Augustine of Hippo — Commentary on Scripture

O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.

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. "And in the night-season, and not to my folly." And so in the adversities of this life will I cry to You for prosperity; and in like manner You will not hear. And this You do not to my folly, but rather that I may have wisdom to know what You would have me cry for, not with the words of sins out of longing for life temporal, but with the words of turning to You for life eternal.

Psalms 22:3

But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

"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.

Psalms 22:4

Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.

"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].

Psalms 22:5

They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

"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.

Psalms 22:6 · 2 passages

But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

Understand your God. That is what he is, this one so great and so small, “a worm and no man,” and yet through him humankind was made.

"But I am a worm, and no man" [Psalm 22:6]. But I, speaking now not in the person of Adam, but I in My own person, Jesus Christ, was born without human generation in the flesh, that I might be as man beyond men; that so at least human pride might deign to imitate My humility. "The scorn of men, and outcast of the people." In which humility I was made the scorn of men, so as that it should be said, as a reproachful railing, "Be His disciple:" [John 9:28] and that the people despise Me.

Psalms 22:7

All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

"All that saw Me laughed Me to scorn" [Psalm 22:7]. All that saw Me derided Me. "And spoke with the lips, and shook the head." [Matthew 27:39] And they spoke, not with the heart, but with the lips.

Psalms 22:8

He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

For they shook their head in derision, saying, "He trusted in the Lord, let Him deliver Him:" [Matthew 27:43] "let Him save Him, since He desires Him" [Psalm 22:8]. These were their words; but they were spoken "with the lips."

Psalms 22:9

But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.

"Since You are He who drew Me out of the womb" [Psalm 22:9]. Since You are He who drew Me, not only out of that Virgin womb (for this is the law of all men's birth, that they be drawn out of the womb), but also out of the womb of the Jewish nation; by the darkness whereof he is covered, and not yet born into the light of Christ, whosoever places his salvation in the carnal observance of the Sabbath, and of circumcision, and the like. "My hope from My mother's breasts." "My hope," O God, not from the time when I began to be fed by the milk of the Virgin's breasts; for it was even before; but from the breasts of the Synagogue, as I have said, out of the womb, You have drawn Me, that I should not suck in the customs of the flesh.

Psalms 22:10

I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly.

"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.

Psalms 22:11

Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.

"You are My God," "depart not from Me; for trouble is hard at hand" [Psalm 22:11]. You are, therefore, My God, depart not from Me; for trouble is near unto Me; for it is in My body. "For there is none to help." For who helps, if Thou helpest not?

Psalms 22:12

Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.

"Many calves came about Me." The multitude of the wanton populace came about Me. "Fat bulls closed Me in" [Psalm 22:12]. And their leaders, glad at My oppression, "closed Me in."

Psalms 22:13

They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.

"They opened their mouth upon Me" [Psalm 22:13]. They opened their mouth upon Me, not out of Your Scripture, but of their own lusts. "As a ravening and roaring lion." As a lion, whose ravening is, that I was taken and led; and whose roaring, "Crucify, Crucify." [John 19:6]

Psalms 22:14

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.

"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. [Matthew 26:56] "My heart became as melting wax, in the midst of my belly." My wisdom, which was written of Me in the sacred books, was, as if hard and shut up, not understood: but after that the fire of My Passion was applied, it was, as if melted, manifested, and entertained in the memory of My Church.

Psalms 22:15

My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into 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. "And You brought Me down to the dust of death." And to the ungodly appointed to death, whom the wind casts forth as dust from the face of the earth, You brought Me down.

Psalms 22:16

For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

"For many dogs came about Me" [Psalm 22:16]. For many came about Me barking, not for truth, but for custom. "The council of the malignant came about Me." The council of the malignant besieged Me. "They pierced My hands and feet." They pierced with nails My hands and feet.

Psalms 22:17 · 2 passages

I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.

The passion of our Lord signifies our time, the period in which we weep here. Scourges, bonds, insults, spittle, a crown of thorns, wine mixed with gall, vinegar on a sponge, reviling, abuse, finally the cross itself, the sacred limbs hanging on the wood [of the cross]—what do all these sufferings signify for us except the period through which we are passing, the time of sorrow, the time of mortality, the time of trial? It is a foul period, but let that foulness of the dung be in the field, not in the house. Let grief arise on account of one’s sins, not on account of frustrated desires. A foul period, if used to advantage, is a fertile period. What has a more unpleasant odor than a field that has been covered with dung? It was a beautiful field before it received this load of manure; it was first reduced to foulness so that it might come to fertility. Foulness, therefore, is a mark of this time; let that foulness, however, be for us a period of fertility. Furthermore, let us see with the prophet who says, “We have seen him.” What is he like? “There is no beauty in him or comeliness.”…

The passion of our Lord signifies our time, the period in which we weep here. Scourges, bonds, insults, spittle, a crown of thorns, wine mixed with gall, vinegar on a sponge, reviling, abuse, finally the cross itself, the sacred limbs hanging on the wood [of the cross]—what do all these sufferings signify for us except the period through which we are passing, the time of sorrow, the time of mortality, the time of trial? It is a foul period, but let that foulness of the dung be in the field, not in the house. Let grief arise on account of one’s sins, not on account of frustrated desires. A foul period, if used to advantage, is a fertile period. What has a more unpleasant odor than a field that has been covered with dung? It was a beautiful field before it received this load of manure; it was first reduced to foulness so that it might come to fertility. Foulness, therefore, is a mark of this time; let that foulness, however, be for us a period of fertility. Furthermore, let us see with the prophet who says, “We have seen him.” What is he like? “There is no beauty in him or comeliness.” Why is this? Ask another prophet. “They have numbered all my bones.” They have numbered his bones as he hung on the cross. A foul sight, the sight of one crucified; but that foulness produced beauty. What beauty? That of the resurrection, because he is “beautiful above the sons of people.”

"They numbered distinctly all My bones" [Psalm 22:17]. They numbered distinctly all My bones, while extended on the wood of the Cross. "Yea, these same regarded, and beheld Me." Yea, these same, that is, unchanged, regarded and beheld Me.

Psalms 22:18

They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

"They divided My garments for themselves, and cast the lot upon My vesture" [Psalm 22:18].

Psalms 22:19

But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.

"But You, O Lord, withhold not Your help far from Me" [Psalm 22:19]. But You, O Lord, raise Me up again, not as the rest of men, at the end of the world, but immediately. "Look to My defence." "Look," that they in no wise hurt Me.