finished, said 'I thirst' so that Scripture would be fulfilled — usually linked to Psalm 22:15 and Psalm 69:21.
Pierced hands and feet Psalms 22:16 and John 20:25
The KJV reads 'they pierced my hands and my feet', following the Greek Septuagint; the standard Hebrew text is difficult and is sometimes read 'like a lion'. Christians have long linked the verse to crucifixion, and Thomas's demand to see the nail prints in Jesus' hands is one of the clearest echoes.
Lots cast for his clothing Psalms 22:18 and John 19:24
The psalm describes enemies dividing the sufferer's garments and casting lots for his clothing. John explicitly quotes it, noting the soldiers split the clothes but gambled for the seamless tunic — matching both halves of the Hebrew parallelism.
Dividing the garments Psalms 22:18 and Matthew 27:35
Matthew records the soldiers dividing Jesus' clothes by lot. All four Gospels mention the scene, and the detail anchors Psalm 22 as the primary scriptural lens the evangelists used for the crucifixion.
Declaring God's name to his brothers Psalms 22:22 and Hebrews 2:12
Psalm 22 turns from suffering to praise: the rescued sufferer will declare God's name to his brothers in the assembly. Hebrews puts these words in Jesus' mouth to show he is not ashamed to call the redeemed his brothers.

Chapters most linked to Psalms 22

People in Psalms 22

God, Jacob

Places in Psalms 22

Bashan

Hard questions about Psalms 22

Is God a very present help in trouble, or does he hide himself when people cry out?