Psalm 22:1-6

A Cry of Anguish and Song of Praise

22¹ My God , my God , why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning . ² O my God , I cry by day , but You do not answer ; And by night , but I have no rest . ³ Yet You are holy , O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel . ⁴ In You our fathers trusted ; They trusted and You delivered them. ⁵ To You they cried out and were delivered ; In You they trusted and were not disappointed . ⁶ But I am a worm and not a man , A reproach of men and despised by the people .

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Matthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 22:1-6

Commentary on Psalm 22:1-10

(Read Psalm 22:1-10)

The Spirit of Christ, which was in the prophets, testifies in this psalm, clearly and fully, the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. We have a sorrowful complaint of God's withdrawings. This may be applied to any child of God, pressed down, overwhelmed with grief and terror. Spiritual desertions are the saints' sorest afflictions; but even their complaint of these burdens is a sign of spiritual life, and spiritual senses exercised. To cry our, My God, why am I sick? why am I poor? savours of discontent and worldliness. But, "Why hast thou forsaken me?" is the language of a heart binding up its happiness in God's favour. This must be applied to Christ. In the first words of this complaint, he poured out his soul before God when he was upon the cross, Matthew 27:46. Being truly man, Christ felt a natural unwillingness to pass through such great sorrows, yet his zeal and love prevailed. Christ declared the holiness of God, his heavenly Father, in his sharpest sufferings; nay, declared them to be a proof of it, for which he would be continually praised by his Israel, more than for all other deliverances they received. Never any that hoped in thee, were made ashamed of their hope; never any that sought thee, sought thee in vain. Here is a complaint of the contempt and reproach of men. The Saviour here spoke of the abject state to which he was reduced. The history of Christ's sufferings, and of his birth, explains this prophecy.