King James Version
Psalms 22
31 verses with commentary
My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?
To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? Aijeleth: or, the hind of the morning helping: Heb. my salvation
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KJV Study Commentary
This cry of desolation represents one of Scripture's most profound prophetic utterances, quoted by Jesus on the cross (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34). The Hebrew word for "forsaken" (עָזַב/'azab) conveys abandonment, leaving behind, desertion. David's cry from personal anguish became Christ's cry as He bore humanity's sin, experiencing genuine separation from the Father. The doubling "My God, my God" ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(1) **My God, my God.**—Heb., *Eli, Eli, lama azavtanî, *where the Targum paraphrases *sabbacthani, *the form used by our Saviour on the cross. (See Notes, *N. T. Comm., *Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34.) The LXX. and Vulgate insert “look upon me.” (Comp. English Prayer Book version.) For the despairing tone comp. Psalm 80:14. It suits the whole of pious Israel in her times of trouble even better than a...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
32. (Job 10:2; Psa 32:8; 19:12; 139:23, 24).
**no more--**(Pr 28:13; Ep 4:22).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 22
Chapter Outline
Complaints of discouragement.(1-10)
With prayer for deliverance.(11-21)
Praises for mercies and redemption.(22-31)
**Verses 1-10**
The Spirit of Christ, which was in the prophets, testifies in this psalm, clearly and fully, the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. We have a sorrowful complaint of God's withdrawings. This may be ap...
Read full commentary →O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. am: Heb. there is no silence to me
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
This cry of apparent divine absence captures the mystery of unanswered prayer and spiritual darkness. The tension between crying 'in the daytime' and 'in the night season' emphasizes unrelenting anguish. Reformed theology acknowledges that God sovereignly ordained Christ's abandonment on the cross (Matt. 27:46) to accomplish redemption. God's silence to the suffering Savior secured God's attentive...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) **And am not silent.**—This misses the parallelism, which evidently requires “O my God, I cry in the daytime, and thou answerest not; in the night, and find no repose.”
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
33. Rather, "should God recompense (sinners) according to thy mind? Then it is for thee to reject and to choose, and not me" [Umbreit]; or as Maurer, "For thou hast rejected God's way of recompensing; state therefore thy way, for thou must choose, not I," that is, it is thy part, not mine, to show a better way than God's.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 22
Chapter Outline
Complaints of discouragement.(1-10)
With prayer for deliverance.(11-21)
Praises for mercies and redemption.(22-31)
**Verses 1-10**
The Spirit of Christ, which was in the prophets, testifies in this psalm, clearly and fully, the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. We have a sorrowful complaint of God's withdrawings. This may be ap...
Read full commentary →But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
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KJV Study Commentary
Even in anguish, the psalmist affirms God's holiness—'thou art holy.' The phrase 'inhabitest the praises of Israel' (Hebrew: yashav tehillot) means God is enthroned upon or dwells amid His people's worship. Reformed theology sees this as covenant faithfulness: God's character remains constant regardless of circumstances. Suffering doesn't negate God's holiness; rather, holy worship continues even ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **But.**—In spite of his seeming desertion the poet still believes Jehovah is the God of the covenant—still the Holy One in whom His people could trust.
The phrase “inhabiting the praises of Israel,” recalls the more usual “thou that dwellest between the cherubims” (1Samuel 4:4; 2Samuel 6:2; Psalm 80:1; Psalm 99:1, where see Note). But the idea here is more spiritual. The ever-ascending praise...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
34-35. Rather, "men ... will say to me, and the wise man (Job 34:2, 10) who hearkens to me (will say), 'Job hath spoken,'" &c.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 22
Chapter Outline
Complaints of discouragement.(1-10)
With prayer for deliverance.(11-21)
Praises for mercies and redemption.(22-31)
**Verses 1-10**
The Spirit of Christ, which was in the prophets, testifies in this psalm, clearly and fully, the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. We have a sorrowful complaint of God's withdrawings. This may be ap...
