Psalms 22:2

KJV

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

KJV (with Strong's)

O my God {H430}, I cry {H7121} in the daytime {H3119}, but thou hearest {H6030} not; and in the night season {H3915}, and am not silent {H1747}.

Complete Jewish Bible

My God, by day I call to you, but you don't answer; likewise at night, but I get no relief.

Berean Standard Bible

I cry out by day, O my God, but You do not answer, and by night, but I have no rest.

American Standard Version

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

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Psalms 22:2 articulates the psalmist's profound and persistent cry of distress to God, lamenting a perceived divine silence or unresponsiveness during times of intense suffering. This verse captures the raw anguish of feeling forsaken, expressing a ceaseless appeal—both day and night—that seemingly goes unheard. It sets the tone for a psalm that begins in deep lament but remarkably transitions to triumphant praise, serving as a poignant and prophetic foreshadowing of the Messiah's suffering and ultimate vindication.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Psalms 22:2 is the immediate continuation of the psalm's opening, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" [Psalms 22:1](/psalms/22-1 "Psalm 22:1 - The Cry of Abandonment"). This initial cry establishes the psalm as a profound lament, a genre common in the Psalter where the supplicant expresses deep distress and appeals to God for deliverance. The psalmist's complaint in verse 2—that God "hearest not" despite continuous crying—intensifies the sense of abandonment and desperation. The psalm then details the psalmist's suffering, including physical agony and public scorn [Psalms 22:6-8](/psalms/22-6 "Psalm 22:6-8 - Scorn and Mockery") and [Psalms 22:14-18](/psalms/22-14 "Psalm 22:14-18 - Physical Suffering and Mockery"), before a dramatic shift to praise and confidence in God's deliverance from verse 22 onwards [Psalms 22:22-31](/psalms/22-22 "Psalm 22:22-31 - From Lament to Praise"). This structure, moving from intense complaint to confident praise, is characteristic of many individual laments.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** While traditionally attributed to David, the specific historical circumstances behind Psalm 22 are not explicitly stated, allowing for a broader application. David, as king and prophet, experienced numerous periods of intense persecution, betrayal, and near-death experiences (e.g., from Saul, Absalom), which could have inspired such a lament. In ancient Israel, lament psalms were a vital part of communal and individual worship, providing a structured way for believers to express their deepest sorrows, frustrations, and even complaints to God, within the covenant relationship. The act of "crying out" (Hebrew: *tsa'aq*) was a common and culturally understood form of urgent appeal for justice or deliverance, often directed towards a king or deity. The expectation was that a just ruler or God would hear and respond, making the perceived silence all the more agonizing.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within Psalm 22 and the Psalter. Firstly, it highlights **Profound Despair and Perceived Abandonment**, articulating the agonizing experience of feeling unheard by God despite fervent prayer. This is a recurring theme in the Psalms of Lament, where the righteous suffer and question God's immediate presence or action, as seen in [Psalm 13:1](/psalms/13-1 "Psalm 13:1 - How Long, O Lord?"). Secondly, it underscores **Persistent Prayer**, as the psalmist continues to cry out "daytime" and "night season," refusing to be "silent," demonstrating an unwavering commitment to seek God even when answers are not evident. This persistence, despite perceived divine silence, is a testament to enduring faith. Thirdly, the theme of **Divine Silence** is central, presenting the painful reality that God's immediate intervention is not always apparent, challenging the supplicant's understanding of God's presence and power. Finally, and crucially, the entire psalm, including this verse, carries significant **Messianic Foreshadowing**, providing a prophetic blueprint for the ultimate suffering of Christ, who would experience the deepest sense of separation from God while bearing the sins of humanity, echoing the very words of [Psalms 22:1](/psalms/22-1 "Psalm 22:1 - The Opening Cry").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Cry (Hebrew, _tsa'aq'_):** This verb (צָעַק) denotes a loud, urgent, often desperate outcry or shriek for help, indicative of severe distress, pain, or oppression. It is not merely a quiet prayer but an intense, vocal outpouring of the soul. The use of *tsa'aq* emphasizes the psalmist's profound agony and the intensity of his plea, suggesting a situation where immediate divine intervention is desperately needed.
* **Hearest not (Hebrew, _lo ta'aneh'_):** The phrase "thou hearest not" translates the Hebrew לֹא תַעֲנֶה (lo ta'aneh), which more accurately means "thou answerest not." This distinction is crucial. It's not that God literally cannot hear the sound, but that He is perceived as not responding, not intervening, or not providing the desired relief. This lack of an "answer" is the source of the psalmist's deep spiritual anguish, implying a perceived absence of divine action or comfort.
* **Am not silent (Hebrew, _velo' dumiyah li'_):** This phrase (וְלֹא דֻמִיָּה לִי) literally means "and there is no silence for me" or "and I have no rest." It emphasizes the continuous, ceaseless nature of the psalmist's lament. His suffering is so pervasive that he cannot cease his cries, even at night. This highlights the unrelenting nature of his distress and his unwavering, though seemingly futile, persistence in prayer.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"O my God, I cry in the daytime,"**: This opening clause establishes the direct address to God, emphasizing a personal and intimate relationship ("my God") even in the midst of profound distress. The "daytime" signifies a period of continuous, perhaps public, suffering and the constant, vocal expression of that suffering.
* **"but thou hearest not;"**: This is the core of the lament, expressing the psalmist's painful perception that God is not responding to his urgent pleas. The "not hearing" implies a lack of intervention, comfort, or deliverance, creating a sense of abandonment and unanswered prayer.
* **"and in the night season,"**: This extends the period of suffering and crying out into the darkness of night, a time often associated with fear, loneliness, and intensified distress. It underscores the ceaseless nature of the psalmist's agony.
* **"and am not silent."**: This final clause reinforces the relentless, unbroken nature of the psalmist's lament. Despite the perceived divine silence, he cannot, and will not, stop crying out. This reveals both the depth of his suffering and his persistent, unwavering commitment to seek God's attention.

