Messiah in the Psalms

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Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary MESSIAH IN THE PSALMS - WHAT DOES PSALM 22 TELL US ABOUT A COMING ANOINTED ONE? Submitted to Dr. Gary Yates in partial fulfillment of requirements for THEO 695 by Elke B. Speliopoulos Downingtown, PA May 4, 2010

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Paper on Messiah in the Psalms (Psalm 22), submitted as partial fulfillment of requirements for Old Testament Biblical Theology course at Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. May 2010.

Transcript of Messiah in the Psalms

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Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary

MESSIAH IN THE PSALMS

- WHAT DOES PSALM 22 TELL US ABOUT A COMING ANOINTED ONE?

Submitted to Dr. Gary Yates

in partial fulfillment of requirements for THEO 695

by

Elke B. Speliopoulos

Downingtown, PA

May 4, 2010

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CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1

THE DIFFICULTY OF THE CONCEPT “MESSIAH”.................................................................2

BACKGROUND OF PSALM 22....................................................................................................5

A LAMENT PSALM – AND A PRAISE TO GOD.......................................................................7

MESSIANIC HOPE........................................................................................................................8

MESSIANIC FULFILLMENT – OR IS IT?.................................................................................11

USE OF PSALM 22 IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.....................................................................16

CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................19

BIBLIOGRAPHY..........................................................................................................................21

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INTRODUCTION

Much has been written about messianic prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures, and even

more has been argued for how or whether Jesus fulfilled these prophetic statements and to which

degree of competition. Yet when taking a look at the Old Testament without applying the filter

of a post-cross New Testament influence, it becomes much more difficult to understand what

specifically Jewish sages believed to be predictions about a future Messianic figure.

Equally important is a review of how Jesus himself saw his role. As Christopher J.H.

Wright points out, it is

striking that scholars who have studied Jesus’ use of the ‘messianic’ scriptures most closely observe that, of all the figures and titles in the Old Testament relating to the coming eschatological deliverer of Israel, the one that Jesus used least was that of the Davidic, kingly, Messiah. Indeed although it was used about him, he never used it of himself in his teaching.1

Finally, the New Testament writers seem to have identified many fulfillments of Hebrew

Scripture, as is apparent by the frequent use of Old Testament passages within the pages of the

New Testament.

So what to do about the passages most everyone has become so familiar with and that are

cited by the New Testament writers as clear evidence that Jesus is this expected Messiah of

Israel? In this paper, Psalm 22 will be reviewed as an exemplary psalm. It is a psalm, which has

been defined by most scholars as a messianic psalm pointing toward Christ. As this paper will

propose, the complex history of the Israelites and their expectations toward a prophetic

fulfillment, especially during the intertestamental period, will lead to the conclusion that the New

Testament writers saw Jesus’ life and death as a clear fulfillment of the Scriptures. This is also

indicated by Christ’s own words and confirmed in the books of the New Testament.

1. Christopher J.H. Wright, Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 1992), 145.

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THE DIFFICULTY OF THE CONCEPT “MESSIAH”

The term “Messiah”, or the English Christ, as adopted from the Greek Χριστός

(Christos), does not automatically carry with it what most Christians today understand by it.

Rather, it refers to “the anointed” or משיח (māšıTaḥ). In Old Testament thinking, this term simply

means conferring legitimacy to a king or a high priest. In Isaiah 45:1, Cyrus, the Persian king is

titled by God “his anointed”. As such, the association from Old Testament descriptions of an

“anointed one” cannot be automatically, or rather exclusively, translated to apply to Jesus.

Bird expands the application of the anointing to three offices in ancient Israel: king, priest

and prophet. Very importantly, it is imperative to note that the word משיח is not used of

eschatological figures in the pages of the Hebrew Scriptures with the possible exception of

Daniel 9:24-27.0 This is affirmed by Marinus de Jonge whom Bird quotes: “One should realize

that in the OT the term ‘anointed’ is never used of a future savior/redeemer, and that in later

Jewish writings of the period between 200 BC and AD 100 the term is used only infrequently in

connection with agents of divine deliverance expected in the future.”0

Belcher, coming from a more Christian reading of Messiah, writes that the “use of the

Old Testament term ‘anointed’ or ‘messiah’ lays a foundation for the importance of prophet,

priest and king in relationship to Jesus.”0 However, Wright points out the problem of seeking for

prophecies around the Messiah by observing that “we are so used to calling Jesus ‘Christ’ (which

is simply the Greek form of the Hebrew ‘messiah’) that it comes as something of a shock to

realize that the word itself as a title is actually hardly ever found in the Old Testament.”0

0. Michael F. Bird, Are You the One Who Is to Come?: The Historical Jesus and the Messianic Question (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2009), 34.

