How does Psalm 22:21 foreshadow the crucifixion of Jesus? Text of Psalm 22:21 “Save me from the mouth of the lion; at the horns of the wild oxen You have answered me.” Immediate Literary Context Psalm 22 begins with the cry, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?” (v. 1), the very words Jesus voiced on the cross (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34). Verses 1–21 form a lament describing intense physical agony, public scorn, and mortal danger. Verse 21 is the pivot: the cry for deliverance (“Save me…”) shifts to assurance (“You have answered me”), turning lament into praise in vv. 22–31. This hinge corresponds to the moment of victory secured through Jesus’ death and completed in His resurrection. Structural Transition and Resurrection Motif Ancient Hebrew poetry often places the theological climax at the center or turning point. Verse 21’s move from plea to past-tense assurance (“You have answered me”) prophetically mirrors the cross-to-resurrection sequence: apparent defeat turns to triumph. Jesus’ last shout, “It is finished!” (John 19:30), echoes this sudden confidence. Messianic Trajectory Within Psalm 22 Verse-by-verse correspondences include • v. 6-8—public mocking → Matthew 27:39-43. • v. 14—bones out of joint, heart like wax → crucifixion physiology (per medical studies, cf. Journal of the American Medical Association 3/21/84). • v. 16—“They pierced my hands and feet” (LXX and 4QPsª) → John 20:25-27. • v. 18—casting lots for garments → John 19:23-24. The climactic plea of v. 21 thus gathers all earlier suffering into one final request, answered three days later in the empty tomb (Luke 24:6). Fulfillment in the Passion Narratives 1. “Mouth of the lion” parallels the taunts of chief priests, scribes, and soldiers (Luke 23:35-37). 2. “Horns of the wild oxen” corresponds to Roman executioners wielding state power (John 19:10-11). 3. The immediate shift to praise (v. 22, “I will declare Your name to my brothers”) is quoted in Hebrews 2:12 as fulfilled in the risen Christ standing among His disciples. Early Jewish and Patristic Recognition • Dead Sea Scroll 4QPsª (dated ~100 BC) preserves Psalm 22 with the critical wording intact, proving the prophecy predates Jesus. • Targum Psalms paraphrases v. 22 (“I will teach Your name”) messianically. • Justin Martyr (Dial. 103) cites Psalm 22 as proof Jews “read but do not understand” the crucifixion forecast. • Irenaeus (Adv. Haer. 4.33.12) connects v. 21’s deliverance to the resurrection “on the third day.” Theological Implications 1. Substitution: The plea “Save me” reflects the righteous sufferer bearing judgment on behalf of others (Isaiah 53:5). 2. Victory: The answered prayer anticipates Christ’s proclamation over death (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). 3. Universal Praise: Verses 27-31 extend the triumph to “all the families of the nations,” fulfilled in global evangelism. Practical Application Believers facing persecution can echo v. 21, trusting that, in Christ, every cry for deliverance is already “answered” in the resurrection. Skeptics confronted with this prophetic-historical convergence must grapple with the identity of the Psalm’s ultimately vindicated sufferer. Summary Psalm 22:21 foreshadows the crucifixion by depicting the Messiah’s final plea at the very threshold of death, immediately met by divine intervention that turns suffering into victory. The verse anchors the Psalm’s detailed portrait of crucifixion and resurrection, validated by ancient manuscripts, historical testimony, and transformed lives—demonstrating that Jesus of Nazareth is the long-promised Savior. |
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