#### Literary Devices
Psalms 22:2 employs several powerful literary devices. **Lament** is the overarching genre, characterized by a direct address to God, a complaint about suffering, a plea for help, and often an expression of trust. The verse exemplifies this through its raw cry and perceived divine unresponsiveness. **Hyperbole** is evident in the phrase "I cry in the daytime... and in the night season, and am not silent," which conveys the *intensity* and *pervasiveness* of the psalmist's suffering and prayer, rather than a literal 24/7 vocal outcry. This exaggeration emphasizes the depth of his anguish. **Parallelism** is used effectively: "in the daytime" is paralleled by "in the night season," and "I cry" is implicitly paralleled by "am not silent." This structural repetition reinforces the ceaseless nature of the psalmist's distress and his persistent appeal. Finally, there is an element of **Anthropomorphism** in "thou hearest not," attributing a human-like capacity (hearing and responding) to God, and then noting His perceived failure to exercise it, thereby conveying the psalmist's deep sense of disappointment and abandonment.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 22:2 confronts the profound theological tension between a faithful believer's desperate cry and the experience of God's apparent silence. It affirms that such feelings are a legitimate part of the human spiritual journey, even for those deeply committed to God. The psalmist's lament does not negate his faith but expresses it within the context of a relational struggle, trusting that God *could* hear and *could* answer, even when He seems not to. This verse provides solace by validating the experience of spiritual dryness or unanswered prayer, reminding believers that even the most righteous can feel abandoned. Ultimately, the psalm's trajectory from lament to praise reveals that God's silence is not His absence, nor does it negate His ultimate faithfulness and redemptive purpose, which will be revealed in His perfect timing.

* [Psalm 13:1](/psalms/13-1 "Psalm 13:1 - How Long, O Lord?")
* [Psalm 77:1-6](/psalms/77-1 "Psalm 77:1-6 - A Troubled Soul Seeks God")
* [Lamentations 3:8](/lamentations/3-8 "Lamentations 3:8 - God's Apparent Silence")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 22:2 offers profound comfort and guidance for those navigating seasons of spiritual struggle and perceived divine silence. It teaches us that it is not only permissible but often necessary to bring our raw, unfiltered anguish and questions before God. The psalmist's example encourages us to persist in prayer, even when answers are not immediately evident or when God's presence feels distant. Our continuous crying out, day and night, in the face of perceived silence, is not a sign of weak faith but a testament to enduring trust in God's ultimate sovereignty and goodness. This verse reminds us that God is big enough to handle our doubts, our frustrations, and our deepest laments. It invites us to lean into the tension of faith, knowing that even in the silence, God is at work, and our cries are heard, even if His answer is not what we expect or is delayed for a greater purpose.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How do you typically respond when your prayers feel unheard or when God seems silent in your life?**
* **What does the psalmist's persistence "daytime... and in the night season, and am not silent" teach you about the nature of prayer in difficult times?**
* **In what ways can acknowledging feelings of perceived abandonment actually deepen your trust in God, rather than diminish it?**

### FAQ
**Does God truly "not hear" our prayers, as the psalmist suggests?**

Answer: The phrase "thou hearest not" (more accurately, "thou answerest not") reflects the psalmist's *perception* and emotional experience of God's silence, rather than a theological statement about God's inability to hear. God is omniscient and omnipresent; He hears every cry [Psalm 65:2](/psalms/65-2 "Psalm 65:2 - God Hears Prayer"). However, His response may not be immediate, or it may not be in the way we expect. The psalmist's lament expresses the agonizing reality of waiting for God's intervention when it feels absent. The very fact that this lament is recorded in inspired Scripture testifies that God *does* hear and values such honest expressions of faith, even in distress. The psalm itself moves from this deep lament to triumphant praise, demonstrating that God's perceived silence is often a prelude to His ultimate deliverance and vindication [Psalms 22:22-31](/psalms/22-22 "Psalm 22:22-31 - From Lament to Praise").

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 22:2 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ, particularly during His crucifixion. The entire Psalm 22 is a remarkable prophetic blueprint for the Messiah's suffering, and this verse resonates deeply with Jesus' experience on the cross. His agonizing cry, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" [Matthew 27:46](/matthew/27-46 "Matthew 27:46 - Jesus' Cry of Dereliction") and [Mark 15:34](/mark/15-34 "Mark 15:34 - Jesus' Words on the Cross"), directly quotes the opening of this psalm, indicating His identification with the psalmist's lament. In bearing the full weight of humanity's sin, Jesus experienced a unique and horrific spiritual separation from the Father, a "silence" that transcended any human experience of abandonment. He cried out "in the daytime" (the hours of the crucifixion) and "in the night season" (the spiritual darkness of sin's burden), enduring the ultimate "not silent" agony for our sake. Yet, even in this profound desolation, His cries were heard by the Father, not for immediate deliverance from the cross, but for the ultimate triumph of resurrection and redemption. Jesus' suffering fulfills this lament, transforming perceived divine silence into the very means of our salvation, demonstrating that God's ultimate answer to sin and suffering is found in the self-sacrificial love of the [Lamb of God](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God"). Through His experience, we learn that even in the deepest spiritual darkness, God is at work, bringing about His perfect plan for redemption and glory, validating the cries of His people and ultimately answering them through Christ's victory over death and sin [Hebrews 5:7-9](/hebrews/5-7 "Hebrews 5:7-9 - Christ's Prayers and Obedience").

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.