TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Psalms 22:11–21. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
In these verses we have Christ suffering and Christ praying, by which we are directed to look for crosses and to look up to God under them.
I.Here is Christ suffering.
David indeed was often in trouble, and beset with enemies; but many of the particulars here specified are such as were never true of David, and therefore must be appropriated to Christ in the depth of his humiliation.
1.He is here deserted by his friends: Trouble and distress are near, and there is none to help, none to uphold, Psa 22:11. He trod the wine-press alone; for all his disciples forsook him and fled. It is God's honour to help when all other helps and succours fail.
2.He is here insulted and surrounded by his enemies, such as were of a higher rank, who for their strength and fury, are compared to bulls, strong bulls of Bashan (Psa 22:12), fat and fed to the full, haughty and sour; such were the chief priests and elders that persecuted Christ; and others of a lower rank, who are compared to dogs (Psa 22:16), filthy and greedy, and unwearied in running him down. There was an assembly of the wicked plotting against him (Psa 22:16); for the chief priests sat in council, to consult of ways and means to take Christ. These enemies were numerous and unanimous: "Many, and those of different and clashing interests among themselves, as Herod and Pilate, have agreed to compass me. They have carried their plot far, and seem to have gained their point, for they have beset me round, Psa 22:12. They have enclosed me, Psa 22:16. They are formidable and threatening (Psa 22:13): They gaped upon me with their mouths, to show me that they would swallow me up; and this with as much strength and fierceness as a roaring ravening lion leaps upon his prey."
3.He is here crucified. The very manner of his death is described, though never in use among the Jews: They pierced my hands and my feet (Psa 22:16), which were nailed to the accursed tree, and the whole body left so to hang, the effect of which must needs be the most exquisite pain and torture. There is no one passage in all the Old Testament which the Jews have so industriously corrupted as this, because it is such an eminent prediction of the death of Christ and was so exactly fulfilled.
4.He is here dying (Psa 22:14, Psa 22:15), dying in pain and anguish, because he was to satisfy for sin, which brought in pain, and for which we must otherwise have lain in everlasting anguish. Here is,
(1.)The dissolution of the whole frame of his body: I am poured out like water, weak as water, and yielding to the power of death, emptying himself of all the supports of his human nature.
(2.)The dislocation of his bones. Care was taken that not one of them should be broken (Joh 19:36), but they were all out of joint by the violent stretching of his body upon the cross as upon a rack. Or it may denote the fear that seized him in his agony in the garden, when he began to be sore amazed, the effect of which perhaps was (as sometimes it has been of great fear, Dan 5:6), that the joints of his loins were loosed and his knees smote one against another. His bones were put out of joint that he might put the whole creation into joint again, which sin had put out of joint, and might make our broken bones to rejoice.
(3.)The colliquation of his spirits: My heart is like wax, melted to receive the impressions of God's wrath against the sins he undertook to satisfy for, melting away like the vitals of a dying man; and, as this satisfied for the hardness of our hearts, so the consideration of it should help to soften them. When Job speaks of his inward trouble he says, The Almighty makes my heart soft, Job 23:16, and see Psa 58:2.
(4.)The failing of his natural force: My strength is dried up; so that he became parched and brittle like a potsherd, the radical moisture being wasted by the fire of divine wrath preying upon his spirits. Who then can stand before God's anger? Or who knows the power of it? If this was done in the green tree, what shall be done in the dry? (5.) The clamminess of his mouth, a usual symptom of approaching death: My tongue cleaveth to my jaws; this was fulfilled both in his thirst upon the cross (Joh 19:28) and in his silence under his sufferings; for, as a sheep before the shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth, nor objected against any thing done to him. (6.) His giving up the ghost: "Thou hast brought me to the dust of death; I am just ready to drop into the grave;" for nothing less would satisfy divine justice. The life of the sinner was forfeited, and therefore the life of the sacrifice must be the ransom for it. The sentence of death passed upon Adam was thus expressed: Unto dust thou shalt return. And therefore Christ, having an eye to that sentence in his obedience to death, here uses a similar expression: Thou hast brought me to the dust of death.
