1 The title of the two and twentithe salm. `The salm, ether the song of Dauid. The Lord gouerneth me, and no thing schal faile to me;
Mark · AD 60 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.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "O God, my God, look upon me, why have You forsaken me far from my salvation?" [Psalm 22:1]. Far removed from my salvation: for "salvation is far from sinners." "The words of my sins." For these are not the words of righteousness, but of my sins.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 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.
2 in the place of pasture there he hath set me. He nurschide me on the watir of refreischyng;
Eusebius of Caesarea · AD 339 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.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 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.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 "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.
3 he conuertide my soule. He ledde me forth on the pathis of riytfulnesse; for his name.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "But You dwell in the holy place, O Thou praise of Israel" [Psalm 22:3]. But You dwell in the holy place, and therefore will not hear the unclean words of sins. The "praise" of him that sees You; not of him who has sought his own praise in tasting of the forbidden fruit, that on the opening of his bodily eyes he should endeavour to hide himself from Your sight.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 "But you." Above, the question of Christ inquiring into the cause of his passion was set forth; here, however, he shows that such a question is reasonable, and that it is reasonable that he was forsaken. And first he says this is wonderful on God's part.
4 For whi thouy Y schal go in the myddis of schadewe of deeth; Y schal not drede yuels, for thou art with me. Thi yerde and thi staf; tho han coumfortid me.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "Our Fathers hoped in You." All the righteous, namely, who sought not their own praise, but Yours. "They hoped in You, and You delivered them" [Psalm 22:4].
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 "In you." Here another reason is given, drawn from the ancient custom and experience by which the holy fathers were freed from tribulations when they called upon God -- as is evident from Ex. 14, that they were freed from the persecution of the Egyptians; and concerning Susanna, who was freed from the unjust sentence of the elders, Dan.
5 Thou hast maad redi a boord in my siyt; ayens hem that troblen me. Thou hast maad fat myn heed with oyle; and my cuppe, `fillinge greetli, is ful cleer.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "They cried unto You, and were saved." They cried unto You, not in the words of sins, from which salvation is far; and therefore were they saved. "They hoped in You, and were not confounded" [Psalm 22:5]. "They hoped in You," and their hope did not deceive them. For they placed it not in themselves.
6 And thi merci schal sue me; in alle the daies of my lijf. And that Y dwelle in the hows of the Lord; in to the lengthe of daies.
Clement of Rome · AD 99 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.
Ambrose of Milan · AD 397 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.
Thomas Aquinas · AD 1274 "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.