Psalm 22:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.

NIV: They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.

NASB: They divide my garments among them, And they cast lots for my clothing.

CSB: They divided my garments among themselves, and they cast lots for my clothing.

NLT: They divide my garments among themselves and throw dice for my clothing.

KJV: They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

NKJV: They divide My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.

Psalm 22 serves as a potent prophecy about the suffering of the Messiah. The imagery is of someone being executed—which is not what happened to David. Rather, this is David expressing his anguish over what seems to be an abandonment by God (Psalm 22:1–2). To do this, David symbolizes his pain using this description of someone being abused, pierced, and mocked (Psalm 22:12–17). This passage is one Jesus Himself mentioned during His crucifixion (Matthew 27:46).

Verse 16 is disputed by critics specifically because it closely matches the eventual death of Jesus Christ (Psalm 22:16). This verse, as well, is a direct prediction of what happened when Jesus was killed. Matthew 27:35 reports what the soldiers did when they crucified Jesus. This verse tells us, "And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots." By casting lots for Jesus' garments, the soldiers showed they attached a higher value to His clothing than they did to Him. This disdainful act is recorded not only in Matthew's Gospel, but also in the other three Gospels (see Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; and John 19:23–24).

The practice of casting lots usually involved sticks or stones with markings or dice. The sticks or stones or dice were thrown into an area and read to determine the winner. The practice of rolling dice or flipping a coin is similar to the casting of lots in Bible times. When the soldiers cast lots for Jesus' garments, they left Him, quite literally, with no possessions. Truly, Jesus became poor so that we might become rich (Luke 9:58; 2 Corinthians 8:9).

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.