Augustine of Hippo — Commentary on Scripture

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.

Psalms 22:20 · 2 passages

Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.

"Deliver My soul from the sword." "Deliver My soul" from the tongue of dissension. "And My only One from the hand of the dog" [Psalm 22:20]. And from the power of the people, barking after their custom, deliver My Church.

Let each one also think this about his own life, that he may hate in it that private affection that is undoubtedly transitory and may love in it that union and sense of sharing of which it was said, “They had one soul and heart toward God.” Thus, your soul is not your own but is shared by all the brothers whose souls are also yours, or, rather, whose souls form with yours not souls but one soul, the single soul of Christ, of which the psalm says that it is delivered from the hand of the dog. From this it is an easy step to contempt of death.

Psalms 22:21

Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

"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.

Psalms 22:22

I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

"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.

Psalms 22:23

Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.

"You that fear the Lord, praise Him." "You that fear the Lord," seek not your own praise, but "praise Him." "All you seed of Jacob, magnify Him" [Psalm 22:23]. All you seed of him whom the elder shall serve, magnify Him.

Psalms 22:24

For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto 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 has not despised, nor disregarded the prayer of the poor man" [Psalm 22:24]. Since He has not despised the prayer, not of him who, crying unto God in the words of sins was loath to overpass a vain life, but the prayer of the poor man, not swollen up with transitory pomps. "Nor has He turned away His face from Me." As from him who said, I will cry unto You, but You will not hear. "And when I cried unto Him He heard Me."