TRV
Translation
American Standard Version
But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised of the people.
World English Bible Messianic
But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people.
Geneva Bible (1599)
But I am a worme, and not a man: a shame of men, and the contempt of the people.
Young's Literal Translation
And I am a worm, and no man, A reproach of man, and despised of the people.
In the KJVVerse 14,211 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on Psalms 22 verses 1–10
1 ¶ To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.
3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8 He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
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.
10 I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly.
I. II. Main points1. 2. Sub-points
Some think they find Christ in the title of this psalm, upon Aijeleth Shahar - The hind of the morning. Christ is as the swift hind upon the mountains of spices (Sol 8:14), as the loving hind and the pleasant roe, to all believers (Pro 5:19); he giveth goodly words like Naphtali, who is compared to a hind let loose, Gen 49:21. He is the hind of the morning, marked out by the counsels of God from eternity, to be run down by those dogs that compassed him, Psa 22:16. But others think it denotes only the tune to which the psalm was set. In these verses we have,
I. A sad complaint of God's withdrawings, Psa 22:1, Psa 22:2.
1.This may be applied to David, or any other child of God, in the want of the tokens of his favour, pressed with the burden of his displeasure, roaring under it, as one overwhelmed with grief and terror, crying earnestly for relief, and, in this case, apprehending himself forsaken of God, unhelped, unheard, yet calling him, again and again, "My God," and continuing to cry day and night to him and earnestly desiring his gracious returns. Note, (1.) Spiritual desertions are the saints' sorest afflictions; when their evidences are clouded, divine consolations suspended, their communion with God interrupted, and the terrors of God set in array against them, how sad are their spirits, and how sapless all their comforts! (2.) Even their complaint of these burdens is a good sign of spiritual life and spiritual senses exercised. To cry out, "My God, why am I sick? Why am I poor?" would give cause to suspect discontent and worldliness. But, Why has though forsaken me? is the language of a heart binding up its happiness in God's favour. (3.) When we are lamenting God's withdrawings, yet still we must call him our God, and continue to call upon him as ours. When we want the faith of assurance we must live by a faith of adherence. "However it be, yet God is good, and he is mine; though he slay me, yet I trust in him; though he do not answer me immediately, I will continue praying and waiting; though he be silent, I will not be silent."
2.But is must be applied to Christ: for, in the first words of this complaint, he poured out his soul before God when he was upon the cross (Mat 27:46); probably he proceeded to the following words, and, some think, repeated the whole psalm, if not aloud (because they cavilled at the first words), yet to himself. Note, (1.) Christ, in his sufferings, cried earnestly to his Father for his favour and presence with him. He cried in the day-time, upon the cross, and in the night-season, when he was in agony in the garden. He offered up strong crying and tears to him that was able to save him, and with some fear too, Heb 5:7. (2.) Yet God forsook him, was far from helping him, and did not hear him, and it was this that he complained of more than all his sufferings. God delivered him into the hands of his enemies; it was by his determinate counsel that he was crucified and slain, and he did not give in sensible comforts. But, Christ having made himself sin for us, in conformity thereunto the Father laid him under the present impressions of his wrath and displeasure against sin. It pleased the Lord to bruise him and put him to grief, Isa 53:10. But even then he kept fast hold of his relation to his Father as his God, by whom he was now employed, whom he was now serving, and with whom he should shortly be glorified.
II. Encouragement taken, in reference hereunto, Psa 22:3-5. Though God did not hear him, did not help him, yet, 1. He will think well of God: "But thou art holy, not unjust, untrue, nor unkind, in any of thy dispensations. Though thou dost not immediately come in to the relief of thy afflicted people, yet though lovest them, art true to thy covenant with them, and dost not countenance the iniquity of their persecutors, Hab 1:13. And, as thou art infinitely pure and upright thyself, so thou delightest in the services of thy upright people: Thou inhabitest the praises of Israel; thou art pleased to manifest thy glory, and grace, and special presence with thy people, in the sanctuary, where they attend thee with their praises. There thou art always ready to receive their homage, and of the tabernacle of meeting thou hast said, This is my rest for ever." This bespeaks God's wonderful condescension to his faithful worshippers - (that, though he is attended with the praises of angels, yet he is pleased to inhabit the praises of Israel), and it may comfort us in all our complaints - that, though God seem, for a while, to turn a deaf ear to them, yet he is so well pleased with his people's praises that he will, in due time, give them cause to change their note: Hope in God, for I shall yet praise him. Our Lord Jesus, in his sufferings, had an eye to the holiness of God, to preserve and advance the honour of that, and of his grace in inhabiting the praises of Israel notwithstanding the iniquities of their holy things. 2. He will take comfort from the experiences which the saints in former ages had of the benefit of faith and prayer (Psa 22:4, Psa 22:5): "Our fathers trusted in thee, cried unto thee, and thou didst deliver them; therefore thou wilt, in due time, deliver me, for never any that hoped in thee were made ashamed of their hope, never any that sought thee sought thee in vain. And thou art still the same in thyself and the same to thy people that ever thou wast. They were our fathers, and thy people are beloved for the fathers' sake," Rom 11:28. The entail of the covenant is designed for the support of the seed of the faithful. He that was our fathers' God must be ours, and will therefore be ours. Our Lord Jesus, in his sufferings, supported himself with this - that all the fathers who were types of him in his sufferings, Noah, Joseph, David, Jonah, and others, were in due time delivered and were types of his exaltation too; therefore he knew that he also should not be confounded, Isa 50:7.