0. Ibid.

0. Richard P. Belcher, The Messiah and the Psalms: Preaching Christ from All the Psalms (Fearn, UK: Mentor, 2006), 34.

0. Wright, Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament, 143.145.

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As Waltke explains, the allegorical method’s imposing of images of Christ as the

Messiah on virtually “every verse of every psalm”0 was balanced by the precritical or noncritical

approach (Hengstenberg, Gaebelein, Payne, etc.) that limited the number of messianic psalms. It

is today countered by critical scholars who accuse non-critical scholars of actually discrediting

Jesus’ claims by “prooftexting”. Yet even here is a difference between literary-historical critics

who deny that any of the psalms hold prophetic predictions and those who believe that there is

both a direct historical fulfillment and predictions that serve as “prefigurements of Christ.”0

Selman writes that the concept of a Messiah evolved through a long process within

Israel’s history from a contemporary leader into an “eschatological deliverer”0. Originally, the

messianic figures in the Old Testament were typically “earthly, human and time-bound”0 Yet,

this concept shifted as Israel experienced political and military crises, ultimately culminating in

exile, the gap perceived between the idealistic depiction of God’s type of leader and the reality of

its human leaders, and then – post Old Testament writings – the experience of the Maccabean

revolt. While Moses and David served as historical figures who modeled some of these

messianic functions, the expectation arose of a future figure that would fulfill these functions to a

much higher and more perfect degree. 0

One critical issue in considering prophetic passages that may reference a coming Messiah

in the Old Testament is the understanding with which a reader approaches them. Belcher points

0. Bruce K. Waltke, “A Canonical Process Approach to the Psalms,” in Tradition & Testament: Essays in Honor of Charles Lee Feinberg, ed. John S. Feinberg and Paul D. Feinberg (Chicago: Moody Press, 1981), 4.

0. Ibid., 5.

0. Martin J. Selman, “Messianic Mysteries,” in The Lord's Annointed: Interpretation of Old Testament Messianic Texts, ed. Philip E. Satterthwaite, Richard S. Hess, and Gordon F. Wenham (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1995), 300.

0. Ibid., 301.

0. Ibid.

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out, “Christ can be preached from all the psalms.”0 However, Gren elaborates on the difficulty in

Christian vs. Jewish expectation and explanations from some passages:

Understandings, Jewish and Christian, have changed over the centuries. When Jesus lived on earth, the Jews believed that the Messiah would be a conqueror who would remove the yoke of the hated Roman oppressor. After his death, Christians pointed to many OT passages, notably Psalm 22, Psalm 69, and Isaiah 52–53, where God's Servant was made to suffer intensely and even die. Today, many Jews understand themselves as a people being God's Suffering Servant in these and other passages. However, following a hermeneutic Jesus applied to himself, Christians see these passages as applying to Jesus' death, achieving salvation.0

Gren describes very succinctly why modern scholars have to be extremely careful to

differentiate between Jewish and Christian interpretations of Old Testament passages.

As Hirschberg writes, when early believers in Jesus proclaimed him as the Messiah,

Jewish minds saw several problems with this messiahship: Jesus had died a rather undignified

death on a cross, and he was born in the Galilee in their minds - not in Bethlehem as their

prophets had foretold. In addition, the awareness of his ancestry and Jesus’ failure to prevent

Judas’ betrayal, as well as his apparent lack of scholarly education and the perceived non-

observance of the Torah made Jesus a non-candidate for Messiah in many Jewish eyes.0 This

then is the background against which Psalm 22 can be investigated.

Maybe most important in the understanding of the term “Messiah” is that when the

Scriptures speak of an “anointed one”, they refer to someone who has been set apart and

empowered by God for service. This is a description that in all use cases can be applied, but in

particular to Jesus Christ.0

0. Belcher, The Messiah and the Psalms, 40.

0. Conrad R. Gren, “Piercing the Ambiguities of Psalm 22:16 and the Messiah's Mission,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society Vol. 48 (2005): 281.

0. Peter Hirschberg, “Jewish Believers in Asia Minor According to Revelation and the Gospel of John,” in Jewish Believers in Jesus, ed. Oskar Skarsaune and Reidar Hvalvik (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers,, 2007), 233.

0. Belcher, The Messiah and the Psalms: Preaching Christ from All the Psalms, 34.

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BACKGROUND OF PSALM 22

While the psalm itself is described as a psalm of David, the dating of Psalm 22 varies.

While most conservative scholars believe it to be written by King David himself, others believe

that it was written during the final years of the kingdom of Judah, at a point in time between the

battle of Megiddo and the exile of the tribes of Benjamin and Judah to Babylon0.

Heinemann writes that “the craftsmanship of its poetry, the boldness of its images, and

the sweep of its historical scope” 0 contribute to the extraordinary nature of Psalm 22, yet all of

these striking characteristics are paled by its messianic character. Yet the psalm seems to hold a

message both for the original readers and for those who read it today.0

Likewise, Kaiser asks whether the innocent suffering depicted here can be ascribed to

David or whether what is described far exceeds any of David’s recorded experiences. In

particular, he questions when David was ever as rejected as described, when his hands were

pierced (if correctly translated) or his garments divided by his enemies.0 As such, it appears that

this psalm speaks of more than just David’s experience.