Read full commentary →Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
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KJV Study Commentary
The appeal to covenant history ('our fathers') demonstrates that faith rests on God's proven faithfulness across generations. The repetition of 'trusted' emphasizes that trust itself pleases God and moves His hand. From a Reformed perspective, this verse illustrates the perseverance of the saints—past generations trusted and were delivered, providing a pattern for present faith. God's character de...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
34-35. Rather, "men ... will say to me, and the wise man (Job 34:2, 10) who hearkens to me (will say), 'Job hath spoken,'" &c.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 22
Chapter Outline
Complaints of discouragement.(1-10)
With prayer for deliverance.(11-21)
Praises for mercies and redemption.(22-31)
**Verses 1-10**
The Spirit of Christ, which was in the prophets, testifies in this psalm, clearly and fully, the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. We have a sorrowful complaint of God's withdrawings. This may be ap...
Read full commentary →They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
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KJV Study Commentary
The ancestors' crying and deliverance establishes the pattern: trust + cry = deliverance without shame. The word 'confounded' (bosh) means put to shame or disappointed. God's covenant faithfulness ensures that those who genuinely trust Him will ultimately not be disappointed (Rom. 10:11). This verse anchors present suffering in past precedent, demonstrating that God's track record validates curren...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **Confounded**—*i.e.*, ashamed.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
36. Margin, not so well, "My father," Elihu addressing God. This title does not elsewhere occur in Job.
**tried--**by calamities.
**answers for wicked men--**(See on Job 34:8). Trials of the godly are not removed until they produce the effect designed.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 22
Chapter Outline
Complaints of discouragement.(1-10)
With prayer for deliverance.(11-21)
Praises for mercies and redemption.(22-31)
**Verses 1-10**
The Spirit of Christ, which was in the prophets, testifies in this psalm, clearly and fully, the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. We have a sorrowful complaint of God's withdrawings. This may be ap...
Read full commentary →But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
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KJV Study Commentary
Christ's identification with humanity reaches its nadir here—'I am a worm, and no man.' The Hebrew 'tola' (worm) refers to the crimson worm from which scarlet dye was extracted by crushing. This prefigures Christ's crushed body producing redemption's crimson covering. Reformed theology sees here the doctrine of Christ's humiliation: the eternal Son assumed not just humanity but the lowest human ex...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **Worm.**—An indication of extreme degradation and helplessness. (Comp. Isaiah 41:14.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**37. clappeth ... hands--**in scorn (Job 27:23; Eze 21:17).
**multiplieth ... words--**(Job 11:2; 35:16). To his original "sin" to correct which trials have been sent, "he adds rebellion," that is, words arraigning God's justice.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 22
Chapter Outline
Complaints of discouragement.(1-10)
With prayer for deliverance.(11-21)
Praises for mercies and redemption.(22-31)
**Verses 1-10**
The Spirit of Christ, which was in the prophets, testifies in this psalm, clearly and fully, the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. We have a sorrowful complaint of God's withdrawings. This may be ap...
Read full commentary →All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, shoot: Heb. open
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KJV Study Commentary
This prophecy was precisely fulfilled at Christ's crucifixion (Matt. 27:39-40). The mocking gestures—shooting out the lip, shaking the head—express contempt. From a Reformed perspective, this demonstrates that Christ bore not only physical suffering but also psychological and social anguish. He endured the scorn believers deserve for sin, satisfying divine justice and shielding His people from ult...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **Laugh me to scorn.**—**LXX.**, ἐξεμυκτήρισάν*, *the verb used by St. Luke in his description of the crucifixion (Luke 23:35).
