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Wisdom & Poetry · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Psalm 22

Psalm 22 is read especially through the theme of praise, within Book I (Psalms 1–41). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application.

PraiseTrust & RefugeKingship
Old Testament

Psalm 22

1For the Chief Musician; set to “The Doe of the Morning.” A Psalm by David. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?

2My God, I cry in the daytime, but you don’t answer; in the night season, and am not silent.

3But you are holy, you who inhabit the praises of Israel.

4Our fathers trusted in you. They trusted, and you delivered them.

5They cried to you, and were delivered. They trusted in you, and were not disappointed.

6But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people.

7All those who see me mock me. They insult me with their lips. They shake their heads, saying,

8“He trusts in the LORD. Let him deliver him. Let him rescue him, since he delights in him.”

9But you brought me out of the womb. You made me trust while at my mother’s breasts.

10I was thrown on you from my mother’s womb. You are my God since my mother bore me.

11Don’t be far from me, for trouble is near. For there is no one to help.

12Many bulls have surrounded me. Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.

13They open their mouths wide against me, lions tearing prey and roaring.

14I am poured out like water. All my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax. It is melted within me.

15My strength is dried up like a potsherd. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have brought me into the dust of death.

16For dogs have surrounded me. A company of evildoers have enclosed me. They have pierced my hands and feet.

17I can count all of my bones. They look and stare at me.

18They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.

19But don’t be far off, LORD. You are my help. Hurry to help me!

20Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog.

21Save me from the lion’s mouth! Yes, you have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen.

22I will declare your name to my brothers. Among the assembly, I will praise you.

23You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify him! Stand in awe of him, all you descendants of Israel!

24For he has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, neither has he hidden his face from him; but when he cried to him, he heard.

25My praise of you comes in the great assembly. I will pay my vows before those who fear him.

26The humble shall eat and be satisfied. They shall praise the LORD who seek after him. Let your hearts live forever.

27All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD. All the relatives of the nations shall worship before you.

28For the kingdom is the LORD’s. He is the ruler over the nations.

29All the rich ones of the earth shall eat and worship. All those who go down to the dust shall bow before him, even he who can’t keep his soul alive.

30Posterity shall serve him. Future generations shall be told about the Lord.

31They shall come and shall declare his righteousness to a people that shall be born, for he has done it.

READ IN CONTEXT

Understanding Psalm 22

Psalm 22 is read especially through the theme of praise, within Book I (Psalms 1–41). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application. Read it within the complete five-book Psalms collection, then compare its prayer language with the types of prayer found across Scripture. Classification is a reading aid rather than a replacement for the Psalm's own movement and tension.

Collection

Book I (Psalms 1–41). The five-book shape of the Psalter helps readers hear individual prayers within a deliberately arranged collection.

Themes detected

Praise, Trust & Refuge, Kingship. Read for these themes while remaining open to tension and secondary movements.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Psalm 22

Psalm 22 contains 31 verses and about 555 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “For the Chief Musician; set to “The Doe of the Morning.” A Psalm by David. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the…” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 31 closes: “They shall come and shall declare his righteousness to a people that shall be born, for he has done it.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include praise, don’t, trusted, help, like, will. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Psalm 22

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Psalms 22:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

What kind of Psalm is this?+

Our reading profile emphasizes praise, with related themes of Praise, Trust & Refuge, Kingship. Many Psalms blend genres or move between moods, so this label is a guide rather than a rigid classification.

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