Psalms 22:10

KJV

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

KJV (with Strong's)

I was cast {H7993} upon thee from the womb {H7358}: thou art my God {H410} from my mother's {H517} belly {H990}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Since my birth I've been thrown on you; you are my God from my mother's womb.

Berean Standard Bible

From birth I was cast upon You; from my mother’s womb You have been my God.

American Standard Version

I was cast upon thee from the womb; Thou art my God since my mother bare me.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Psalms 22:10 stands as a profound declaration of absolute dependence on God from the earliest moments of existence. It portrays the psalmist's life as entirely entrusted to divine care from the womb, establishing a deeply personal and foundational relationship with God that predates conscious awareness, affirming His sovereign involvement in the very formation and sustenance of life. This verse serves as a powerful anchor of trust amidst suffering, recalling God's unwavering faithfulness from the very beginning.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Psalm 22 opens with a poignant cry of dereliction, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" as articulated in [Psalm 22:1](/psalms/22-1 "Psalm 22:1 - A Cry of Dereliction"), transitioning through vivid descriptions of intense suffering, public scorn, and physical torment. The psalmist feels surrounded by enemies, his strength failing, yet amidst this profound anguish, there is an underlying current of trust and remembrance of God's past faithfulness. Verse 10, therefore, serves as a pivotal anchor in the psalmist's plea, grounding his present distress in a lifelong history of divine care and establishing the basis for his continued appeal to God, even as the psalm moves towards a triumphant conclusion of praise and global recognition of God's kingdom, envisioning all the ends of the earth remembering and turning to the Lord as prophesied in [Psalm 22:27](/psalms/22-27 "Psalm 22:27 - Global Worship").
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** Attributed to David, Psalm 22 reflects the experiences of a king who faced immense opposition and personal suffering, yet maintained a deep, personal relationship with Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. In ancient Israelite culture, the womb was understood as the mysterious and sacred place of life's origin, where God intricately "knitted" individuals together, as illuminated in [Psalm 139:13](/psalms/139-13 "Psalm 139:13 - God's Intricate Creation"). The concept of being "cast upon" or entrusted to God from birth highlights a worldview where divine providence was believed to govern every aspect of life, from its very inception. This was not merely a poetic flourish but a theological conviction rooted in the covenant relationship between God and His people, where God's care was seen as extending to the most vulnerable and dependent stages of human existence.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several key themes within [Psalm 22](/psalms/22 "Psalm 22 - A Psalm of Suffering and Praise") and the broader Psalter. Firstly, it underscores the theme of **Absolute Dependence**, portraying a life entirely reliant on God from its inception, a dependence that continues through all trials. Secondly, it highlights **God's Intimate Providence**, demonstrating His active and personal involvement in the formation and sustenance of life even before birth, echoing themes found in passages like [Psalm 139:13-16](/psalms/139-13-16 "Psalm 139:13-16 - God's Knowledge and Formation"). Thirdly, it reinforces the **Covenantal Relationship** between God and His people, where the declaration "thou art my God" signifies a deeply personal and enduring bond established by divine initiative. Finally, within the context of Psalm 22's Messianic overtones, this verse prophetically points to the unique and eternal relationship between the Father and the Son, a theme echoed in the New Testament's portrayal of Christ's pre-existence and divine identity in [John 1:1](/john/1-1 "John 1:1 - The Word Was God").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Cast (Hebrew, _shâlak'_):** This verb (H7993, שָׁלַךְ) literally means "to throw out, down or away." However, in this context, it conveys the profound idea of being committed, entrusted, or deposited into God's hands. It implies an active divine agency in the psalmist's pre-natal existence, not a passive abandonment or a human act of surrender, but rather God's sovereign reception and care from the very beginning. It speaks to a divine initiative in sustaining life, highlighting a foundational reliance that precedes conscious choice and underscores God's active role in establishing life.
* **Womb (Hebrew, _rechem'_):** The Hebrew term (H7358, רֶחֶם) refers specifically to the uterus or womb, emphasizing the earliest possible point of human existence. Its parallelism with "mother's belly" (H990, בֶּטֶן אִמִּי, _beṭen 'immî_) in the second half of the verse powerfully reinforces the idea of God's foundational and continuous care from the moment of conception. This highlights the sanctity and divine oversight of life's origins and the deep intimacy of God's knowledge and involvement in human formation.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"I was cast upon thee from the womb":** This clause describes the psalmist's existence as divinely ordained and sustained from the very beginning. The passive voice ("I was cast") emphasizes God's active role in receiving and caring for the individual from the moment of conception. It speaks to an absolute, innate dependence on God that predates any conscious choice or action by the psalmist, asserting God's sovereign providence over life's earliest and most vulnerable stages. This foundational act of divine care forms the basis for all subsequent trust.
* **"thou [art] my God from my mother's belly":** This parallel clause reiterates and intensifies the declaration of divine care. The phrase "thou art my God" signifies a deeply personal, covenantal relationship established by God's initiative from the earliest point of life. The repetition of the idea of "from the womb/belly" underscores the continuous and foundational nature of this divine relationship, asserting that God's identity as "my God" was not acquired later in life but was intrinsic to the psalmist's very formation and existence, demonstrating an unbroken bond of faithfulness.