Yet whether it truly is David’s experience may be questionable, based on textual

considerations. As already mentioned, the dating of the psalms is difficult as it is a collection of

writings, not a single text. These appear to not have been written during one time, but rather over

a rather long period. Some psalms are attributed to Moses, others to Levitical singers; all of these

amounting to as long of a possible time period as around one thousand years.0

0. Samuel Terrien, The Psalms: Strophic Structure and Theological Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2003), 235.

0. Mark H. Heinemann, “An Eposition of Psalm 22,” in Bibliotheca Sacra Volume 147, 587 (Dallas, TX: Dallas Theological Seminary, 1990), 285.

0. Ibid.

0. Walter C. Kaiser Jr., The Messiah of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995), 111-12.

0. Tremper Longman III and Raymond P. Dillard, “Psalms,” in An Introduction to the Old Testament, second ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994, 2006), 239.

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In addition, the authorship of the psalms is sometimes questionable. In the case of the

psalms attributed to David, authorship has been ascribed seventy-three times in the

superscriptions preceding the psalm. However, these superscriptions are now suspected by some

scholars to be late additions. David’s authorship, e.g., as already mentioned, in the Hebrew

textual tradition occurs seventy-three times, yet in the Greek and Latin versions of the Old

Testament this number increases greatly.0

The assignment of David to some psalms also is dependent on the use of Semitic

propositions, which can be translated “by David”, “of David”, “about David”, and “for David”.

This leaves interpretive space as to who the author may have been. Finally, some scholars reject

authorship of some of the psalms by David as they do not believe that Israel could “produce such

an elevated expression of piety as early as the reign of David” and that this type of pious worship

could only have happened during the post-exilic period.0

Yet despite all the scholarly doubt regarding the authorship of David, the historical books

seem to strongly favor a Davidic authorship. He is shown as displaying a great deal of interest in

participating in formal worship. His background as a musician, e.g. playing the harp for King

Saul, suggests that his heart was that of a worshiper of the Lord. David also organized the

musicians for the temple to be built after his death.0 In addition, the experiences of David,

especially as he is persecuted by Saul, but also later after his sin with Bathsheba and the resulting

strife in his kingdom through the actions of some of his sons, all contribute to a rich background

from which to draw both lament and praise. All these speak strongly in favor of an active

participation of David in Israel’s worship and his direct authorship of some of the psalms.

0. Ibid.

0. Ibid., 239-240.

0. Ibid., 240.

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A LAMENT PSALM – AND A PRAISE TO GOD

Patterson believes that Psalm 22 is written as a two-part structure, a view also supported

by scholars such as Anderson, Auffret, Kidner, Leupold, Perowne, Tostengard, and Westermann.

The first portion is delivered in the form of a lament, while the second portion of the psalm has

an extensive element of thanksgiving and praise. 0 The lament portion contains several features

typical of lament psalms found in the Hebrew Scriptures: it begins with an introductory address

(vv.1-10), continues with a petition (vv 11-21), and ends in praise (vv. 22-31). The praise and

thanksgiving portion provides elements such as a call to praise the Lord (vv. 22-23), a list of

reasons to give thanks (vv. 24, 26), a confirmation of the psalmist’s resolve to praise God (v. 25)

and an invitation for other to join in (vv. 27-31).0

Terrien disagrees with the two-part view of Psalm 22 and rather sees a ternary

architecture of it. He sees a structure of three strophes (vv. 4-12, vv. 13-23 and vv. 23-32) that

“broadens itself with the perspective of a more distant horizon, in spatiality and temporality.”0

Walton points out that some of the language of this psalm features elements that are

reminiscent of lament language both in the psalms and in Mesopotamian laments.0 Jesus also

would have been well aware of the laments of the Hebrew Scriptures. As Heinemann reminds his

readers that Jesus at the age of 12 already had an astounding knowledge of the Scriptures and so

would have read this psalm many times. It may thus be a logical conclusion that Jesus would

repeat the first line of Psalm 22 “to express his agony and to emphasize the prophetic connection

between Himself and the psalm.”0

0. Richard D. Patterson, “Psalm 22: From Trial to Triumph,” in Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society Volume 47, 2 (Lynchburg, VA: Evangelical Theological Society, 2004), 216.

0. Ibid.

0. Terrien, The Psalms, 228.

0. John H. Walton, ed., Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, vol. 5 of The Minor Prophets, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2009), 373.

