Psalms 22 · The Lantern

To the choirmaster. Upon the Doe of the Dawn. A psalm of David. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Far from my salvation are the words of my roaring.

And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? [Psalms 22:1] And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.

Seeing, then, that he took on himself a soul he also took the affections of a soul, for God could not have been distressed or have died in respect of his being God.… As being man, therefore, he speaks, bearing with him my terrors, for when we are in the midst of dangers we think ourself abandoned by God.

In the preceding psalms, the tribulation that David endured from his son and from Saul seems to have been treated first; but here, in the third decade, the persecution he suffered from the entire people is addressed, who rejected him at Saul's command. This Psalm is therefore divided into three parts. In the first, the tribulation is narrated.

The Psalm of the Cross

My God, I call by day and you do not answer, and by night, and there is no silence for me.

He is surely showing his surprise here that the Father does not hear him; he regards it as something strange and unusual. But the Father reserved his hearing until the fit time that he should be heard.

My God, I will cry unto You in the daytime, and You will not hear [Psalm 22:2]. My God, I will cry unto You in the prosperous circumstances of this life, that they be not changed; and You will not hear, because I shall cry unto You in the words of my sins.

"My God." These things are pursued in particular. By day and night we can understand two things. In one way, literally, temporal day and night, and thus "to cry out" means to cry out continually; hence he says, "You will not hear"; as if to say: although I cry out continually, I am nevertheless not heard.

But you are holy, you who sit upon the praises of Israel.

In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.

To you they cried out and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not ashamed.

But I am a worm and not a man, a reproach of mankind and despised by the people.

For Christ is of those who are humble-minded, and not of those who exalt themselves over His flock. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Sceptre of the majesty of God, did not come in the pomp of pride or arrogance, although He might have done so, but in a lowly condition, as the Holy Spirit had declared regarding Him.

He became all these things so that he might dull the sting of our death, that he might take away our state of slavery, that he might wipe away our curses, sins and reproaches.

"But I." Here he sets forth his passion. And first he proposes the confusion that he suffered. Second, he expounds it, at "All who see me." Third, he assigns its cause, at "For you are." The first part can be read in two ways. In one way, so that first he proposes the likeness of the confusion, and second he expounds the reproach.

All who see me mock me; they open wide with the lip, they shake the head:

“Roll it onto the LORD — let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him.”

For you are the one who drew me from the womb, making me trust at my mother’s breasts.

Upon you I was cast from the womb; from my mother’s belly you are my God.

He and the Father are One, and the Father is his Father by possession of the same nature.… Speaking as the Son, he called God his father, and afterward, speaking as man, named him as God. Everywhere, indeed, we have witness in the Scriptures to show that Christ, in naming God as his God, does so as man. "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

"I have been strengthened in You from the womb" [Psalm 22:10]. It is the womb of the Synagogue, which did not carry Me, but threw Me out: but I fell not, for Thou heldest me. "From My mother's womb You are My God." From My mother's womb: My mother's womb did not cause that, as a babe, I should be forgetful of You.

"From the womb." Here the reason for the hope is given: as if to say, I hoped in you because I always had you as God: Ps. 27: "In God my heart has hoped, and I was helped." And therefore he says, "You are my God from my mother's womb," that is, from the time I was made man, because before that the Son of God was not man.

Do not be far from me, for distress is near, for there is no helper.

Many bulls have surrounded me; the mighty ones of Bashan have encircled me.

They have opened their mouth wide against me — a lion tearing and roaring.

Like water I am poured out, and all my bones have separated. My heart has become like wax; it is melted within my inward parts.

[We know] that even if … all the bones of Christ appear to be scattered in persecutions and afflictions by the plots of those who wage war against the unity of the temple by persecutions, the temple will be raised up and the body will arise on the third day.

"I was poured out like water, and all My bones were scattered" [Psalm 22:14]. "I was poured out like water," when My persecutors fell: and through fear, the stays of My body, that is, the Church, My disciples were scattered from Me.

"Like." Next he sets forth the effect of the persecution. And first he proposes this effect. Second, he expounds it, at "Scattered." He says therefore: they persecute me and harm me, because as regards bodily health they have entirely prevailed.

My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue is stuck to my jaws; and you lay me in the dust of death.

"My strength dried up as a potsherd" [Psalm 22:15]. My strength dried up by My Passion; not as hay, but a potsherd, which is made stronger by fire. "And My tongue cleaved to My jaws." And they, through whom I was soon to speak, kept My precepts in their hearts.

Concerning which earthen vessel of His body, Wisdom Himself says: "My strength is dried up like a potsherd." For because a potsherd is hardened in fire, His strength dried up like a potsherd, because He strengthened the flesh He had assumed unto the glory of resurrection through the tribulation of His passion.

