Questions Jews Ask

Response 06: Is Psalm 22 a Prediction of Crucifixion?

Outreach Judaism's Argument

Outreach Judaism's Psalm 22 argument is that Psalm 22 is not a prophecy of Jesus' crucifixion. It is a Davidic lament about suffering and deliverance. The famous Christian appeal to "they pierced my hands and feet" is disputed because the Masoretic Text is commonly read as "like a lion my hands and feet." Therefore, Christians are accused of depending on a mistranslation.

Christian Response

Christians should first acknowledge that Psalm 22 is a real psalm of lament. It is not a detached prediction floating above Davidic suffering. The speaker feels forsaken, mocked, surrounded by enemies, physically weakened, and exposed to death. The psalm then turns toward vindication and worldwide praise of the Lord. The Christian claim is not that the original psalm had no meaning before Jesus. The claim is that Jesus, as the righteous suffering Davidic Messiah, enters and fulfills this pattern.

The New Testament does not rely only on one disputed word in Psalm 22:16. The passion narratives echo the whole psalmic pattern: mockery, public shame, divided garments, bodily agony, apparent abandonment, and later vindication. Jesus' cry from the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" invokes the opening of the psalm and therefore the whole movement from lament to trust and worldwide praise.

The Textual Issue in Psalm 22:16

The Hebrew textual issue should be stated honestly. The Masoretic Text has a difficult phrase often rendered "like a lion my hands and my feet." This is syntactically awkward because it lacks an obvious verb. Some manuscripts and ancient versions support a reading related to "pierced" or "dug." The Septuagint has a Greek verb meaning "they dug" or "pierced" my hands and feet. Some Dead Sea Scroll evidence is also relevant, though the reading and its interpretation are debated.

Therefore, Christians should not pretend there is no textual question. But Outreach Judaism should not pretend the Christian reading was invented late without ancient support. The evidence is complex. The "pierced" rendering has ancient textual support, even if the Masoretic tradition reads differently.

Canonical Fulfillment

Even if one brackets Psalm 22:16, the psalm remains christologically powerful. The righteous sufferer is mocked by those who say, "Let the Lord rescue him." His garments are divided by lot. His suffering becomes the occasion for proclaiming God's name and for the nations to worship. These elements correspond strongly to the passion and resurrection proclamation.

The Christian reading is typological and messianic: David's righteous suffering becomes a pattern fulfilled in the greater Son of David. Jesus does not merely match an isolated phrase. He embodies the whole psalm's movement from abandonment to vindication and worldwide worship.

Bottom Line

Psalm 22 should not be treated as a simplistic prooftext. It is a lament that becomes messianic in light of Jesus' cross and resurrection. The disputed textual reading of verse 16 should be handled honestly, but the larger psalmic pattern remains a serious part of the Christian case.

References

  • Outreach Judaism, Psalm 22 and crucifixion: https://outreachjudaism.org/crucifixion-psalm/
  • Sefaria, Psalm 22: https://www.sefaria.org/Psalms.22?lang=bi
  • Bible Gateway, Matthew 27:35-46: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+27%3A35-46&version=NRSVUE
  • Bible Gateway, Mark 15:24-34: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+15%3A24-34&version=NRSVUE
  • Bible Gateway, John 19:23-24: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+19%3A23-24&version=NRSVUE
  • NETS, New English Translation of the Septuagint project: https://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/
  • Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library: https://www.deadseascrolls.org.il/