Discovery BoxPsalms 22:16
Context22:16 Yes, 1 wild dogs surround me –
a gang of evil men crowd around me;
like a lion they pin my hands and feet. 2
Psalms 22:1
ContextFor the music director; according to the tune “Morning Doe;” 4 a psalm of David.
22:1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? 5
I groan in prayer, but help seems far away. 6
Psalms 15:1-5
ContextA psalm of David.
15:1 Lord, who may be a guest in your home? 8
Who may live on your holy hill? 9
15:2 Whoever lives a blameless life, 10
does what is right,
and speaks honestly. 11
15:3 He 12 does not slander, 13
or do harm to others, 14
or insult his neighbor. 15
15:4 He despises a reprobate, 16
but honors the Lord’s loyal followers. 17
He makes firm commitments and does not renege on his promise. 18
15:5 He does not charge interest when he lends his money. 19
He does not take bribes to testify against the innocent. 20
The one who lives like this 21 will never be upended.
[22:16] 2 tn Heb “like a lion, my hands and my feet.” This reading is often emended because it is grammatically awkward, but perhaps its awkwardness is by rhetorical design. Its broken syntax may be intended to convey the panic and terror felt by the psalmist. The psalmist may envision a lion pinning the hands and feet of its victim to the ground with its paws (a scene depicted in ancient Near Eastern art), or a lion biting the hands and feet. The line has been traditionally translated, “they pierce my hands and feet,” and then taken as foreshadowing the crucifixion of Christ. Though Jesus does appropriate the language of this psalm while on the cross (compare v. 1 with Matt 27:46 and Mark 15:34), the NT does not cite this verse in describing the death of Jesus. (It does refer to vv. 7-8 and 18, however. See Matt 27:35, 39, 43; Mark 15:24, 29; Luke 23:34; John 19:23-24.) If one were to insist on an emendation of כָּאֲרִי (ka’ariy, “like a lion”) to a verb, the most likely verbal root would be כָּרָה (karah, “dig”; see the LXX). In this context this verb could refer to the gnawing and tearing of wild dogs (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV). The ancient Greek version produced by Symmachus reads “bind” here, perhaps understanding a verbal root כרך, which is attested in later Hebrew and Aramaic and means “to encircle, entwine, embrace” (see HALOT 497-98 s.v. כרך and Jastrow 668 s.v. כָּרַךְ). Neither one of these proposed verbs can yield a meaning “bore, pierce.”
[22:1] 3 sn Psalm 22. The psalmist cries out to the Lord for deliverance from his dangerous enemies, who have surrounded him and threaten his life. Confident that the Lord will intervene, he then vows to thank the Lord publicly for his help and anticipates a time when all people will recognize the Lord’s greatness and worship him.
[22:1] 4 tn Heb “according to the doe of the dawn.” Apparently this refers to a particular musical tune or style.
[22:1] 5 sn From the psalmist’s perspective it seems that God has abandoned him, for he fails to answer his cry for help (vv. 1b-2).
[22:1] 6 tn Heb “far from my deliverance [are] the words of my groaning.” The Hebrew noun שְׁאָגָה (shÿ’agah) and its related verb שָׁאַג (sha’ag) are sometimes used of a lion’s roar, but they can also describe human groaning (see Job 3:24 and Pss 32:3 and 38:8.
[15:1] 5 sn Psalm 15. This psalm describes the character qualities that one must possess to be allowed access to the divine presence.
[15:1] 6 tn Heb “Who may live as a resident alien in your tent?”
[15:1] 7 sn In this context the Lord’s holy hill probably refers to Zion/Jerusalem. See Isa 66:20; Joel 2:1; 3:17; Zech 8:3; Pss 2:6; 43:3; 48:1; 87:1; Dan 9:16.
[15:2] 7 tn Heb “one who walks blamelessly.”
[15:2] 8 tn Heb “one who speaks truth in his heart”; or “one who speaks truth [that is] in his heart.” This apparently refers to formulating a truthful statement in one’s mind and then honestly revealing that statement in one’s speech.
[15:3] 9 sn Hebrew literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age.
[15:3] 10 tn Heb “he does not slander upon his tongue.” For another example of רָגַל (ragal, “slander”) see 2 Sam 19:28.
[15:3] 12 tn Heb “and he does not lift up an insult against one who is near to him.”
[15:4] 11 tn Heb “despised in his eyes [is] a rejected [one].” The Hebrew term נִמְאָס (nim’as, “rejected [one]”) apparently refers here to one who has been rejected by God because of his godless behavior. It stands in contrast to “those who fear God” in the following line.
[15:4] 12 tn Heb “those who fear the
[15:4] 13 tn Heb “he takes an oath to do harm and does not change.” The phrase “to do harm” cannot mean “do harm to others,” for the preceding verse clearly characterizes this individual as one who does not harm others. In this context the phrase must refer to an oath to which a self-imprecation is attached. The godly individual takes his commitments to others so seriously he is willing to “swear to his own hurt.” For an example of such an oath, see Ruth 1:16-17.
[15:5] 13 sn He does not charge interest. Such an individual is truly generous, and not simply concerned with making a profit.
[15:5] 14 tn Heb “a bribe against the innocent he does not take.” For other texts condemning the practice of a judge or witness taking a bribe, see Exod 23:8; Deut 16:19; 27:25; 1 Sam 8:3; Ezek 22:12; Prov 17:23.
