Psalm 22:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.

NIV: My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.

NASB: My God, I cry out by day, but You do not answer; And by night, but I have no rest.

CSB: My God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, by night, yet I have no rest.

NLT: Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night I lift my voice, but I find no relief.

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

NKJV: O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; And in the night season, and am not silent.

This verse depicts someone mourning over what seems like an unanswered prayer. In fact, the voice speaking here feels abandoned by God (Psalm 22:1). David has begged God to help, but he did not receive the answer he was expecting. This is not an uncommon complaint in the Old Testament. Prophets like Habakkuk (Habakkuk 1:2–4) and other psalmists (Psalm 44:23–24) voiced that frustration at times.

Since this psalm matches no known incident in David's life, the description here is both symbolic and prophetic. Jesus referred to this psalm during His crucifixion (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34). This passage is also quoted in the book of Hebrews (Hebrews 2:12; Psalm 22:22).

In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed through the night fervently and urgently for deliverance from death (Matthew 26:39). Hebrews 5:7 tells us that "in the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence."

God did not deliver Jesus from dying on the cross for our sins, but He delivered Him out of the clutches of death by raising Him from the dead. The word "from" in Hebrews 5:7 is ek, literally meaning out of. God didn't prevent Christ from dying, but He did rescue Jesus out of death. It may seem at times that God is not listening to our prayers, but often He answers in unexpected ways. During times of what seems to be unanswered prayer, we should keep on trusting God and wait for Him to answer in a way that is for our ultimate good and His glory.

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.