**Shoot out the lip.**—Literally, *open with the lip *(Psalm 35:21; Job 16:10). We use the expression, “curl the lip.”
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 22
Chapter Outline
Complaints of discouragement.(1-10)
With prayer for deliverance.(11-21)
Praises for mercies and redemption.(22-31)
**Verses 1-10**
The Spirit of Christ, which was in the prophets, testifies in this psalm, clearly and fully, the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. We have a sorrowful complaint of God's withdrawings. This may be ap...
Read full commentary →He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. He trusted: Heb. He rolled himself on seeing: or, if he delight in
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KJV Study Commentary
The mockers' taunt—quoted verbatim by those at the cross (Matt. 27:43)—strikes at the heart of faith: 'let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.' Reformed theology sees profound irony here: God did delight in His Son (Matt. 3:17), but precisely because of that delight, He did not deliver Him from the cross. Christ's abandonment was necessary for our salvation. God's silence during Christ's ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **He trusted.**—So the LXX. (Comp. Matthew 27:43.) So, too, Ewald among moderns. But generally the form *gol *(short for *gôl*) is taken as an imperative. Literally, *roll thyself on God. *(Comp. Psalm 37:5; Proverbs 16:3, margin.)
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 22
Chapter Outline
Complaints of discouragement.(1-10)
With prayer for deliverance.(11-21)
Praises for mercies and redemption.(22-31)
**Verses 1-10**
The Spirit of Christ, which was in the prophets, testifies in this psalm, clearly and fully, the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. We have a sorrowful complaint of God's withdrawings. This may be ap...
Read full commentary →But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts. didst: or, kept me in safety
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KJV Study Commentary
Amidst anguish, the psalmist recalls God's providential care from conception—'thou art he that took me out of the womb.' This affirms God's sovereignty over life from its beginning and His sustaining grace through all stages. Reformed theology sees this as evidence of God's electing love: before birth, He determined salvation and providentially sustained life. Even Jesus' human birth was sovereign...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **But.**—Better, *For. *Faith that turns to God in spite of derision is the best answer to derision.
**Thou didst make me hope.**—Better, *thou didst make me repose on my mother’s breast.*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 35
Job 35:1-16.
**2. more than--**rather as in Job 9:2; 25:4: "I am righteous (literally, my righteousness is) before God." The English Version, however, agrees with Job 9:17; 16:12-17; 27:2-6. Job 4:17 is susceptible of either rendering. Elihu means Job said so, not in so many words, but virtually.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 22
Chapter Outline
Complaints of discouragement.(1-10)
With prayer for deliverance.(11-21)
Praises for mercies and redemption.(22-31)
**Verses 1-10**
The Spirit of Christ, which was in the prophets, testifies in this psalm, clearly and fully, the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. We have a sorrowful complaint of God's withdrawings. This may be ap...
Read full commentary →I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly.
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KJV Study Commentary
The phrase 'cast upon thee from the womb' (literally 'thrown upon you') emphasizes total dependence on God from life's first moment. 'Thou art my God from my mother's belly' affirms God's covenant relationship predates conscious faith. From a Reformed perspective, this supports the doctrines of election and covenant theology—God's choice and claim precede human response. Infant baptism advocates c...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
3. Rather, explanatory of "this" in Job 35:2, "That thou sayest (to thyself, as if a distinct person) What advantage is it (thy integrity) to thee? What profit have I (by integrity) more than (I should have) by my sin?" that is, more than if I had sinned (Job 34:9). Job had said that the wicked, who use these very words, do not suffer for it (Job 21:13-15); whereby he virtually sanctioned their se...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 22
Chapter Outline
Complaints of discouragement.(1-10)
With prayer for deliverance.(11-21)
Praises for mercies and redemption.(22-31)
**Verses 1-10**
The Spirit of Christ, which was in the prophets, testifies in this psalm, clearly and fully, the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. We have a sorrowful complaint of God's withdrawings. This may be ap...