0. Heinemann, “An Eposition of Psalm 22,” in Bibliotheca Sacra Volume, 288-89.

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VanGemeren makes the observation that the psalmist “views God in contrastive terms to his situation:

his God has “forsaken” him (v. 1a)Israel’s God is “enthroned” (v.3a)

his God is “far…from saving” (v.1b)Israel’s God is “holy” or the “Holy One” (v. 3b)

his God is unresponsive to his “groaning” (v.1c)Israel’s God receives the “praise of Israel” (v.3c) 0

He concludes that this understanding that allows the reader to find deep appreciation for

Jesus’ cry on the cross, “Eloi ,Eloi, lama sabachthani?”. It shows the forsakenness and

alienation from God the Father and the cutting off from any act of deliverance at the hand of

God.0

House views Psalm 22 as ultimately powerfully optimistic. He writes,

This believer desires deliverance to result in witness and an ever-expanding kingdom of God. Thus for this psalmist, suffering becomes redemptive as others marvel at how God cares for the faithful. Lament is transformed into praise born of a specific confession of faith as David’s pain is relieved.0

MESSIANIC HOPE

The origins of the Jewish doctrine of a Messiah is found in the belief that King David

was the anointed one of God, and that he and his descendants would rule over Israel until the end

of this age. This included his rule over other nations.0 When studying the Old Testament history

of Israel, it quickly becomes clear that whatever the people’s concept of an idealized Davidic

ruler was, it had not been met in the rulers of Israel and Judah. As such, it was equally apparent

to them that this ruler had not come. This ideal of kingship caused frustration: king after king had

disappointed them. However, with the fall of the kingdom in 586 BC, this expectation was

forced to be transformed into an eschatological hope that the house of David would be restored

0. VanGemeren, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, 201.

0. Ibid., 199.

0. Paul R. House, Old Testament Theology (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1998), 410.

0. Paul Johnson, A History of the Jews (New York, NY: Harper Perennial, 1987), 124.

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miraculously by God. This was coupled with the expectation, based on Isaiah’s prophecies, that

this messianic ruler would also be a dispenser of justice.0 As Chisholm explains, the rulers after

David, despite a few notable exceptions in the house of Judah, fell short of the Davidic ideal of a

king, and thus “the ideal of a just king who would bring the nation lasting peace and prosperity

remained just that, an unfulfilled ideal.”0

As VanGemeren describes, a prophetic silence of four hundred years had caused many

Jews to conclude that Yahweh may have forgotten them, yet certainly others’ hope had not died.0

Yet out of this “hope grew that one day a king would come who would live up”0

to the high expectations of an ideal king. After the last prophecies delivered by Malachi, the

intertestamental period finds Israel focusing on the study of the law, or the torah, yet this period

also features a noticeable societal upsurge in apocalyptic, messianic hope.0 This had been caused

by three major impacts in Israel’s experience that shaped and drove towards this anticipation of a

messianic leader for Israel: one was the rise of Hellenism after the conquest of Alexander the

Great. The second was the rise of the Ptolemies, in particular Antiochus Epiphanes IV. When he

erected a statue of Zeus in the Temple in Jerusalem in 167 B.C., Judas Maccabeus and his

supporters took up arms and successfully achieved freedom. Finally, after a period of more or

less self-rule under the Hasmoneans, the Roman Empire replaced that of Greece, entering their

land in 63 B.C., and once again, the Jews found themselves under a foreign rule.0 All these

0. Ibid.

0. Robert B. Chisholm Jr., “A Theology of the Psalms,” in A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, ed. Roy B. Zuck, Eugene H. Merrill, and Darrell L. Bock (Chicago: Moody Press, 1991), 288.

0. Willem VanGemeren, The Progress of Redemption: The Story of Salvation from Creation to the New Jerusalem (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1988), 125.

0. Ernest C. Lucas, Exploring the Old Testament: A Guide to the Psalms & Wisdom Literature (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2003), 64.

0. Zuck, A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, 25-26.268.

0. Wright, Knowing Jesus Through the Old Testament, 24-25.

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factors led to the rise of a Messianic hope, which undoubtedly prepared the Jewish world for the

arrival of a savior.

Yet this expectation differed from the Christian understanding of Messiah after the cross.

As Elwell describes, “Confusion arises when specifically Christian ideas about the Messiah

invade the OT data. Jesus’ concept of his messianic mission did not accord with contemporary

popular Jewish expectation.”0

Adding another angle to the Messianic considerations, Fruchtenbaum provides insights

into Jewish thinking on this topic. He offers that the Old Testament prophets provided a dual

image of the coming Messiah. One would be a Messiah who would experience terrible

humiliation, physical harm and ultimately would die in a violent manner. This death is even

depicted as being substitutionary for the sins of the Jewish people. Yet there would also be

another Messiah, who would come as a conquering king and would destroy all enemies of Israel

and inaugurate a messianic kingdom, which would be characterized by peace and prosperity.0

While the Old Testament never expressly names two Messiahs, the Jewish sages

developed names for the two lines of messianic prophecy: the Messiah who would come to

suffer and die was named “Messiah, the Son of Joseph”, or Mashiach ben Yoseph. The Messiah

who would follow and inaugurate the Messianic kingdom on earth was termed “Messiah, the Son

of David”, or Mashiach ben David.0

While this interpretation remained strong for centuries in the Jewish mind, during the

Talmudic time, the focus was placed more and more on “Messiah, the Son of David” to the point

0. Walter A. Elwell, “Messiah,” in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, second ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1984, 2001), 764.

0. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Messianic Christology: A Study of Old Testament Prophecy Concerning the First Coming of the Messiah (Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 1998), 123.

0.Ibid.

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that in modern collective Jewish thinking the only remaining Messiah is the conquering Messiah.

“Messiah, the Son of Joseph” became a fallback to explain difficult text passages.0

Needless to say, this provides an interesting explanation into what Christians know as

ultimate truth: Jesus Christ came first as the suffering Messiah who came to give his life as a

substitutionary payment for the sin of the people, and he will come a second time, this time as a

conquering King.

MESSIANIC FULFILLMENT – OR IS IT?

Psalm 22 is quoted in various parts of the New Testament, both in the gospels and in

several letters. There are many parallels that can be drawn between this psalm and the depiction

of Jesus’ life and, in particular, his crucifixion. To a Christian reader, this psalm unmistakably

reads like a prophecy spoken before Christ’s time and describing his horrific death.

Psalm 22:1 is quoted by both Matthew (Matthew 27:46) and Mark (Mark 15:34). While

the MT translates this as “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”, the Septuagint, while

translating literally, here offers “you protected me” after the invocation.0 The second part of v.1

as well as v.24, referring to groaning or crying out, appears to be reflected in Hebrews 5:7,

however this is not entirely clear. Strobel suggested that the basis for this may be Psalm 116.0

The theme of shame in v.5 shows up in Romans 9:33, which also may point back to

language found in Isaiah 28:160. V.7 is found revisited in Matthew 27:39–43, Mark 15:29–32,

and Luke 23:35, 36. Likewise, the first part of v.8 finds parallels in the crucifixion description,

while the second half has similarities to God’s audible and visible approval of his Son at Jesus’

0. Ibid.

0. G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson, eds., Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007), 99.

0. Ibid., 962.

0. Ibid., 650.

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baptism depicted in Matthew 3:17, Mark 1:11, and Luke 3:22. V.10 shows similarities to

Galatians 1:150. V.15 appears to be a parallel to John 19:28, where Jesus thirsts. According to the

Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, John’s description of the

crucifixion of Jesus “may be viewed in many ways as a midrash on Psa. 22:15-18…, which

features the sufferer’s thirst (v. 15), his ‘pierced…hands and feet’(v.16), and the perseveration of

all his bones (v.17). This may be intended to develop further the Synoptic reference to Jesus’

recitation of (the opening lines of) Ps. 22.”0

V. 16 and v. 20 use terminology (dogs) that seems to be used in a similar context in

Philippians 3:2 and Revelation. 22:15. Needless to say, the imagery of v.16 of “piercing” is

found in Matthew 27:35, Mark 15:24, Luke 23:33 and 24:40, and in John 19:23, 37 and 20:25.

This will be discussed in greater detail below. V.17’s staring and gloating is reflected in Luke

23:35, while v. 18’s dividing of the garment by lot is found in John 19:24, Matthew 27:35, and

Luke 23:34. V.22, the sharing of God’s name, is found again in Hebrews 2:12 and John 17:6.

Belcher writes on Psalm 22:22 that it “is used in Hebrews to stress the solidarity of Jesus with

those he came to save”.0

V.26 sounds like a precursor to John 6:51, where Jesus calls himself the living bread.

V.29, with its imagery of bowing down, is found also in Philippians 2:10.

It is clear from these examples that there is an abundance of similarities between the

poetic writing of Psalm 22 and the verses found in the New Testament that depict Christ. Yet is

this really who is meant by this? Interestingly, Tkacz found that the early exegesis by the

Christian community seems to have prompted a Jewish response by the Amoraic period (third to

0. Based on a textual link provided by the ESV interlinear (Logos version).

0. Beale and Carson, Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, 502.

0. Belcher, The Messiah and the Psalms, 37.

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fifth century after Christ). In the Jewish Midrash on Psalms, or Midrash Tehillim0, written

about500 years post-Christ, an application of Psalm 22 either to King Hezekiah during the threat

by Sennacherib or to Queen Esther can be found when the Jews were threatened by Haman.

