--- title: "Psalms 22 - Study King James Bible with clarkes commentary" description: "Read Psalms 22 with clarkes commentary commentary. 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? 2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but" image: "/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg" url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/psalms/22" --- [ Read](/kjv/psalms/22)[ Commentary](/study/psalms/22)[ Interlinear](/interlinear/psalms/22) Audio 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?** 2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.* 3 But thou *art* holy, *O thou* that inhabitest the praises of Israel. 4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. 5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. 6 But I *am* a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. 7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, *saying*,* 8 He trusted on the LORD *that* he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.** 9 But thou *art* he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope *when I was* upon my mother’s breasts.* 10 I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou *art* my God from my mother’s belly. 11 Be not far from me; for trouble *is* near; for *there is* none to help.* 12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong *bulls* of Bashan have beset me round. 13 They gaped upon me *with* their mouths, *as* a ravening and a roaring lion.* 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.* 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. 16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I may tell all my bones: they look *and* stare upon me. 18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. 19 But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me. 20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.** 21 Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. 22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. 23 Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel. 24 For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard. 25 My praise *shall be* of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. 26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. 27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. 28 For the kingdom *is* the LORD’s: and he *is* the governor among the nations. 29 All *they that be* fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul. 30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. 31 They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done *this*. [Psalms 21](/study/psalms/21) [Psalms 23](/study/psalms/23) ## Commentary To verse 1 The title of this Psalm, *To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth* *Shahar, A Psalm of David*, has given rise to many conjectures. The words אילת השחר *aiyeleth hashshachar* are translated in the margin, "the hind of the morning;" but what was this? Was it the name of a *musical instrument*? or of a tune? or of a *band of music*? *Calmet* argues for the last, and translates "A Psalm of David, addressed to the Musicmaster who presides over the Band called the Morning Hind." This is more likely than any of the other conjectures I have seen. But *aiyeleth hashshachar* may be the name of the *Psalm* itself, for it was customary among the Asiatics to give names to their poetic compositions which often bore no relation to the subject itself. Mr. *Harmer* and others have collected a few instances from *D'Herbelot's* Bibliotheque Orientale. I could add many more from MSS. in my own collection:-thus *Saady* calls a famous miscellaneous work of his *Gulisstan*, "The Country of Roses," or, "The Rose Garden:" and yet there is nothing relative to such a *country*, nor concerning *roses* nor *rose gardens*, in the book. Another is called *Negaristan*, "The Gallery of Pictures; " yet no *picture gallery* is mentioned. Another *Beharistan*, "The Spring Season; " *Bostan*, "The Garden;" *Anvar Soheely*, "The Light of Canopus;" *Bahar Danush*, "The Garden of Knowledge; " *Tuhfit* *Almumeneen*, "The Gift of the Faithful," a treatise on *medicine;* *Kemeea Isadut*, "The Alchymy of Life; " *Mukhzeen al Asrar*, "The Magazine of Secrets;" *Sulselet al Zahab*, "The Golden Chain; " *Zuhfit al Abrar*, "The Rosary of the Pious:" *Merat al Asrar*, "The Mirror of Secrets; " *Durj ul Durar*, "The most precious Jewels;" *Deru Majlis*, "The Jewel of the Assembly;" *Al Bordah*, "The Variegated Garment;" a poem written by *Al Basiree*, in praise of the *Mohammedan* religion, in gratitude for a cure which he believed he received from the prophet who appeared to him in a dream. The poem is written in *one hundred and sixty-two couplets*, each of which ends with [Arabic] *mim*, the *first letter* in the name of *Mohammed*. Scarcely one of the above *titles*, and their number might be easily trebled, bears any relation to the *subject* of the work to which it is prefixed, no more than *Aijeleth Shahar* bears to the matter contained in the twenty-second Psalm. Such *titles* are of very little importance *in themselves*; and of no farther use to us than as they serve to distinguish the different *books, poems*, or *Psalms*, to which they are prefixed. To me, many seem to have spent their time uselessly in the investigation of such subjects. [2 Samuel 1:18](/kjv/2-samuel/1/18). On the *subject* of the Psalm itself, there is considerable diversity of opinion: 1. Some referring it all to David; 2. Others referring it all to Christ; and, 3. Some, because of the application of several verses of it to our Lord in his sufferings, take a middle way, and apply it *primarily* to *David*, and in a *secondary* or *accommodated* sense, to *Christ*. Of this opinion was *Theodore* of *Mopsuestia*. who gave a very rational account of his own plan of interpretation; for which he was condemned by the *second* council of Constantinople or *fifth* OEcumenic council. *Grotius* and others have nearly copied his plan; and I think, with a little correction, it is the only safe one. That several parts of it relate to *David, primarily*, there is very little reason to doubt; that several passages may be applied by way of *accommodation* to our *Lord*, though *originally* belonging to and expressing the state of *David*, may be piously believed; and that it contains portions which are *direct prophecies* of our Lord's passion, death, and victory, appears too evident to be safely denied. On this plan I propose to treat it in the following paraphrase; keeping it as near to the Gospel standard as I can. Dr. *Delaney* supposes the Psalm to have been written by David when he was at *Mahanaim*, the very place where God appeared to Jacob in his distress. See [Genesis 32:2](/kjv/genesis/32/2). And on this supposition the *third, fourth*, and *fifth* verses may be easily and strikingly illustrated: *Our fathers trusted in thee*; why may not *I*? *Thou* *didst deliver* THEM; why may not *I* expect deliverance also? THEY *cried unto thee, trusted in thee, and were not confounded; I* cry until thee, trust in thee; and why should *I* be confounded? For thou art the same God, thou changest not; and with thee there is no respect of persons. Thus David encouraged himself in the Lord; and these considerations helped to sustain him in his painful exercises and heavy distresses. Verse [Psalms 22:1](/kjv/psalms/22/1). ***My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?*** — Show me the cause why thou hast abandoned me to my enemies; and why thou seemest to disregard my prayers and cries? For a full illustration of this passage, I beg the reader to refer to *Clarke's note on "*[Matthew 27:46](/kjv/matthew/27/46)*"*. ***The words of my roaring?*** — שאגתי *shaagathi*, The *Vulgate,* *Septuagint, Syriac, AEthiopic*, and *Arabic*, with the *Anglo-Saxon*, make use of terms which may be thus translated: "My sins (or foolishness) are the cause why deliverance is so far from me." It appears that these versions have read שגגתי *shegagathi*, "my sin of ignorance," instead of שאגתי *shaagathi*, "my roaring:" but no MS. extant supports this reading. ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com","name":"Real Bible Believers","description":"RBB","publisher":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/search?q={search_term_string}","query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/psalms/22#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg","width":672,"height":448,"caption":"Real Bible Believers"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/psalms/22#webpage","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/psalms/22","name":"Psalms 22 - Study King James Bible with clarkes commentary","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/psalms/22#primaryimage"},"author":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509"},"description":"Read Psalms 22 with clarkes commentary commentary. 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? 2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/psalms/22#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/psalms/22"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/psalms/22#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/","name":"Home"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study","name":"Study Bible"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary","name":"clarkes commentary"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/psalms","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/psalms","name":"Psalms"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":5,"item":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/psalms/22","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/clarkes-commentary/psalms/22","name":"22"}}]},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#/schema/person/e966585dde703268e7f6ae890ea98509","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","contentUrl":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/android-chrome-512x512.png","width":512,"height":512},"logo":{"@id":"https://realbiblebelievers.com/#personlogo"},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/RBiblebeliever","https://www.facebook.com/RBibleBelievers"]}]} ```