III. The complaint renewed of another grievance, and that is the contempt and reproach of men. This complaint is by no means so bitter as that before of God's withdrawings; but, as that touches a gracious soul, so this a generous soul, in a very tender part, Psa 22:6-8. Our fathers were honoured, the patriarchs in their day, first or last, appeared great in the eye of the world, Abraham, Moses, David; but Christ is a worm, and no man. It was great condescension that he became man, a step downwards, which is, and will be, the wonder of angels; yet, as if it were too much, too great, to be a man, he becomes a worm, and no man. He was Adam - a mean man, and Enosh - a man of sorrows, but lo Ish - not a considerable man: for he took upon him the form of a servant, and his visage was marred more than any man's, Isa 52:14. Man, at the best, is a worm; but he became a worm, and no man. If he had not made himself a worm, he could not have been trampled upon as he was. The word signifies such a worm as was used in dyeing scarlet or purple, whence some make it an allusion to his bloody sufferings. See what abuses were put upon him. 1. He was reproached as a bad man, as a blasphemer, a sabbath-breaker, a wine-bibber, a false prophet, an enemy to Caesar, a confederate with the prince of the devils. 2. He was despised of the people as a mean contemptible man, not worth taking notice of, his country in no repute, his relations poor mechanics, his followers none of the rulers, or the Pharisees, but the mob. 3. He was ridiculed as a foolish man, and one that not only deceived others, but himself too. Those that saw him hanging on the cross laughed him to scorn. So far were they from pitying him, or concerning themselves for him, that they added to his afflictions, with all the gestures and expressions of insolence upbraiding him with his fall. They make mouths at him, make merry over him, and make a jest of his sufferings: They shoot out the lip, they shake their head, saying, This was he that said he trusted God would deliver him; now let him deliver him. David was sometimes taunted for his confidence in God; but in the sufferings of Christ this was literally and exactly fulfilled. Those very gestures were used by those that reviled him (Mat 27:39); they wagged their heads, nay, and so far did their malice make them forget themselves that they used the very words (Mat 27:43), He trusted in God; let him deliver him. Our Lord Jesus, having undertaken to satisfy for the dishonour we had done to God by our sins, did it by submitting to the lowest possible instance of ignominy and disgrace.
IV. Encouragement taken as to this also (Psa 22:9, Psa 22:10): Men despise me, but thou art he that took me out of the womb. David and other good men have often, for direction to us, encouraged themselves with this, that God was not only the God of their fathers, as before (Psa 22:4), but the God of their infancy, who began by times to take care of them, as soon as they had a being, and therefore, they hope, will never cast them off. He that did so well for us in that helpless useless state will not leave us when he has reared us and nursed us up into some capacity of serving him. See the early instances of God's providential care for us, 1. In the birth: He took us also out of the womb, else we had died there, or been stifled in the birth. Every man's particular time begins with this pregnant proof of God's providence, as time, in general, began with the creation, that pregnant proof of his being. 2. At the breast: "Then didst thou make me hope;" that is, "thou didst that for me, in providing sustenance for me and protecting me from the dangers to which I was exposed, which encourages me to hope in thee all my days." The blessings of the breasts, as they crown the blessings of the womb, so they are earnests of the blessings of our whole lives; surely he that fed us then will never starve us, Job 3:12. 3. In our early dedication to him: I was cast upon thee from the womb, which perhaps refers to his circumcision on the eighth day; he was then by his parents committed and given up to God as his God in covenant; for circumcision was a seal of the covenant; and this encouraged him to trust in God. Those have reason to think themselves safe who were so soon, so solemnly, gathered under the wings of the divine majesty. 4. In the experience we have had of God's goodness to us all along ever since, drawn out in a constant uninterrupted series of preservations and supplies: Thou art my God, providing me and watching over me for good, from my mother's belly, that is, from my coming into the world unto this day. And if, as soon as we became capable of exercising reason, we put our confidence in God and committed ourselves and our way to him, we need not doubt but he will always remember the kindness of our youth and the love of our espousals, Jer 2:2. This is applicable to our Lord Jesus, over whose incarnation and birth the divine Providence watched with a peculiar care, when he was born in a stable, laid in a manger, and immediately exposed to the malice of Herod, and forced to flee into Egypt. When he was a child God loved him and called him thence (Hos 11:1), and the remembrance of this comforted him in his sufferings. Men reproached him, and discouraged his confidence in God; but God had honoured him and encouraged his confidence in him.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–10. Public domain.
