Psalm 22 · a question people ask
Did Psalm 22 speak first of David, or of Jesus directly?
Psalm 22 is titled "A Psalm by David" (Psalm 22:1). The New Testament sets three of its lines at Jesus: his cry from the cross (Matthew 27:46), the soldiers casting lots for his clothing, "that the Scripture might be fulfilled" (John 19:24), and Hebrews giving him the psalm's praise among his brothers (Hebrews 2:11-12). Christians read how the psalm speaks of him in two main ways. Both read it with the New Testament as speaking of Jesus, and both take those three passages as its words applied to him.
How Christians read it
Where Christians differ, Favor sets out the main views side by side and doesn't pick one.
First of David, fulfilled in Jesus
Those who read it this way take the title, "A Psalm by David" (Psalm 22:1), and the psalm's own I and my as David's: "You are my God since my mother bore me" (Psalm 22:10), "I will pay my vows before those who fear him" (Psalm 22:25). Other psalms with titles naming David pray in the same words: "Lord, don’t be far from me" (Psalm 35:22), and "Don’t forsake me, LORD. My God, don’t be far from me" (Psalm 38:21). On this reading David cried out in his own trouble, and the New Testament says his words are fulfilled in Jesus: John writes that the soldiers cast lots for the tunic "that the Scripture might be fulfilled" (John 19:24).
Psalm 22:1 · Psalm 22:10 · Psalm 22:25 · Psalm 35:1 · Psalm 35:22 · Psalm 38:1 · Psalm 38:21 · John 19:24
Of Jesus directly
Those who read it this way note that the New Testament puts the psalm's words in Jesus' own mouth: its first line on the cross (Matthew 27:46), and in Hebrews, "I will declare your name to my brothers" (Hebrews 2:12), said by the one who "is not ashamed to call them brothers" (Hebrews 2:11). They point to Jesus' own words, "all things which are written in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms concerning me must be fulfilled" (Luke 24:44); to Peter's words that David, "being a prophet" (Acts 2:30), "spoke about the resurrection of the Christ" (Acts 2:31), said of another psalm; and to the prophets, who searched for what time "the Spirit of Christ which was in them pointed to when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow them" (1 Peter 1:11). On this reading the one who suffers and then praises (Psalm 22:1-22) is Jesus from the first.
Matthew 27:46 · Hebrews 2:11-12 · Luke 24:44 · Acts 2:29-31 · 1 Peter 1:10-11 · Psalm 22:1-22
The verses
“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 words of my groaning?”
“About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lima sabachthani?” That is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?””
“Then they said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but cast lots for it to decide whose it will be,” that the Scripture might be fulfilled, which says, “They parted my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.” Therefore the soldiers did these things.”
“For both he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one, for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, “I will declare your name to my brothers. Among the congregation I will sing your praise.””