Psalm 22 · KJV
Psalm 22
My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me
Psalm 22 begins in the depths — "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" — the very words Jesus quoted on the cross, and moves from anguish to trust and praise. It gives words to feeling abandoned while still holding on to God.
Psalm 22 (KJV)
1My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
2O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.
3But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
4Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
5They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
6But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
7All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
9But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.
10I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly.
11Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
12Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
13They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.
14I 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.
15My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
16For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
17I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
18They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
19But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
20Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.
21Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
22I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
23Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.
24For 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.
25My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.
26The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
27All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
28For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the governor among the nations.
29All 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.
30A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
31They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.
What Psalm 22 means
The psalm opens with a cry Jesus would later speak from the cross: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" David feels utterly abandoned, yet even here he keeps speaking to God — the complaint is a prayer, not a walking away.
It also contains startling details later seen at the crucifixion — pierced hands and feet, garments divided by lot. But the psalm does not end in despair: it turns to declaring that God "hath not despised... the affliction of the afflicted," rising into praise. It gives honest words to anguish that still refuses to let go of God.
Key verses
“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?”
Psalm 22:1 · KJV — The cry of abandonment Jesus quoted from the cross.
“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.”
Psalm 22:24 · KJV — God has not despised the afflicted.
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A prayer from Psalm 22
Lord, when I feel abandoned, help me keep crying out to You as David did. Thank You that You do not despise my affliction, and that anguish is not the end of the story. Amen.
Themes in this passage
Related passages
Frequently asked
What does Psalm 22 mean?
Psalm 22 begins in the depths — "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" — the very words Jesus quoted on the cross, and moves from anguish to trust and praise. It gives words to feeling abandoned while still holding on to God.
What is Psalm 22 about?
The psalm opens with a cry Jesus would later speak from the cross: "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" David feels utterly abandoned, yet even here he keeps speaking to God — the complaint is a prayer, not a walking away.
What is the key verse in Psalm 22?
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?”
Is Psalm 22 in the King James Version?
Yes. The full text of Psalm 22 on this page is the King James Version (KJV), which is in the public domain.