Copy as
Clement of RomeAD 99
Clement's First Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 16
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. For He says, "Lord, who has believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? We have declared [our message] in His presence: He is, as it were, a child, and like a root in thirsty ground; He has no form nor glory, yea, we saw Him, and He had no form nor comeliness; but His form was without eminence, yea, deficient in comparison with the [ordinary] form of men. He is a man exposed to stripes and suffering, and acquainted with the endurance of grief: for His countenance was turned away; He was despised, and not esteemed. He bears our iniquities, and is in sorrow for our sakes; yet we supposed that [on His own account] He was exposed to labour, and stripes, and affliction. But He was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we were healed. All we, like sheep, have gone astray; [every] man has wandered in his own way; and the Lord has delivered Him up for our sins, while He in the midst of His sufferings opens not His mouth. He was brought as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before her shearer is dumb, so He opens not His mouth. In His humiliation His judgment was taken away; who shall declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth. For the transgressions of my people was He brought down to death. And I will give the wicked for His sepulchre, and the rich for His death, because He did no iniquity, neither was guile found in His mouth. And the Lord is pleased to purify him by stripes. If you make an offering for sin, your soul shall see a long-lived seed. And the Lord is pleased to relieve Him of the affliction of His soul, to show Him light, and to form Him with understanding, to justify the Just One who ministers well to many; and He Himself shall carry their sins. On this account He shall inherit many, and shall divide the spoil of the strong; because His soul was delivered to death, and He was reckoned among the transgressors, and He bare the sins of many, and for their sins was He delivered." [Isaiah 53:1-12] And again He says, "I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All that see me have derided me; they have spoken with their lips; they have wagged their head, [saying] He hoped in God, let Him deliver Him, let Him save Him, since He delights in Him." [Psalm 22:6-8] You see, beloved, what is the example which has been given us; for if the Lord thus humbled Himself, what shall we do who have through Him come under the yoke of His grace?
Eusebius of CaesareaAD 339
PROOF OF THE GOSPEL 10:8.499
Wonder not if this was said of and fulfilled by the passion of the Savior, for even now he is a reproach among all people who have not yet received faith in him!
Ephrem the SyrianAD 373
HYMNS ON THE NATIVITY 1
By the word worm did the Spirit foreshow him in a parable, because his generation was without marriage.
Ambrose of MilanAD 397
Letter 46: To Sabinus
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.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
SERMON 380:2
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.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 22
"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.