"It dried up." Here he shows that whatever was beautiful in Christ vanished. Three things seemed to flourish in Christ before the passion: the working of miracles, the eloquence of his teaching, and the fame and glory of the people. Regarding the first, Jn. 6: "A great multitude was following him, because they saw," etc.

For dogs have surrounded me; a company of evildoers has encircled me — like a lion, my hands and my feet.

The dogs that surrounded him and the council of the wicked were the rulers of the Jews, the scribes and high priests and the Pharisees, who spurred on the whole multitude to demand his blood against themselves and against their own children.

After the passion those former "dogs" took on the status of children through faith, whereas those who once had enjoyed the care shown to children received the name of dogs for raging against the Lord.… Blessed Paul cries out about them, "Beware of the dogs, beware of the evildoers. Beware of mutilation."

"For." Here the manner of the passion is set forth. And first he sets down what happened before the crucifixion. Second, what happened during the crucifixion itself. Third, what happened after the crucifixion. Before the crucifixion two things happened. First, he was captured; and regarding this he says, "Many dogs have surrounded me": Phil.

I can count all my bones; they look, they gaze at me.

They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast a lot.

And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross. And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.

The soldiers parted the garments, but not the coat. See the prophecies in every instance fulfilled by their wickednesses; for this also had been predicted of old; yet there were three crucified, but the matters of the prophecies were fulfilled in Him. For why did they not this in the case of the others, but in His case only?

"But they." Here those things that happened after the passion are set forth; hence he says, "But they watched," gathering for the spectacle in order to mock: Lk. 23: "The soldiers mocking him filled a sponge with vinegar, saying, 'If you are the King of Israel, save yourself,'" etc. "And they looked on," namely to see what would happen to me.

But you, LORD, do not be far off; my strength, hurry to my help.

Deliver my soul from the sword, my only one from the paw of the dog.

Save me from the mouth of the lion, and from the horns of the wild oxen you have answered me.

"Save Me from the lion's mouth:" save Me from the mouth of the kingdom of this world: "and my humility from the horns of the unicorns" [Psalm 22:21]. And from the loftiness of the proud, exalting themselves to special pre-eminence, and enduring no partakers, save My humility.

This animal is called the unicorn, but I cannot say that I have seen him. But I have seen four brazen figures of him set up in the four-towered palace of the King of Ethiopia. From these figures I have been able to draw him as you see. They speak of him as a terrible beast and quite invincible, and say that all his strength lies in his horn.

"Save me." Here he describes them as cruel, under the likeness of a lion, which is a cruel animal; and this refers to Pilate, who wielded the power of a lion, that is, of the emperor, whom the apostle calls a lion: 2 Tim. 4: "I was delivered from the mouth of the lion." Or it refers to the devil: 1 Pet.

I will recount your name to my brothers; in the midst of the assembly I will praise you.

For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak. But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?

"I will declare Your name to My brethren" [Psalm 22:22]. I will declare Your name to the humble, and to My Brethren that love one another as they have been beloved by Me. [John 17:6, 21] "In the midst of the Church will I sing of You." In the midst of the Church will I with rejoicing preach You.

"I will declare." Next he shows the fruit of divine help. And first he shows this with respect to Christ himself. Second, with respect to others, at "The poor shall eat." Regarding the first, he does two things. First, he proposes a twofold fruit: namely, of preaching and of praise.

You who fear the LORD, praise him! All the seed of Jacob, honor him! And be in awe of him, all the seed of Israel!

For he has not despised and has not abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him; and when he cried for help to him, he heard.

"Let all the seed of Israel fear Him." Let all who have been born to a new life, and restored to the vision of God "fear Him." "Since He hath not despised, nor disregarded the prayer of the poor man" (ver. 24).

He does not reject or scorn the prayer of the poor when we entreat him for what he himself loves, but he graciously hears; and he will grant us to see his good things in the land of the living, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God throughout all ages of ages.

"For." Here it is shown what is announced to them, namely the power of Christ, insofar as he speaks in the person of Christ praying. For sometimes one does not wish to hear prayers -- namely, when he does not wish to see the one for whom the request is made, or when he does not wish to see the one asking.

From you comes my praise in the great assembly; my vows I will fulfill before those who fear him.

"With You is My praise" [Psalm 22:25]. For I seek not My own praise, [John 8:50] for You are My praise, who dwellest in the holy place; and, praise of Israel, You hear The Holy One now beseeching You.

