www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Scripture and Patristic Writings Psalm 21(22)

Deus Deus meus. Christ's passion: and the conversion of the Gentiles.

1 Unto the end, for the morning protection, a psalm for David. 2 O God my God, look upon me: why hast thou forsaken me? Far from my salvation are the words of my sins. 3 O my God, I shall cry by day, and thou wilt not hear: and by night, and it shall not be reputed as folly in me. 4 But thou dwellest in the holy place, the praise of Israel. 5 In thee have our fathers hoped: they have hoped, and thou hast delivered them.

6 They cried to thee, and they were saved: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. 7 But I am a worm, and no man: the reproach of men, and the outcast of the people. 8 All they that saw me have laughed me to scorn: they have spoken with the lips, and wagged the head. 9 He hoped in the Lord, let him deliver him: let him save him, seeing he delighteth in him. 10 For thou art he that hast drawn me out of the womb: my hope from the breasts of my mother.

11 I was cast upon thee from the womb. From my mother's womb thou art my God, 12 Depart not from me. For tribulation is very near: for there is none to help me. 13 Many calves have surrounded me: fat bulls have besieged me. 14 They have opened their mouths against me, as a lion ravening and roaring. 15 I am poured out like water; and all my bones are scattered. My heart is become like wax melting in the midst of my bowels.

16 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue hath cleaved to my jaws: and thou hast brought me down into the dust of death. 17 For many dogs have encompassed me: the council of the malignant hath besieged me. They have dug my hands and feet. 18 They have numbered all my bones. And they have looked and stared upon me. 19 They parted my garments amongst them; and upon my vesture they cast lots. 20 But thou, O Lord, remove not thy help to a distance from me; look towards my defence.

21 Deliver, O God, my soul from the sword: my only one from the hand of the dog. 22 Save me from the lion's mouth; and my lowness from the horns of the unicorns. 23 I will declare thy name to my brethren: in the midst of the church will I praise thee. 24 Ye that fear the Lord, praise him: all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him. 25 Let all the seed of Israel fear him: because he hath not slighted nor despised the supplication of the poor man. Neither hath he turned away his face from me: and when I cried to him he heard me.

26 With thee is my praise in a great church: I will pay my vows in the sight of them that fear him. 27 The poor shall eat and shall be filled: and they shall praise the Lord that seek him: their hearts shall live for ever and ever. 28 All the ends of the earth shall remember, and shall be converted to the Lord: And all the kindreds of the Gentiles shall adore in his sight. 29 For the kingdom is the Lord's; and he shall have dominion over the nations. 30 All the fat ones of the earth have eaten and have adored: all they that go down to the earth shall fall before him.

31 And to him my soul shall live: and my seed shall serve him. 32 There shall be declared to the Lord a generation to come: and the heavens shall shew forth his justice to a people that shall be born, which the Lord hath made.

My comments:

Verse 2: These are the very words of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ on the Cross. It seems as though He was telling us this whole Psalm is about Him.

Verses 7-9: These verses confirm Isaias 53:2-4 and Philippians 2:6-8. And the verses in the Gospels detailing the mockery of the crowds.

Verses 13-14: These verses tell of those who tortured and murdered Our Lord. In St. Matthew 15:26 and St. Mark 7:27 the Gentiles are also known as dogs. The bulls from Bashan; Bashan was a part of the Kingdom of Israel that was owned by the Tribe of Manasses. So the Jews and Gentiles surrounded Him in violence.

Verses 15 and 16 describe the horrible thirst and dehydration Our Lord endured during his torments.

Verses 17 and 18 deal directly with the crucifixion: "they have dug my hands and feet."

The last part of Verse 25 deals with the last seconds of His life as He cried "Father, into Your Hands I commend My Spirit"

Verses 26-32 show the fruits of His death and Resurrection. The conversion of the Gentiles, justice and mercy for the poor, and the Glorification of God and His Kingdom.

This is one of the most interesting psalms.