5.He was stripped. The shame of nakedness was the immediate consequence of sin; and therefore our Lord Jesus was stripped of his clothes, when he was crucified, that he might clothe us with the robe of his righteousness, and that the shame of our nakedness might not appear. Now here we are told, (1.) How his body looked when it was thus stripped: I may tell all my bones, Psa 22:17. His blessed body was lean and emaciated with labour, grief, and fasting, during the whole course of his ministry, which made him look as if he was nearly 50 years old when he was yet but 33, as we find, Joh 8:57. His wrinkles now witnessed for him that he was far from being what was called, a gluttonous man and a wine-bibber. Or his bones might be numbered, because his body was distended upon the cross, which made it easy to count his ribs. They look and stare upon me, that is, my bones do, being distorted, and having no flesh to cover them, as Job says (Job 16:8), My leanness, rising up in me, beareth witness to my face. Or "the standers by, the passers by, are amazed to see my bones start out thus; and, instead of pitying me, are pleased even with such a rueful spectacle." (2.) What they did with his clothes, which they took from him (Psa 22:18): They parted my garments among them, to every soldier a part, and upon my vesture, the seamless coat, do they cast lots. This very circumstance was exactly fulfilled, Joh 19:23, Joh 19:24. And though it was no great instance of Christ's suffering, yet it is a great instance of the fulfilling of the scripture in him. Thus it was written, and therefore thus it behoved Christ to suffer. Let this therefore confirm our faith in him as the true Messiah, and inflame our love to him as the best of friends, who loved us and suffered all this for us.
II.Here is Christ praying, and with that supporting himself under the burden of his sufferings.
Christ, in his agony, prayed earnestly, prayed that the cup might pass from him. When the prince of this world with his terrors set upon him, gaped upon him as a roaring lion, he fell upon the ground and prayed. And of that David's praying here was a type. He calls God his strength, Psa 22:19. When we cannot rejoice in God as our song, yet let us stay ourselves upon him as out strength, and take the comfort of spiritual supports when we cannot come at spiritual delights. He prays,
1.That God would be with him, and not set himself at a distance from him: Be not thou far from me (Psa 22:11), and again, Psa 22:19. "Whoever stands aloof from my sore, Lord, do not thou." The nearness of trouble should quicken us to draw near to God and then we may hope that he will draw near to us.
2.That he would help him and make haste to help him, help him to bear up under his troubles, that he might not fail nor be discouraged, that he might neither shrink from his undertaking no sink under it. And the Father heard him in that he feared (Heb 5:7) and enabled him to go through with his work.
3.That he would deliver him and save him, Psa 22:20, Psa 22:21. (1.) Observe what the jewel is which he is in care for, "The safety of my soul, my darling; let that be redeemed from the power of the grave, Psa 49:15. Father, into thy hands I commit that, to be conveyed safely to paradise." The psalmist here calls his soul his darling, his only one (so the word is): "My soul is my only one. I have but one soul to take care of, and therefore the greater is my shame if I neglect it and the greater will the loss be if I let it perish. Being my only one, it ought to be my darling, for the eternal welfare of which I ought to be deeply concerned. I do not use my soul as my darling, unless I take care to preserve it from every thing that would hurt it and to provide all necessaries for it, and be entirely tender of its welfare." (2.) Observe what the danger is from which he prays to be delivered, from the sword, the flaming sword of divine wrath, which turns every way. This he dreaded more than any thing, Gen 3:24. God's anger was the wormwood and the gall in the bitter cup that was put into his hands. "O deliver my soul from that. Lord, though I lose my life, let me not lose thy love. Save me from the power of the dog, and from the lion's mouth." This seems to be meant of Satan, that old enemy who bruised the heel of the seed of the woman, the prince of this world, with whom he was to engage in close combat and whom he saw coming, Joh 14:30. "Lord, save me from being overpowered by his terrors." He pleads, "Thou hast formerly heard me from the horns of the unicorn," that is, "saved me from him in answer to my prayer." This may refer to the victory Christ had obtained over Satan and his temptations (Mt. 4), when the devil left him for a season (Luk 4:13), but now returned in another manner to attack him with his terrors. "Lord, thou gavest me the victory then, give it me now, that I may spoil principalities and powers, and cast out the prince of this world." Has God delivered us from the horns of the unicorn, that we be not tossed? Let that encourage us to hope that we shall be delivered from the lion's mouth, that we be not torn. He that has delivered doth and will deliver. This prayer of Christ, no doubt, was answered, for the Father heard him always. And, though he did not deliver him from death, yet he suffered him not to see corruption, but, the third day, raised him out of the dust of death, which was a greater instance of God's favour to him than if he had helped him down from the cross; for that would have hindered his undertaking, whereas his resurrection crowned it.