Through the following centuries, this imagery centered exclusively on Queen Esther, and

ultimately every verse of Psalm 22 was ascribed to her. 0 What could have triggered such a

response by the Jewish sages? It appears this was a very direct attempt to counter the association

of this psalm with Jesus Christ. Augustine, Justin Martyr and Jerome are early examples of

church fathers who preached Christ from Psalm 22.0 This practice of associating Psalm 22 until

today with Esther is affirmed by a comment in the Jewish Study Bible, which points out that this

psalm is read customarily on the Jewish holiday of Purim.0

To a Christian, Psalm 22:16-18 contain the seemingly most recognizable elements to

Christ’s crucifixion of the entire psalm. Mills contends that “this Scripture is the only biblical

record of the crucifixion from the perspective of the Sacrificial Victim. It describes the agonies

of crucifixion graphically, yet man had not even conceived of crucifixion in David’s time.”0

Likewise, commenting on the phrase “they have pierced my hands and feet”, Heinemann

writes: “This is striking prefiguring of what happened to Jesus when He was crucified.”0

However, this is clearly an assessment from a post-cross perspective. Heinemann explains that to

0. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology.

0. Catherine Brown Tkacz, “Esther, Jesus, and Psalm 22,” Catholic Biblical Quarterly, no. 4 (October 2008). ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed May 2, 2010).

0. Ibid.

0. Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler, eds., “Psalm 22,” in The Jewish Study Bible (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004), 1305.

0. M.S. Mills, Five Messianic Psalms (Psalms 22, 23, 24, 16, 110): An Exegetical Study Guide (Dallas: 3E Ministries, 1999).

0. Heinemann, “An Eposition of Psalm 22,” in Bibliotheca Sacra Volume 147, 587, 296-97.

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the pre-Christ reader of this portion of the Hebrew Scriptures, this passage may have appeared as

“an obscure figurative expression, which they perhaps attributed to poetic license.”0

Fruchtenbaum makes a point to explain that Hebrew terminology is of importance here.

The word for piercing used in Psalm 22:17 is a different one from the one used in Zechariah

12:10. The term used there means “to thrust through”. It would be more in line with a Roman

soldier’s piercing Jesus’ side with a spear after his death. The term typically translated as

“piercing” in Psalm 22:17 is seen by Fruchtenbaum as a word which might be used for, e.g., the

piercing of an ear. It would thus be consistent with nails driving through Jesus’ hands and feet on

the cross.0

Yet other scholars struggle to see such a seemingly obvious reading of the text. In the

Septuagint, the term used is ὤρυξαν (ōruxan), typically translated as “dig, dig up, bury”0, which

is difficult to apply in this context. Likewise, the Hebrew phrase י f gר iא klכ (kä’árî) in the MSS has

caused much interpretive consternation. Based on the Hebrew text, VanGemeren sees the

imagery of dogs biting into the hands and feet of their victim.0 Walton offers the background

information that documented evidence of dog domestication exists during the time of David’s

psalm. According to him, dogs were used in hunting and shepherding, but a pack of stray dogs

could potentially be a “vicious danger”0, accounting for such fierce imagery.

The NET translates Psalm 22:16b “like a lion they pin my hands and feet” and offers

similar translation notes that would contest a crucifixion reading of v.16b.0 The MSS literally

0. Ibid., 297.

0. Fruchtenbaum, Messianic Christology, 162.

0. Horst Robert Balz and Gerhard Schneider, Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1990-), 534.

0. VanGemeren, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, 201.

0. Walton, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, 373.

0. New English Translation (n.p.: Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C., 2005), 930.

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reads “like a lion, my hands and my feet”. This may be due to the panic the psalmist is trying to

describe. It cites as evidence for this reading that, while Jesus cited something very close to this

psalm while on the cross, the New Testament never cites Psalm 22:16b as describing the death of

Jesus.0 Johnston adds that “enemies abound in the psalms” and are “often portrayed as animals,

particularly lions.”0 In Psalm 22, oxen, lions and dogs are used in a chiastic pattern0, underlining

the depiction of many enemies surrounding the psalmist.

Tkacz, on the other hand, postulates that the Hebrew text appears to have been altered in

the early Christian era. She cites Aus who supports this view by saying that “the original Hebrew

certainly is reflected in the LXX, Syriac, [Origen] and Jerome, who have: ‘they have pierced’ my

hands and feet.”0 Estes sheds further light on the issues:

Working with the text in various ways has led different scholars to a wide range of renderings, including “my hands and my feet were exhausted”…, “they have bound my hands and feet”..., and “like a lion my hands and feet have shriveled”…, and no one has been able to adduce a convincing solution to this exegetical puzzle.0

In light of all these conflicting views on the exact wording and interpretation on this

passage, it may be best to stay with Patterson who calls it a “notable crux” and suggests that the

final determination should be withheld as to the exact reading of the original text, since it is

elusive. He concludes, “the text remains an exegetical problem”.0

0. Ibid, tn 29.

0. David Firth and Philip S. Johnston, eds., Interpreting the Psalms: Issues and Approaches (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2005), 68-69.

0. Ibid, Tn 29, 69.

0. Catherine Brown Tkacz, “Esther, Jesus, and Psalm 22, 724.

0. Daniel J. Estes, Handbook on the Wisdom Books and Psalms, Job (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2005), 183.

