The Cry of Abandonment
Study note
The psalmist cries out the famous words Jesus quoted from the cross: 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' He feels God is far away. Yet he remembers that God is holy and that their ancestors trusted God and were delivered.
1 My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? I keep begging for help, but you feel so far away. I groan and groan, but you stay distant. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
2 My God, I cry to you all day long, but you give no answer. I call out through the night, and still I find no relief. O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.
3 And yet, you are completely holy — seated on a throne built from the praises of Israel. But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
4 Our ancestors relied on you. They leaned on you, and you came through for them. Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
5 They screamed out to you and you pulled them to safety. They counted on you and you never let them down. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
Mocked and Scorned
Study note
The sufferer feels less than human — like a worm. People mock him, shaking their heads and saying if God loves him, let God save him. Yet God has been with him since birth.
6 But here I am — feeling more like a worm than a man. Everyone looks down on me. People treat me like I am worthless. But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
7 Everybody who sees me makes fun of me. They curl their lips and wag their heads, saying, All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8 "He handed himself over to the Lord — well then, let the Lord come rescue him! If God is so delighted with him, let God come save him!" He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
9 But you are the one who brought me safely into this world. You taught me to trust you even while I was still nursing at my mother's breast. But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.
10 From the moment I was born, you were my God. You have been taking care of me since before I took my first breath. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly.
11 Please do not stay far from me right now. Trouble is pressing in close. There is no one else who can help. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.
Surrounded by Enemies
Study note
The sufferer is surrounded by enemies described as bulls, lions, and dogs. His strength is gone and his bones are out of joint. His hands and feet are pierced, and people divide his clothing among themselves.
12 A crowd of powerful enemies surrounds me. They are like huge, fierce bulls from the region of Bashan closing in on every side. Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
13 They open their jaws wide at me — roaring and tearing like hungry lions. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.
14 I feel like water spilling out on the ground. Every bone in my body is pulled apart. My heart inside me has turned to melted wax. I 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.
15 All my strength has dried up like a broken piece of pottery. My tongue is glued to the roof of my mouth. You have brought me right to the edge of death. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.
16 A pack of enemies closes in around me like wild dogs. A mob of evildoers has trapped me. They have pierced my hands and my feet. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
17 I can see every one of my bones. People stand there staring and gloating over me. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
18 They split up my clothes among themselves and throw dice for what I'm wearing. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
A Cry for Help
Study note
The psalmist begs God not to be far away but to rescue him from the sword, the power of the dog, and the mouth of the lion.
19 But Lord, please do not stay far from me. You are my source of strength — rush to my rescue. But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
20 Save my life from the sword. Protect the only life I have from the grip of these dogs. Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.
21 Pull me out of the lion's jaws. You answered me and snatched me from the horns of the wild oxen. Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
From Suffering to Praise
Study note
The psalm suddenly shifts from agony to praise. The sufferer will declare God's name and praise him in the congregation. God has not ignored the suffering of the afflicted.
22 I will tell my brothers and sisters who you are. Right in the middle of the gathering I will lift up your praise. I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
23 All of you who honor the Lord — praise him! Every descendant of Jacob — give him glory! Stand in awe of him, every descendant of Israel! Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.
24 He did not look away from the pain of the one who was suffering. He did not hide his face from him. When that person cried for help, he listened. 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.
25 You are the reason I praise you before the great crowd. I will keep every promise I made, before those who honor you. My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.
26 Those who are poor will have a feast and be filled up. Everyone who reaches out for the Lord will praise him. May your hearts be alive forever! The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
All Nations Will Worship
Study note
The vision expands to all the earth. All nations will remember and turn to the Lord. Future generations will be told about what God has done.
27 People from every corner of the earth will turn back to the Lord and remember who he is. Every family from every nation will come and worship him. All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
28 The kingdom belongs to the Lord — he is the one who rules over every nation. For the kingdom is the LORD's: and he is the governor among the nations.
29 All the wealthy of the earth will feast and bow before him. Every person who will one day return to the dust — everyone who cannot keep themselves alive — will kneel in his presence. All 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.
30 Generations still to come will serve him. They will pass on the story of the Lord to the next generation. A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
31 Those future people will arrive and announce to children not yet born: "He did it! He accomplished everything!" They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.