For two reasons� (two reasons more than already given)�

First � it was the habit of the Jews in synagogue to memories the psalms. To be able to speak the psalms from memory was part of becoming a man (on the 13h birthday). And it was the literary habit of High Hebrew and poetic Hebrew - to name a work (a book, a writing, etc..) by the first line of the book (or writing, etc�) because the very first line was a summary of the entire work. The work flowed from - the very first line. It unfolded - from the very first line. And so it was acceptable in synagogue - when standing to be a reader - to read and entire psalm by standing up and saying just the first line of it - and then sitting back down. Having said just the first line - was as good as saying the entire psalm as saying the first line brought the entire psalm to the mind of the listeners.

Any Jew, reading the gospels� when it comes to the part where Jesus says (on the cross) �My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?� would immediately know that the entire psalm was being indicated as said. What we do not know is if Jesus physically said the entire psalm word for word - but what we do know is that Jesus said (even by saying the opening line of it) the entire psalm (at least according to synagogue standards) and any Jew hearing him - would be immediately reminded of the entire psalm and consider that the entire pslam had been spoken.

Secondly� this psalm is in four parts. It does follow a traditional form of Hebrew literature (a dialog of an oracle in which God speaks).

It is an Oracle - a dialog - and is meant to be taken as a real dialog and not a poetic muse.

Usually, a Hebrew dialog within scriptures� begins with the prophet speaking to the people - and then the prophet speaking to God, and then God speaking to the prophet (and perhaps a few more back and forth between the prophet and God) and then closes with the prophet speaking to the people. This, of course - is - a dialog. However (and here is a kicker!) with in this particular dialog (and it IS a dialog according to the Hebrew form) there is only one speaking - he is therefore speaking both parts (as the human and as the God).

As I said, there are three parts.

The first section - draws from the history of Israel. This is typical as a �in the past you have done this and this�� type of speech. A recounting of God�s fidelity - in the past.

From there the next section moves to the present �But I am a worm�all who see me mock me� etc..� this is to be understood that what is recounted here in this section - is current. It is the condition of the one who is speaking.

The next section of the psalm is the future. �I will proclaim your name in the assembly - in community - I will praise you.� This section is not to be thought of as promises meant to sway God to an answer - but in fact indicates that and answer - had - come.

What I mean to say is that there can be a human tendency to try and �bribe� God. We ask God for an answer (or action) by saying �If you do this for me - then I will do this for you.� or �If I do this for you - please do this for me.� And so we might think (not knowing the Hebrew structure) that the third section may be more of a wish and indicates what the psalmist (speaking) is promising to do even while he is suffering the sufferings listed in the second section (�I am being mocked - my bones are dried up� etc.. etc..). However if one does know the Hebrew structure - one MUST assume the third section to indicate an answer (from God) HAD arrived and that is why the psalmist (oracle) is saying what he is saying in the third section.

This is further confirmed with the words �(God) Did not turn away - but head me when I cried out.� which also indicates that the answer (or action of God) HAD responded.

And so this prayer (what the psalm is) WAS IMMEDIATELY answered by God. That is that the forsaken-ness was immediately ended.

The fourth section (according to the dialog form) is now the section in which the prophet - now addresses the people.

So we are to understand that in sections 1 and 2 and 3 this is a dialog of personal and almost private conversation (dialog) taking place between the prophet and God� and in 4 four the prophet (the conversation now ended) the prophet turns to the people and is speaking to the people (a public address) which applies (what the previous conversation was about) to the people - in other words how it effects them.

May this deepen our understanding of Jesus� time on the cross.

Peace be to all churches.

-ray

this is fascinating here, you know. I can readily imagine the appalling silence that would have fallen when Jesus uttered those opening words. Because as you say, the Jews would have realized which Psalm. And I wonder if they saw the fulfillment of that Psalm at that moment. Because He was the fulfillment, He had to die, that instant. And I wonder if they realized they had crucified their own prayer?
It was also at that moment, with the last verse of the Psalm, He was telling them that the justice they sought for centuries was at hand.