Psalms 22:21

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

Save {H3467} me from the lion's {H738} mouth {H6310}: for thou hast heard {H6030} me from the horns {H7161} of the unicorns {H7214}.

Save me from the lion's mouth! You have answered me from the wild bulls' horns.

Save me from the mouth of the lion; at the horns of the wild oxen You have answered me!

Save me from the lion’s mouth; Yea, from the horns of the wild-oxen thou hast answered me.

Commentary

Psalms 22:21 KJV reads, "Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns." This verse captures a desperate plea for divine intervention coupled with an underlying confidence in God's past and future deliverance.

Context

Psalm 22 is a profound and intensely personal lament that transitions into a powerful expression of praise. It is widely regarded as a Messianic Psalm, prophetically detailing the suffering of Christ on the cross. The psalmist, often identified as David, pours out his soul in extreme distress, feeling abandoned by God and surrounded by hostile enemies. The imagery throughout the psalm, including the "lion's mouth" and "horns of the unicorns," vividly portrays the overwhelming dangers and adversaries faced by the psalmist, mirroring the experience of Jesus.

Key Themes

  • Desperate Plea for Deliverance: The request to "Save me from the lion's mouth" underscores the immediate and deadly peril the psalmist faces. The lion is a common biblical symbol for fierce, predatory enemies.
  • Divine Intervention and Assurance: The second part, "for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns," expresses a deep trust and even an acknowledgement of past or assured deliverance. Despite the present danger, the psalmist recalls God's faithfulness in rescuing him from previous, equally formidable threats. This phrase anticipates the shift from lament to praise found in the latter half of Psalm 22, where the psalmist declares God's greatness and faithfulness.
  • Prophetic Foreshadowing: For Christians, this verse, like much of Psalm 22, resonates with the suffering of Jesus Christ. He faced the ultimate "lion's mouth" – the forces of evil, death, and the spiritual battle for humanity. His cry on the cross, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46), directly quotes the opening of this psalm.

Linguistic Insights

The term "unicorns" in the King James Version (KJV) comes from the Hebrew word re'em (רְא֡ם). This is not the mythical one-horned horse but rather a powerful, wild ox, likely the now-extinct aurochs, known for its formidable horns and immense strength. The Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) rendered re'em as monokeros (one-horned), which led to the KJV's "unicorn." The imagery powerfully conveys a threat of overwhelming, untamed strength. The phrase "thou hast heard me from" (Hebrew: 'anita'ni) can be understood as "you have answered me by delivering me from" or "you have delivered me from," reinforcing the idea of God's active rescue.

Reflection and Application

Psalms 22:21 offers a timeless message for believers facing overwhelming challenges. It reminds us that even in the deepest pits of despair, surrounded by what feel like "lions" or "wild oxen" – whether they are spiritual attacks, physical dangers, or emotional torment – we can cry out to God for salvation. Furthermore, it encourages us to remember God's past faithfulness. Just as He "heard" and delivered in the past, He remains capable and willing to save us from present and future perils. This verse invites us to cling to hope and trust in God's ultimate victory, echoing Christ's triumph over death and the grave, a victory that promises no more tears or pain in the new creation.

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Cross-References

  • 2 Timothy 4:17

    Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and [that] all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

  • Numbers 23:22

    God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.

  • 1 Peter 5:8

    ΒΆ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

  • John 8:59

    Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

  • John 14:30

    Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

  • Acts 4:27

    For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,

  • Isaiah 34:7

    And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.
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