0. Patterson, “Psalm 22: From Trial to Triumph,” in Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society Volume, 223.

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Amazingly, the psalmist after depicting all the horror of his experiences ends the psalm in

a great praise to God and wants to tell “everyone within hearing of God’s goodness and

greatness”.0

USE OF PSALM 22 IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

But what then speaks for the Messianic character of Psalm 22?

It appears that Psalm 22 is used and quoted so frequently in the New Testament because

it serves as an intense and vivid description of the suffering, desperation and ultimately death of

Jesus Christ.0 One commentary proposes that thought rather than exact quote should take priority

in the readers’ consideration of the psalm: “It is remarkable that our Lord’s quotation of this

passage does not follow exactly either the Hebrew or the Chaldee paraphrase—the Hebrew

having ’azabthani for sabacthani, and the Chaldee paraphrase metul ma for lama. May we not

conclude that it is the thought, and not its verbal expression by the sacred writers, that is

inspired?”0

Yet it appears that it is not quite as simple to understand the use of Old Testament quote

in the New Testament. Bird describes that the last hundred years have provided much critical

scholarship driven by William Wrede’s and Rudolf Bultmann’s work. The consensus of this

scholarly investigation is that the historical Jesus never thought of himself as the Messiah.0 Yet,

as he points out, Jesus did accept the title of “Messiah” from others, such as the Samaritan

0. Chisholm, A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, 300.

0. Robert G. Bratcher and William David Reyburn, A Translator's Handbook on the Book of Psalms, Helps for translators (New York: United Bible Societies, 1991), 213.

0. The Pulpit Commentary: Psalms Vol. I, ed. H. D. M. Spence-Jones (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems,, 2004), 152.

0. Bird, Are You the One Who Is to Come?, 25.

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woman at the well in John 4, or in Mark 14, where Jesus answers affirmatively when asked by

the high priest whether he is the Messiah.0

Whether or not scholars are willing to affirm Jesus’ acceptance of the designation of

Messiah, it is imperative to look at how the New Testament writers dealt with Old Testament

text passages to support Jesus’ role. It is clear that the experience expressed by the psalmist

contains hyberbolic or ideal language, and thus exceeds what the actual experience may have

been. However, from the New Testament writings, it becomes evident that there was a person

who experienced the complete brunt of the depicted experience: Jesus Christ at his crucifixion.0

To quote VanGemeren,

In applying the psalm to human suffering, it is most appropriate for the Christian to be moved to tears when reflecting that Jesus the Messiah has so entered the human condition that he suffered in his humanity, being rejected by God and man. Whereas David’s suffering was for himself, Jesus’ suffering was on behalf of sinners.0

While Jesus only uttered the first verse on the cross, according to Tkacz, it is indicative of

a common Jewish practice, which would have been understood by Jews: its partial use indicated

that its entirety was meant.0 Belcher agrees here that Jesus’ “use of this verse invites the reader to

look at the whole psalm in light of his work and there are many connections between Psalm 22

and Christ.”0

As already mentioned, all gospel accounts are unanimous in their use of Psalm 22:18 to

depict a portion of Christ’s crucifixion. The depiction of Christ’s garments being divided by

casting lots is a clear example of the transcending nature of portions of Psalm 22.0 This seems to

0. Ibid., 26.

0. Estes, Handbook on the Wisdom Books and Psalms, 179.

0. VanGemeren, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, 199.

0. Catherine Brown Tkacz, “Esther, Jesus, and Psalm 22.”

0. Belcher, The Messiah and the Psalms, 167.

0. Firth and Johnston, Interpreting the Psalms, 264.

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confirm what Smith described as a fulfillment that could not have been imagined: the deliverance

from death serving as the driving force behind the conversion of the world. This type of hope

would have to come through a future Redeemer. As such, David, under the Holy Spirit’s

guidance, saw a future descendant transcending his own experience of suffering, yet bringing

through it the deliverance of all.0

Jesus was the person to “fuse the three great eschatological representations of the OT –

Messiah, suffering servant, and Son of Man – into one messianic person”.0 It is only through this

that the disciples were able to understand why Jesus had to suffer and die – and this only after his

resurrection. J. Clinton McCann Jr. explains God’s purpose in describing Jesus’ suffering when

he writes, “Not coincidentally, Pss. 22, 31, and 69 are the three longest and most intense prayers

in the Psalter. The canonical effect is to portray Jesus’ passion as the fullest expression of one

whose suffering communicates not divine punishment, but rather oneness with God.”0

When it comes to considering Psalm 22, a middle course that holds true for many other

Old Testament passages (not just those authored by David) may be advisable: “The interpreter

must accept the witness of the New Testament that these refer to Jesus the Messiah, but one

should explain these messianic psalms on the basis of what was revealed to David, not what was

revealed hundreds of years later when the Gospels were written.”0

0. James E. Smith cited in Kaiser, The Messiah of the Old Testament, 113.

0. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 764.

