What is the meaning of Psalm 22:17? I can count all my bones David begins with an image of severe physical distress: “I can count all my bones”. • His body has been stretched, beaten, and dehydrated until every rib is visible; the language pictures a man so emaciated that nothing is hidden. • While this was David’s real suffering, it looks ahead to Christ’s crucifixion where His bones were likewise exposed yet unbroken—“He protects all his bones; not one of them is broken” (Psalm 34:20, fulfilled in John 19:36). • The statement underscores two truths: total vulnerability and God’s sovereign preservation even in agony. they stare “they stare” shifts attention from the sufferer to the spectators. • A hostile, curious crowd gathers, fascinated by another’s pain; Luke 23:35 records, “The people stood watching, and the rulers sneered.” • This staring is not neutral; it is the cold gaze of those who feel no compassion, echoing Psalm 109:25: “When they see me, they shake their heads.” • The detail reminds us that sin not only inflicts pain but breeds callousness in human hearts. and gloat over me The final phrase exposes the inward posture of the onlookers. • To “gloat” is to relish someone else’s misery; Psalm 35:19 warns, “Let not those who hate me without cause gloat over me.” • At the cross the religious leaders and passers-by fulfilled this line: “In the same way the chief priests and scribes mocked Him” (Mark 15:31-32). • Their gloating reveals spiritual blindness—rejoicing in what God was using for redemption. summary Psalm 22:17 paints a three-fold portrait: a body pushed to its limits, a crowd staring without mercy, and enemies savoring the agony. David’s words describe his own trial yet prophetically anticipate the crucifixion, where Jesus’ bones were visible yet preserved, bystanders watched, and mockers reveled. The verse assures believers that God foreknew and recorded every detail of the Savior’s suffering, turning human cruelty into the very means of our salvation. |
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