We should speak of the Church of rational men united in harmonious and uniform concelebration of divine praise, according to the Psalm, "with Thee is my praise in a great Church." As a sweet chant results from a great number of voices united in a certain proportion and harmony, so also a spiritual harmony pleasing to the Most High comes forth from the harmony of the love of man…

"Before you." Above, the Psalmist in the person of Christ promised he would speak of two things: namely, the declaration of the divine name and the praise of God. He has already spoken of the first; here he treats the second, namely divine praise. Regarding this he does two things. First, he shows what the praise of God is like.

The afflicted will eat and be satisfied; those who seek him will praise the LORD. May your heart live forever!

To inquire, respecting God, if it tends not to strife but to discovery, is salutary. For it is written in David, "The poor eat and shall be filled; and they shall praise the Lord that seek him. Your heart shall live forever." For they who seek him after the true search, praising the Lord, shall be filled with the gift that comes from God, that is, knowledge.

Note that he wrote only the word poor to indicate those who despised the enticements of this world with the most lavish contempt; not the rich who are stuffed with the happiness of this world, but the poor, namely, those who hunger for God's kingdom.… The poor praise the Lord, while the rich exalt themselves.

"The poor shall eat." Here next he sets forth the effect of the passion with respect to others; and first he proposes the various effects of the passion; second, he shows that they pertain to the future, at "It shall be proclaimed." Regarding the first, he does two things. First, he proposes the effects pertaining to the apostles.

All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before you.

"All the borders of the earth shall remember themselves, and be turned to the Lord" [Psalm 22:27]. They shall remember themselves: for, by the Gentiles, born in death and bent on outward things, God had been forgotten; and then shall all the borders of the earth be turned to the Lord.

Not one nation or even two, but countless numbers of all those in the world will run to him, and will enthusiastically receive the rays of the knowledge of God.

"They shall remember." Here he sets forth the effects derived to others. And first, commonly to all. Second, regarding the carnal, at "They have eaten." Third, regarding the spiritual, at "And my soul." Now there is a threefold effect. The first is divine knowledge, to which the Gentiles came through the apostles. The second effect is conversion to Christ.

For the kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations.

In these words he very aptly proclaims the glorious works after his resurrection, which are fulfilled in the calling of people from all nations and by the election of people from the ends of the earth, the results of which being visible to all eyes afford evidence of the truth of the words of the psalm.

God will rule over the nations, for the kingdom belongs to the Lord. Kingdoms do not belong to the nations, but to the Lord, who by his own power both changes and retains kings. The one who is known to be the Lord of history must be worshiped everywhere.

"For." The spiritual power over the whole world belongs to Christ: Dan. 7: "And he gave him power and honor and a kingdom," etc. And not only over the Jews, according to Is. 9: "Upon the throne of David"; but he himself shall have dominion over the nations: Ps. 2: "Ask of me, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance."

All the fat ones of the earth have eaten and bowed down; before him all who go down to the dust will kneel — and he who has not kept his own soul alive.

"All the rich of the earth have eaten, and worshipped" [Psalm 22:29]. The rich of the earth too have eaten the Body of their Lord's humiliation, and though they have not, as the poor, been filled even to imitation, yet they have worshipped.

And the nature of the fear of God is that it urgeth us [to do] one thing, and one thing only, for it stirreth us up to do all the commandments, and for this reason the Spirit of God desired to teach us the fear of God by the hand of all the Prophets.

"They have eaten." Here the effect that followed with respect to the carnal is set forth; and he posits two things. First, he sets forth their good. Second, he sets forth their failing, at "In his sight shall fall" the carnal. And they received a twofold good: namely, participation in the sacrament, and the worship of God in worship.

A seed will serve him; it will be recounted of the Lord to the generation.

They will come and declare his righteousness to a people yet to be born — that he has done it.

"The generation to come shall be declared to the Lord" [Psalm 22:31]. The generation of the New Testament shall be declared to the honour of the Lord. "And the heavens shall declare His righteousness." And the Evangelists shall declare His righteousness. "To a people that shall be born, whom the Lord has made." To a people that shall be born to the Lord through faith.

The Son of God is the righteousness of the Father. Therefore this righteousness is to be proclaimed to the people who would believe in God, who forsake the death caused by sins and come over to life, who by God's kindness experience such a new birth through faith that they are counted worthy of living forever.

"It shall be proclaimed." Here he explains when this will happen: not in his own time, but in future times. And he sets forth three things. First, he foretells the preaching of the faith. Second, by whom it must be preached. Third, to whom it is preached. Regarding the first he says, "A generation to come shall be proclaimed to the Lord"; and this can be expounded in two ways.

Psalms22

The Psalm of the Cross