0. J. Clinton McCann Jr., “Psalms,” in Theological Interpretation of the Old Testament: A Book-by-Book Survey, ed. Kevin J. Vanhoozer, ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2005, 2008), 167.

0. Samuel J. Schultz and Gary V. Smith, Exploring the Old Testament (Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books, 2001), 125.

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CONCLUSION

As one writer points out, “It is natural for a Christian to see more in the Psalter’s

statements of confidence than the psalmist intended.”0 Likewise, it is natural for a Christian to

see more of his Savior Jesus Christ in the psalms than the original authors may have intended.

Yet, as with all of the Scriptures, the reader has to be careful to not discount two elements: the

ultimate guidance in their writing by God himself and the layered fulfillment of biblical

prophecy.

As such, while critical scholarship can rightfully question the original contextual intent

within the original languages, it cannot be denied that the pages of the Old Testament were not

written for its original readers only. The transcending nature of Psalm 22 far exceeds the

experience of David alone. It thus leaves a Christian reader both reassured and moved that David

through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote words that found their ultimate fulfillment in

Jesus Christ.

Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection can thus be taken as a continued pattern of how Jesus

explained himself and his role in salvation, e.g. to the disciples on the road to Emmaus after his

resurrection, and how the apostles and disciples continued to explain him to others: that

beginning with Moses and all the prophets, all the Scriptures point to him. As such, to quote

Wright, “the proper way for disciples of the crucified and risen Jesus to read their Scriptures, is

messianically and missionally.”0

As for the Jewish response, the messianic figure that involves the offices of king and high

priest is still hidden to them, as they see “an absence of a new world order and everlasting peace

0. Zuck, A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, 288.

0. Christopher J.H. Wright, The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible's Grand Narrative (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2006), 30.

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– components of the messianic reign that remain largely unaccounted for.”0 It appears it is up to

the followers of Christ to explain to God’s chosen people not only who their Messiah is, but to

introduce them to their grafted-in brothers and sisters. Fruchtenbaum’s explanation of the two

Messiahs depicted in early Jewish thought may give a basis on which to build an explanation to a

Jew about the dual nature of the Messiah, not split across two people, but united in one person,

Jesus Christ, who came to this earth as God incarnate 2,000 years ago to suffer, die and be raised

again to life and serve as the sacrifice to atone for man’s sin, and who will come again in the

form or a conquering king: the King of kings and Lord of lords.

0. Steven L. Bridge, Getting the Old Testament: What It Meant to Them, What It Means for Us (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2009), 98.

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Beale, G. K., and D. A. Carson, eds. Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2007.

Belcher, Richard P. The Messiah and the Psalms: Preaching Christ from All the Psalms. Fearn, UK: Mentor, 2006.

Berlin, Adele, and Marc Zvi Brettler, eds. “Psalm 22.” In The Jewish Study Bible. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.

Bird, Michael F. Are You the One Who Is to Come?: The Historical Jesus and the Messianic Question. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2009.

Bratcher, Robert G., and William David Reyburn. A Translator's Handbook on the Book of Psalms. Helps for translators. New York: United Bible Societies, 1991.

Bridge, Steven L. Getting the Old Testament: What It Meant to Them, What It Means for Us. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2009.

Chisholm, Robert B. Jr. “A Theology of the Psalms.” In A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, edited by Roy B. Zuck, Eugene H. Merrill, and Darrell L. Bock. Chicago: Moody Press, 1991.

Elwell, Walter A. “Messiah.” In Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Second ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1984, 2001.

Estes, Daniel J. Handbook on the Wisdom Books and Psalms. Job. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2005.

Firth, David, and Philip S. Johnston, eds. Interpreting the Psalms: Issues and Approaches. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2005.

Fruchtenbaum, Arnold G. Messianic Christology: A Study of Old Testament Prophecy Concerning the First Coming of the Messiah. Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 1998.

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Hirschberg, Peter. “Jewish Believers in Asia Minor According to Revelation and the Gospel of John.” In Jewish Believers in Jesus, edited by Oskar Skarsaune and Reidar Hvalvik. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2007.

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House, Paul R. Old Testament Theology. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1998.

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Patterson, Richard D. “Psalm 22: From Trial to Triumph.” In Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society Volume 47. 2. Lynchburg, VA: Evangelical Theological Society, 2004.

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Terrien, Samuel. The Psalms: Strophic Structure and Theological Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2003.

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——— A. “Psalms.” In The Expositor's Bible Commentary, edited by Frank E. Gaebelein. Vol. 5 of Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991.

Waltke, Bruce K. “A Canonical Process Approach to the Psalms.” In Tradition & Testament: Essays in Honor of Charles Lee Feinberg, edited by John S. Feinberg and Paul D. Feinberg. Chicago: Moody Press, 1981.

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——————. The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible's Grand Narrative. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2006.