Theodoret of CyrusAD 458
COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 22:6
I am like a worm, he is saying, seen to be worthless and become a laughingstock. Now, some claimed that by “worm” is suggested also the birth from a virgin, as it is not by intercourse that it comes into existence; but I believe only lowliness is indicated here.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
Copy as
Continue studying Psalms 22:6 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
SUMMARY
Psalms 22:6 is a profoundly poignant declaration from one experiencing extreme humiliation and dehumanization. The speaker, feeling utterly stripped of dignity and reduced to something utterly insignificant and vile, describes being publicly scorned and despised by society. This verse captures a deep sense of abandonment and abasement, serving as a powerful expression of suffering that finds its ultimate prophetic fulfillment in the passion of Jesus Christ.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalms 22:6 employs several powerful literary devices to convey the speaker's profound suffering. The most prominent is Metaphor, specifically in the declaration "I am a worm," which directly compares the speaker to an insignificant, vulnerable creature, effectively communicating a sense of utter degradation and worthlessness. This is complemented by Hyperbole, as the statement "and no man" is an exaggeration designed to emphasize the complete loss of human dignity and identity, pushing beyond mere lowliness to a state of complete dehumanization. The verse also utilizes Parallelism, particularly synonymous parallelism, in the phrases "a reproach of men" and "despised of the people." These two clauses convey essentially the same idea of public scorn and contempt, reinforcing the widespread nature of the speaker's rejection and the universality of his ostracism. Finally, there is a strong Contrast between the speaker's self-identification as a "worm" and "no man" and the inherent dignity typically associated with humanity, highlighting the immense fall in status and the depth of the humiliation endured.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse, with its raw depiction of dehumanization and public scorn, connects deeply to the biblical theme of righteous suffering and the redemptive power found within it. It foreshadows the ultimate suffering of the innocent for the guilty, a concept central to the Suffering Servant passages in Isaiah. The speaker's experience of being reduced to "a worm, and no man" resonates with the profound self-abasement and humiliation that God's chosen servants, and ultimately Christ Himself, would endure for the sake of humanity. It highlights that true dignity is not found in human approval or status, but in one's relationship with God, even when despised by the world. The willingness to embrace such a low state, as seen in this verse, becomes a powerful testament to divine love and sacrifice, demonstrating that God often works through the despised and rejected to accomplish His greatest purposes.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 22:6 offers a profound lens through which to view human suffering, particularly the pain of rejection, humiliation, and feeling utterly worthless. In a world that often values status, appearance, and achievement, this verse reminds us that true dignity is not external but intrinsic, granted by God, and cannot be stripped away by human scorn. It calls us to cultivate profound empathy for those who feel marginalized, despised, or "less than" in society, whether due to poverty, illness, social ostracism, or personal struggles. For believers, it deepens our appreciation for Christ's willingness to identify with humanity at its absolute lowest point, enduring the ultimate scorn so that we might be elevated and given true worth. When we feel like "a worm, and no man," this psalm reminds us that our worth is not determined by human opinion but by the God who hears even the cries of the most abased and ultimately delivers. It encourages us to find our identity and hope in Him, even when the world casts us aside, knowing that our ultimate value is found in being created in His image and redeemed by His love.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Is the "worm" in Psalm 22:6 a specific type of worm, and does it have symbolic meaning beyond mere insignificance?
Answer: Yes, the Hebrew word used, tôwlâʻ (תּוֹלָע), commonly refers to the crimson worm (Coccus ilicis). This specific worm was significant because when the female worm was crushed to extract its vibrant scarlet dye, it would adhere to the wood, die, and leave behind a permanent red stain, often with its body resembling a tiny, crushed crimson spot. While the primary meaning in Psalms 22:6 emphasizes utter insignificance, vulnerability, and lowliness, akin to something easily trodden upon, some theological interpretations draw a connection to the shedding of Christ's blood and His sacrificial death. The imagery of the worm being crushed to produce a beautiful, lasting color can be seen as a poignant foreshadowing of Christ's suffering and the redemptive blood He shed, which provides a permanent covering for sin. However, within the immediate context of the psalm, the emphasis is on the speaker's profound sense of degradation and worthlessness, highlighting the depth of his abasement.
How can a psalm of lament, expressing such despair, be considered a Messianic prophecy?
Answer: Psalm 22 is considered a Messianic prophecy through a concept known as typological fulfillment. While it undoubtedly reflects the personal experiences of King David, many of its details go far beyond what David himself endured and find precise, literal fulfillment in the life, passion, and death of Jesus Christ. For example, the opening cry, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?, was quoted by Jesus on the cross (Matthew 27:46). Other details, such as the piercing of hands and feet (Psalm 22:16) and the dividing of garments and casting lots for clothing (Psalm 22:18), were literally fulfilled during the crucifixion, as recorded in the Gospels (John 19:23-24). Thus, David's lament serves as a divinely inspired blueprint, a type, for the ultimate suffering of the Messiah, making it a powerful prophetic text that points directly to the person and work of Christ.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 22:6 finds its most profound and complete fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. On the cross, Jesus truly became "a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people." He, who was God incarnate, willingly emptied Himself of divine prerogatives, taking "the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:7). His humiliation culminated in the crucifixion, where He was publicly mocked, scorned, and treated as less than human by soldiers, religious leaders, and passersby (Matthew 27:39-44). He was indeed "despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3). By identifying with humanity at its absolute lowest, enduring the ultimate shame and degradation, Christ bore the full weight of sin and its consequences, becoming sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). His willingness to be treated as "a worm" enables Him to lift humanity from the dust, offering dignity, redemption, and reconciliation with God. Through His abasement, we are exalted, finding our true worth and identity not in human approval, but in the One who was despised for our sake, so that we might be called children of God (John 1:12).