In singing this we should meditate on the sufferings and resurrection of Christ till we experience in our own souls the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings.
Historical interpretation
Two Centuries of Reception
5 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
[We know] that even if … all the bones of Christ appear to be scattered in persecutions and afflictions by the plots of those who wage war against the unity of the temple by persecutions, the temple will be raised up and the body will arise on the third day.
You have often heard also the words of the psalm: “To the dust of death you have brought me down.” Think also of the prophecy of Jacob in the Scriptures: “He lay down and couched as a lion, and as a lion’s whelp; who will disturb him?” Similarly in Numbers: “Lying down he has slept as a lion, and as a lion’s whelp.”
He mentions what is typical of people worried and distressed: since all worry affects the heart, he did well to add “my heart was melted like wax,” my mind having no stability or composure or sound hope; instead, under pressure from the threats and depressing expectations my thoughts dissolved like wax. Next, as happens also with those in distress, “my strength was dried up like a potsherd”: all my condition left me, depression reducing me to great dryness.
"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.
As much as his brokenness seems without cure, so much more praiseworthy then is his recovery. And, likewise, the more the work of the potter is fired, the better and more solid will the work be found.
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Summary
Psalm 22:14 presents a profoundly visceral and agonizing depiction of complete physical and emotional collapse. Through vivid, almost unbearable imagery, the psalmist portrays a state of utter weakness, internal dissolution, and skeletal distress, conveying a sense of being entirely drained of strength and utterly broken. While rooted in the personal suffering of the psalmist, this verse's intense imagery transcends individual experience, serving as a powerful and precise prophetic foreshadowing of the ultimate suffering of the Messiah.
Context
Literary Context
Psalm 22 is a remarkable and deeply moving composition, often termed a "Messianic Psalm" due to its striking prophetic accuracy regarding Christ's crucifixion. It commences with a desperate cry of abandonment in Psalm 22:1, a lament famously echoed by Jesus on the cross. The psalm meticulously traces a trajectory from intense personal anguish and a harrowing sense of being surrounded by malevolent enemies (as seen in Psalm 22:12-13) to a dramatic and triumphant shift towards praise and unwavering confidence in God's ultimate deliverance (evident in Psalm 22:22-25). Verse 14 is situated squarely within the section of profound suffering, immediately preceding other harrowing descriptions of physical torment and public humiliation (such as Psalm 22:15-18). This verse, therefore, serves as a central and pivotal articulation of the depth of the psalmist's (and prophetically, the Messiah's) distress, preceding the turning point of divine intervention and ultimate vindication.
Historical & Cultural Context
While traditionally attributed to King David, the precise historical occasion for Psalm 22 is not explicitly stated, which allows its universal themes of suffering and vindication to resonate across generations. The vivid imagery of being "poured out like water" or having "bones out of joint" reflects common, powerful expressions of extreme physical and emotional distress found in ancient Near Eastern literature. Such descriptions were often associated with severe illness, battle wounds, or profound psychological trauma, conveying a state of utter helplessness and dissolution. In ancient Hebrew thought, the "heart" (Hebrew: lêb) and "bowels" (Hebrew: mêʻeh) were considered the very seats of one's deepest emotions, intellect, will, and inner being, far more than mere anatomical organs. Thus, a "melted heart" signifies a complete loss of courage, strength, and internal coherence, a state of overwhelming despair and vulnerability. The psalm's graphic descriptions would have been immediately comprehensible and deeply impactful to an ancient audience intimately familiar with the harsh realities of life, including persecution, betrayal, and intense physical hardship.
