Question 1

What does “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” mean?

Accepted Answer

This cry shows a believer who feels deeply abandoned, yet still clings to God as “my God.” David is not turning away from God, but bringing his fear and pain honestly to him. These same words were later spoken by Jesus on the cross, as he bore the weight of sin and felt the horror of God’s face turned away. It shows that even when God feels far, faith still calls on him and wrestles with him in prayer.

Question 2

How does this passage relate to the suffering of Jesus?

Accepted Answer

Many details in this passage match what happened to Jesus when he was crucified: the opening cry of being forsaken, the mocking words about trusting God, the picture of pierced hands and feet, and people casting lots for clothing. David speaks from his own pain, but his words also look ahead to a deeper suffering. In Jesus, this prayer is lived out fully, showing the cost of bearing sin and the faith that still calls on God in the darkest hour.

Question 3

Why does the prayer move from despair to praise by the end?

Accepted Answer

At first the writer feels alone, weak, and surrounded by enemies. As he prays, he remembers God’s holiness and past faithfulness to his ancestors and to himself from the womb. He keeps asking for help and comes to trust that God has heard him. This leads him to promise public praise, to call others to worship, and to see a future where all nations turn to the Lord. Honest lament leads, in time, to renewed confidence and worship.

Question 4

What does “I am a worm, and no man” tell us about this suffering?

Accepted Answer

That phrase shows how low and worthless the sufferer feels. He is mocked, despised, and treated as if he is beneath other people. It fits David’s deep humiliation and also the way Jesus was treated, as crowds laughed at him and leaders sneered. It reminds us that God’s servant was willing to be brought to the very bottom, bearing shame as well as pain, so that those who feel crushed and small can know that God understands their misery.

Question 5

What is meant by “they pierced my hands and my feet”?

Accepted Answer

Here the sufferer describes his body as exposed and wounded while enemies surround and stare. The wording fits someone fixed in place and helpless. For David, it pictures extreme danger and pain. In Jesus, these words match what happened when his hands and feet were nailed at the cross. The image shows both physical agony and the sense of being completely at the mercy of enemies, while still crying out to God for rescue.

Question 6

What does this passage teach about God when he seems silent?

Accepted Answer

The prayer shows that God’s people can feel unheard for a time. The writer cries day and night and does not sense an answer. Yet he still calls God holy, remembers how God saved earlier generations, and keeps praying. Later in the passage, he affirms that God has not despised the afflicted and did hear when he cried. This teaches that God may seem far for a season, but he does not truly abandon those who trust him and call on his name.

Question 7

How can someone today use this passage when feeling forsaken?

Accepted Answer

This passage gives words for times when you feel forgotten, mocked, or weighed down by trouble. You can pray honestly, even asking “why,” while still saying “my God.” You can remind yourself of how God has been faithful in the past, both in Scripture and in your own life. Like the writer, you can keep asking God to come near and choose to praise him, trusting that he hears the afflicted and will bring help, even if you cannot see it yet.

Question 8

What does this passage say about God’s plan for the nations?

Accepted Answer

In the closing verses, the writer looks beyond his own pain to a wide promise: people at the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and families from many nations will worship him. He says the kingdom belongs to the Lord, who rules over all. Both the poor and the rich, the living and those near death, are pictured bowing before him. A future “seed” will serve God and tell coming generations that God has done this saving work.

Psalm 22:1

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

The Psalm of the Cross

For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Doe of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David.

The Psalm of the Cross

For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Doe of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David.

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Psalm 22:1

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

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The Psalm of the Cross

For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Doe of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David.

The Psalm of the Cross

For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Doe of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David.

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