Psalm 22:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

NIV: To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

NASB: To You they cried out and they fled to safety; In You they trusted and were not disappointed.

CSB: They cried to you and were set free; they trusted in you and were not disgraced.

NLT: They cried out to you and were saved. They trusted in you and were never disgraced.

KJV: They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.

NKJV: They cried to You, and were delivered; They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.

Scripture indicates that "faith" involves trust based on experience (Hebrews 11:13–16). Between verses 4 and 5, David mentions trust three times. Not only does David's own personal experience strengthen his faith (1 Samuel 17:37), he also can look back on the example of his Jewish ancestors.

Those patriarchs cried out to the Lord and were rescued. They trusted in the Lord and did not experience the shame of being subdued by their enemies and circumstances. Examples of such episodes may be drawn from Israel's wilderness wanderings. The strong forces of the Canaanites could not subdue the Israelites, nor could dire circumstances overwhelm them. Israel's God did not turn a deaf ear to His people. Psalm 107:4–6 relates: "Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress."

Exodus 17 provides the historical account of how the Lord delivered His people from extreme thirst by providing water from a rock and by defeating the Amalekites. Also, the book of Judges is full of stories of how the Lord delivered the people of Israel from their oppressors when they turned to Him. Such accounts of the Lord's past deliverance would encourage David to trust and not despair.

Psalm 22:1–21 depicts David's questioning of God's silence and estrangement from him in his desperate situation. The structure of this prayer, and the images it evokes, are prophecies of Messiah's sufferings. Isaiah 53:3–8 likewise predicts these experiences and explains that Messiah endured them for us sinners. Matthew 27:46 reports that Jesus quoted Psalm 22:1 when he was suffering on the cross. First Peter 2:24 –25 refers to the sufferings of Jesus the Messiah and calls Jesus ''the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.''

This psalm may be divided into two parts. The first part, verses 1–21, contains an urgent prayer, in which the suppliant questions a holy God's distance from him in his time of suffering. It also contains a graphic description of the Messiah's suffering. Messiah's suffering included humiliation, the taunts of unbelievers, a distressful sense of loneliness, and intense physical pain. The second part of the psalm continues a prayer to be delivered, and includes a glimpse of resurrection and exaltation. The psalm praises God and announces a future time when God will receive worldwide acclaim and worship.

This psalm of David should be understood in association with Psalms 23 and 24. Psalm 22 describes the sufferings of the Good Shepherd, Jesus, for His sheep. Psalm 23 describes His care for His sheep. Psalm 24 describes His return in glory to reward His sheep. Psalm 22 includes prophetic sayings which Jesus uttered from the cross. It also predicts the afflictions he endured there (Matthew 27:27–56; Luke 22:63–65; 23:18–49). Isaiah 53 also prophesies the sufferings that Jesus suffered on the cross.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.