Key Themes
Psalm 22 contributes significantly to several foundational themes within the Psalter and the broader biblical narrative. Foremost is the theme of Lament and Trust, where the psalmist, despite pouring out his deepest anguish and feeling utterly forsaken, ultimately expresses unwavering faith in God's character and eventual deliverance. This verse powerfully illustrates the theme of Profound Suffering, detailing an experience of physical and internal dissolution that pushes the boundaries of human endurance to an extreme. Crucially, this suffering is not merely personal but takes on immense Prophetic Significance, particularly in its uncanny foreshadowing of the crucifixion, a brutal method of execution unknown in David's time. The psalm also touches on themes of Public Shame and Mockery (as depicted in Psalm 22:6-8) and ultimately, Divine Vindication and Universal Worship (culminating in Psalm 22:27-31), demonstrating that even the deepest suffering can be a pathway through which God's glory is revealed and the salvation of the nations is accomplished.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This verb (H8210), often used for pouring out a libation or molten metal, here conveys a profound sense of complete dissolution, depletion, and loss of form or substance. It suggests a body that has lost all its strength and integrity, becoming as formless, weak, and easily spilled as water. Figuratively, it speaks to the expenditure of life, soul, or complaint, emphasizing utter exhaustion.
This verb (H6504) means "to break through," "to spread," "to separate," or "to dislocate." In this context, it vividly describes extreme physical agony where bones are pulled apart from their sockets. It paints a horrifying picture of intense skeletal strain and dismemberment, a profound disruption of the body's natural alignment and structural integrity.
This verb (H4549) signifies a complete liquefaction or dissolution. When applied metaphorically, as it is here to the heart, it denotes a loss of courage, strength, or resolve. When the "heart" (the seat of will and emotion) "melted," it indicates utter despair, terror, and a complete internal collapse, as if one's very core has lost its solidity, purpose, and ability to function.
Verse Breakdown
"I am poured out like water"
This powerful simile conveys a state of utter physical weakness, fluidity, and loss of bodily integrity. The psalmist feels his strength, vitality, and very essence draining away, leaving him without substance or the ability to stand firm. It speaks to a profound sense of helplessness, dissolution, and an ebbing away of life force, as if his physical being is losing its form and coherence.
"and all my bones are out of joint"
This clause describes intense physical agony, suggesting dislocation, extreme stretching, or separation of the skeletal structure. It evokes the chilling image of a body under immense strain, where joints are separating or being pulled apart, causing excruciating pain and a complete breakdown of physical support and stability. This is a literal depiction of severe bodily torment and structural failure.
"my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels"
This double simile vividly portrays an overwhelming internal collapse, encompassing both emotional and physiological dimensions. The "heart" (the center of one's being, including intellect, will, and emotion) is depicted as losing its solidity and resolve, becoming soft and yielding like wax. This "melting" in the "bowels" (the inner parts, deeply associated with profound feelings and sympathy) signifies overwhelming despair, terror, and a complete loss of courage and internal strength. It speaks to a spiritual and emotional breakdown as severe and debilitating as the physical torment described.
Literary Devices
Psalm 22:14 is exceptionally rich in Imagery and Simile, crafting a profoundly visceral and empathetic portrayal of suffering. The psalmist employs two striking similes: "poured out like water" and "my heart is like wax." The first powerfully emphasizes the complete loss of strength, form, and vitality, evoking a sense of utter weakness and dissolution, as if the very substance of his being is draining away. The second simile compellingly conveys the internal collapse of courage and emotional fortitude, depicting the heart—the seat of one's will and emotions—as having liquefied under immense pressure. The phrase "all my bones are out of joint" uses vivid Hyperbole to emphasize extreme physical agony, though it also carries a profound prophetic resonance regarding the nature of crucifixion. Furthermore, Synecdoche is present, where "bones," "heart," and "bowels" represent the entirety of the psalmist's physical, emotional, and spiritual being, highlighting the comprehensive and all-encompassing nature of his distress. The cumulative effect of these literary devices is to immerse the reader in the psalmist's overwhelming experience of pain, both external and internal, making the suffering palpable and deeply affecting.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Psalm 22:14 powerfully articulates the depth of human suffering, but it does so within a theological framework that ultimately points to God's sovereignty and redemptive purpose. The psalmist's experience of total physical and emotional collapse resonates deeply with the brokenness of a fallen world and the inherent vulnerability of humanity under the weight of sin and its consequences. Theologically, this verse highlights the reality of suffering as a profound human experience, yet it also meticulously sets the stage for God's ultimate intervention and deliverance. In its profound depiction of agony, this verse prepares the reader for the radical nature of God's identification with human pain through the Messiah, demonstrating that even in the most extreme states of desolation, God is intimately present and supremely capable of bringing forth salvation and praise. It underscores the biblical theme that suffering, while grievous and deeply painful, can paradoxically be a pathway through which God's power, faithfulness, and glory are ultimately revealed to a watching world.
