By Tom Thomas –
“If the psalm prays, you pray; if it laments, you lament; if it exults, you rejoice; if it hopes, you hope; if it fears, you fear. Everything written here is a mirror for us.” — St Augustine
There are 150 Psalms in the Holy Bible. They are songs, prayers, hymns with different emotions written by David, Solomon and many other authors over 1400-450 BC.
Studying the Psalms is significant and we can learn a lot from these stories, songs of praise or prayers for repentance . Psalms are not meant to be simply read , but prayed as St Augustine mentioned. The whole range of human emotions from sorrow, lament and depression to joy, praise and celebration are found in the Psalms. The insights gained in this article were as a result of a study course on Psalms conducted by Rev. Fr. Dr. Joy Kakkanattu CMI of Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram.
We find mention in the Catechism of the Catholic Church ( CCC) the following about the importance of Psalms:
597 Prayed and fulfilled in Christ, the Psalms are an essential and permanent element of the prayer of the Church. They are suitable for men of every condition and time.
We generally see that the Psalms fall into two categories, Lamentations and Praise. Yet there is one Psalm that contains both emotions in equal measure and from which our Lord Jesus Christ quoted from the Cross in His last moments. In fact this Psalm is so significant that it is included in the Gospels to interpret the passion and death of Jesus Christ. Ps 22 is referred to often by way of quotation, allusion or influence with reference to Jesus and the events surrounding His death. This Psalm becomes a hermeneutical guide to help us understand the significance of these events. The understanding and praying of this Psalm will also help us get through those difficult moments when God appears as a mirage to us, when we cry out to Him.
Jesus uses Ps 22:1 to express his feelings of the abandonment, distance and silence of God his Father on the cross ( Matt 27;46, Mk 15:34).
Here is the complete Psalm:
Psalm 22
Plea for Deliverance from Suffering and Hostility
To the leader: according to The Deer of the Dawn. A Psalm of David.
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer;
and by night, but find no rest.
3 Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4 In you our ancestors trusted;
they trusted, and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried, and were saved;
in you they trusted, and were not put to shame.
6 But I am a worm, and not human;
scorned by others, and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock at me;
they make mouths at me, they shake their heads;
8 “Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver—
let him rescue the one in whom he delights!”
9 Yet it was you who took me from the womb;
you kept me safe on my mother’s breast.
10 On you I was cast from my birth,
and since my mother bore me you have been my God.
11 Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.
12 Many bulls encircle me,
strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
13 they open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;
15 my mouth[a] is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.
16 For dogs are all around me;
a company of evildoers encircles me.
My hands and feet have shriveled;[b]
17 I can count all my bones.
They stare and gloat over me;
18 they divide my clothes among themselves,
and for my clothing they cast lots.
19 But you, O Lord, do not be far away!
O my help, come quickly to my aid!
20 Deliver my soul from the sword,
my life[c] from the power of the dog!
21 Save me from the mouth of the lion!
From the horns of the wild oxen you have rescued[d] me.
22 I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters;[e]
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him;
stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For he did not despise or abhor
the affliction of the afflicted;
he did not hide his face from me,[f]
but heard when I[g] cried to him.
25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will pay before those who fear him.
26 The poor[h] shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the Lord.
May your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the Lord;
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before him.[i]
28 For dominion belongs to the Lord,
and he rules over the nations.
29 To him,[j] indeed, shall all who sleep in[k] the earth bow down;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
and I shall live for him.[l]
30 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord,
31 and[m] proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn,
saying that he has done it.
Here is the structure in brief
The Lament ( vv 1-21)
V 1-2 Invocation and questions directed towards God, a series of reproached to God.
V 3-5, protestation of confidence
V6-8 complaint with regards to the Psalmist himself ( v6) with regard to the enemies ( v7)
V9-10 protestation of confidence once again
V11-18, introductory plea, followed by complaints about enemies
V 19-21 pleas
- Praise and Thanksgiving ( 22-31)
V 22-26, Invitation to praise God, addressed to the congregation
(v22) now understood as the offspring of Jacob/Israel ( v24)
V 27-31, hymn open to all peoples of the earth
Interpretation
Vs 1-2
The “why” questions are very harsh reproaches towards God showing the depth of the psalmist’s anguish, who laments that God has forsaken him.
The why question is a critical one. It is a question asked to the Thou, who should be his confidant and trustworthy partner. It is more of a complaint than a question.
The afflicted is in utter hopelessness and despair.
“ His/Her God” in whom he/she trusted to be the stronghold now seems to be away. So the psalmist feels the abandonment, distance and silence of His God.
The tone of v1 is sharp, Why are you so insensitive to my cry? The pronoun my is significant. The worshipper or Psalmist is praying to his personal God, holding on desperately to the covenantal relationship ( Ex 19:6) which is the only thing he can rely on in this time of darkness.
Vs 6-8
The contrast between the present and the past is made explicit through the expression “ But I am a worm..” ( v.6). These lines depict the despair and hopelessness of the Psalmist with his self esteem at the lowest possible point. He no longer feels himself to be a human person ( Is 40:8). The mockery of his companions add fuel to his suffering. The portrayal of a person who goes through the value of darkness without having the light of hope is described.
V11-18
v.11 based on the relationship ( v 9-10) , the Psalmist renews his plea “ be not far from me”. If God keeps afar, troubles approach and engulf him. More than anything else, what he requires and request is the nearness of God.
12-18 are complaints. Manifold imagery is deployed to designate the demonic threats that prevail where God has turned away His face. These hostile demoniac powers are conceived as wild beasts, bulls, lion, dogs, company of evil doers, dog and lion again. The rapid change of metaphors amply make it clear that hostile powers are waiting to occupy the place when God is absent. The evildoers are like ravenous beasts waiting eagerly to drink his blood and share his corpse.
Vs 19-21
Once again he turns to God in trustful hope. His prayer, “Be present to me in my troubles and make me survive them. V21b marks the transition from lament to praise. It is however unknown what experience caused the change of mood of the Psalmist. It is generally taken as the result of an oracle of salvation received through a priest. It is significant to note that there is no reference to the Psalmist’s guilt or to God’s wrath in this Psalm, The Psalmist tries to induce God to re-establish His protection by the protestations of confidence, the please and the vow of future thanks.
V 22-31 : Universal Praise of God
It is quite clear from V24 that the Psalmist experiences a reversal of his initial predicament. It enables him to praise his God. The intention of the individual lament is the reintegration of God’s praise that tends to universality. This thanksgiving has two fold effect of lifting up the fallen spirit of the praying and his praise in the congregation elicits a wide echo of praise as the last line of the Psalm ( v31) says ‘ He has done it.”
Ps 22 has been understood as a prayer that gives expression to the sentiment of being abandoned and to that of trust. In the end, trust wins over despair. In this Psalm we see a human person experiencing desolation and even death in the absence of God, In the passion of Jesus, God, in Jesus, comes to participate in the terror of death. He identifies with the suffering and dying. Since Jesus underwent that experience of despair and rejection, he is able to help and comfort those who pass through the same situation of the Psalmist. The Palmist praises God because he is delivered from death.
Jesus on the other hand died and through his death achieved resurrection. The resurrection which is the ultimate deliverance and victory produces unending praises for eternity.
It is worthwhile for us to read Psalms 22 in depth as a prayer and reflect on the meaning of each word, and indeed each verse, as we head into Holy Week. This will give us a deeper understanding of the Passion of Jesus Christ. This also helps us when we too face our own difficult and dark moments in life when God appears to be invisible to us. Let us take heart.
After all,
“To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
and I shall live for him” Ps 22:29