#### Literary Devices
The verse employs several powerful literary devices to convey its profound message. **Parallelism** is prominently featured, with "from the womb" mirrored by "from my mother's belly," and the concept of being "cast upon thee" reinforced by the declaration "thou art my God." This synonymous parallelism serves to intensify and confirm the central message of complete divine dependence and a lifelong, intimate relationship. **Merism** is also present, as "womb" and "mother's belly" together encompass the entirety of the pre-natal period, indicating God's comprehensive and continuous care throughout that entire phase. The language also utilizes **Hyperbole** to emphasize the extreme extent of this dependence, stretching it back to the very first moments of life. Finally, the verse is a profound **Declaration** of faith, serving as an anchor of trust for the psalmist amidst his suffering by recalling God's foundational and unwavering care.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 22:10 offers a profound theological statement on God's intimate involvement in human life from its very inception, affirming His sovereign election and providential care. It challenges any notion of human autonomy at birth, asserting that our existence and identity are rooted in God's prior knowledge and active sustenance. This verse lays a foundational truth for understanding God's personal relationship with humanity, not as something initiated by human choice, but as a divine commitment that precedes and enables our very being. It speaks to the sanctity of life and the deep, personal knowledge God has of each individual, even before they draw their first breath, establishing a pattern of divine faithfulness that extends throughout all stages of life.

* [Psalms 71:6](/psalms/71-6 "Psalm 71:6 - God's Sustenance from the Womb")
* [Isaiah 49:1](/isaiah/49-1 "Isaiah 49:1 - Called from the Womb")
* [Jeremiah 1:5](/jeremiah/1-5 "Jeremiah 1:5 - Known Before Birth")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 22:10 serves as a powerful anchor for the soul, reminding us that our very existence is a testament to God's sovereign and intimate care. In a world that often feels chaotic and uncertain, this verse offers profound comfort: the God who sustained us in the hiddenness of the womb continues to be our God through every visible challenge and triumph of life. It invites us to cultivate a conscious, moment-by-moment dependence on Him, mirroring the unconscious, absolute dependence we had from our earliest moments. This truth can transform our anxieties into trust, our fears into faith, and our struggles into opportunities to lean more fully into the One who has always been, and always will be, our faithful God. It also calls us to value all human life, recognizing God's intricate hand and purpose in every individual from conception, fostering a deep respect for the sanctity of life.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does the truth of God's care from the womb impact your understanding of His providence in your current life circumstances?**
* **In what ways can you cultivate a deeper, more conscious dependence on God, reflecting the absolute dependence described in this verse?**
* **How does this verse inform your perspective on the sanctity and value of human life at all stages?**

### FAQ
**What does "I was cast upon thee from the womb" truly mean?**

Answer: This phrase signifies a profound and complete dependence on God from the very beginning of life, even before birth. The Hebrew verb "cast" (שָׁלַךְ, _shâlak'_) here implies being entrusted, committed, or deposited into God's care. It suggests that the psalmist's life was not merely a biological accident but was actively received and sustained by God from the moment of conception. It highlights God's sovereign initiative and continuous providence over an individual's existence, establishing a relationship with Him that predates any conscious awareness or choice. This idea is echoed in other biblical texts that speak of God's intricate formation and knowledge of individuals in the womb, such as [Psalm 139:13-16](/psalms/139-13-16 "Psalm 139:13-16 - God's Intimate Knowledge and Creation"), which describes God knitting us together in our mother's womb.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Psalms 22:10 speaks to the personal experience of David, its placement within a profoundly Messianic psalm points to its ultimate and most complete fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The declaration "I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly" takes on unparalleled significance when applied to the Son of God. From His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit, as recorded in [Luke 1:35](/luke/1-35 "Luke 1:35 - The Holy Spirit and Mary"), to His birth in Bethlehem, Jesus's entire human existence was uniquely and absolutely dependent on the Father. Unlike any other human, Christ's relationship with God was not merely established at birth but was an eternal reality, as the Word who was "with God" and "was God" from the beginning, as declared in [John 1:1](/john/1-1 "John 1:1 - The Word Was God"). His perfect obedience and unwavering trust in the Father, even unto death on the cross, exemplified this lifelong, inherent dependence, fulfilling the spirit of this verse in a way that transcends human experience. His cry of dereliction in [Psalm 22:1](/psalms/22-1 "Psalm 22:1 - My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?") on the cross, though seemingly a moment of abandonment, paradoxically underscored His absolute reliance on the Father, a reliance that began in the womb and culminated in His resurrection and exaltation, as beautifully articulated in [Philippians 2:8-11](/philippians/2-8-11 "Philippians 2:8-11 - Christ's Humiliation and Exaltation").

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Galatians 1:15

But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called [me] by his grace,

Jeremiah 1:5

Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, [and] I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Isaiah 49:1

¶ Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.

Isaiah 46:3

Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne [by me] from the belly, which are carried from the womb:

Isaiah 46:4

And [even] to [your] old age I [am] he; and [even] to hoar hairs will I carry [you]: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver [you].

John 20:17

Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and [to] my God, and your God.

Luke 2:40

And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.