Reflection and Application
Psalm 22:14 invites us to contemplate the profound depths of human suffering and, by extension, the immense, incomprehensible cost of our salvation. When we find ourselves feeling "poured out like water," utterly depleted in strength, vitality, or hope, or when our "bones are out of joint" from the crushing stresses, physical ailments, or emotional pains of life, or when our "heart is melted" by despair, terror, or overwhelming grief, this verse offers a profound assurance: our experience is not unknown to God. It reminds us that our Savior, Jesus Christ, entered into the very fullness of human pain, identifying with our weakness and brokenness to an unimaginable degree, bearing the weight of sin and its consequences. This understanding cultivates deep empathy for others and offers profound solace for our own souls, knowing that in Christ, we have a High Priest who has experienced temptation and suffering in every way, yet without sin, and is therefore able to sympathize with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15). It calls us to respond with humble gratitude for such a costly redemption and to find our strength and resilience in His perfect endurance. Furthermore, it challenges us to extend genuine compassion and practical aid to those who are suffering, recognizing the universal human experience of pain and the divine example of bearing burdens for the sake of others.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of the "heart" and "bowels" in this verse?
In ancient Hebrew thought, the "heart" (Hebrew: lêb, H3820) was considered far more than a physical organ; it was the seat of intellect, will, emotion, and moral character—the very core of a person's inner being and the center of their personality. Similarly, the "bowels" (Hebrew: mêʻeh, H4578) referred to the inner parts of the body, often associated with deep emotions, compassion, or intense visceral feelings. Therefore, when the psalmist declares his "heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels," he is describing a complete and utter internal collapse that affects the very essence of his being. It signifies a profound loss of courage, strength, and emotional coherence, a state of overwhelming despair, terror, and internal dissolution that penetrates to the deepest parts of his physical and emotional self. This imagery emphasizes that the suffering is not merely external or superficial but profoundly internal and all-encompassing.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Psalm 22:14 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. While David's own suffering was deeply real, the vivid and precise imagery of this verse transcends his personal experience, pointing prophetically to the Messiah's agony. The sensation of being "poured out like water" resonates powerfully with Christ's complete depletion of strength, vitality, and life force on the cross, culminating in His final, triumphant cry, "It is finished" (John 19:30). The description "all my bones are out of joint" powerfully foreshadows the excruciating physical torment of crucifixion, where the body's weight, suspended by nails, would indeed pull limbs from their sockets, causing immense strain and dislocation, even if no bones were technically broken (John 19:36). Furthermore, "my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels" speaks to the overwhelming internal, physiological, and emotional collapse experienced by Jesus. This could allude to the severe cardiac distress, internal hemorrhaging, or even a ruptured heart that contributed to His death, consistent with the outflow of "blood and water" from His pierced side (John 19:34). Thus, Psalm 22:14 is not merely a description of general human suffering but a divinely inspired, detailed portrait of the Lamb of God, who bore the full weight of sin and its devastating consequences, experiencing ultimate physical and spiritual desolation so that humanity might find eternal life and redemption (Isaiah 53:5). His suffering, perfectly encapsulated in this verse, is the foundational cornerstone of our hope and the ultimate demonstration of God's sacrificial love for a fallen world.