Read full commentary →Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. none: Heb. not a helper
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KJV Study Commentary
The plea 'be not far from me' reflects the agony of perceived divine distance when 'trouble is near' and 'there is none to help.' This captures Christ's experience on the cross—abandoned by disciples, mocked by crowds, and (for a time) forsaken by the Father. Reformed theology sees this as the nadir of Christ's humiliation: the eternal Son experienced the ultimate loneliness of sin-bearing. His cr...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4. companions--**those entertaining like sentiments with thee (Job 34:8, 36).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-21**
In these verses we have Christ suffering, and Christ praying; by which we are directed to look for crosses, and to look up to God under them. The very manner of Christ's death is described, though not in use among the Jews. They pierced his hands and his feet, which were nailed to the accursed tree, and his whole body was left so to hang as to suffer the most severe pain and t...
Read full commentary →Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.</strong> This verse uses powerful animal imagery to describe David's enemies and, prophetically, the enemies surrounding Christ at the crucifixion. The Hebrew <em>parim</em> (פָּרִים, "bulls") depicts powerful, aggressive animals, while <em>sabubuni</em> (סְבָבוּנִי, "have compassed me") means to surround or encircle...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **Bulls of Bashan.**—For “Bashan” see Numbers 21:33; for its pastures and cattle, comp. Deuteronomy 32:14, and for the figures, Amos 4:1. Instead of “fat bulls,” the LXX. and Vulgate paraphrase “strong ones of Bashan.” The point of the comparison lies in the wantonness and insolence of pampered pride, displayed by the minions of fortune.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
5-8. Elihu like Eliphaz (Job 22:2, 3, 12) shows that God is too exalted in nature to be susceptible of benefit or hurt from the righteousness or sin of men respectively; it is themselves that they benefit by righteousness, or hurt by sin.
**behold the clouds, which are higher than thou--**spoken with irony. Not only are they higher than thou, but thou canst not even reach them clearly with the e...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-21**
In these verses we have Christ suffering, and Christ praying; by which we are directed to look for crosses, and to look up to God under them. The very manner of Christ's death is described, though not in use among the Jews. They pierced his hands and his feet, which were nailed to the accursed tree, and his whole body was left so to hang as to suffer the most severe pain and t...
Read full commentary →They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. gaped: Heb. opened their mouths against me
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KJV Study Commentary
The imagery of enemies as 'ravening and roaring lions' depicts their fierce, predatory nature. This evokes Satan as a 'roaring lion seeking whom he may devour' (1 Pet. 5:8). From a Reformed perspective, Christ faced the full fury of satanic opposition and human evil at the cross, yet triumphed through apparent defeat. The 'gaped upon me' suggests open-mouthed aggression, emphasizing the hostility ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **Ravening.**—Literally, *tearing in pieces. *(Comp. Lamentations 2:15-16; Lamentations 3:10.)
**Roaring.**—Comp. Amos 3:4.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
5-8. Elihu like Eliphaz (Job 22:2, 3, 12) shows that God is too exalted in nature to be susceptible of benefit or hurt from the righteousness or sin of men respectively; it is themselves that they benefit by righteousness, or hurt by sin.
**behold the clouds, which are higher than thou--**spoken with irony. Not only are they higher than thou, but thou canst not even reach them clearly with the e...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-21**
In these verses we have Christ suffering, and Christ praying; by which we are directed to look for crosses, and to look up to God under them. The very manner of Christ's death is described, though not in use among the Jews. They pierced his hands and his feet, which were nailed to the accursed tree, and his whole body was left so to hang as to suffer the most severe pain and t...
Read full commentary →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. out of: or, sundered
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KJV Study Commentary
The physical imagery—'poured out like water,' 'bones are out of joint,' 'heart is like wax'—vividly describes crucifixion's effects. Medical analysis confirms these symptoms: severe dehydration, dislocated joints from hanging by nails, and cardiac stress. Reformed theology emphasizes that Christ's physical suffering was real and excruciating, not merely symbolic. He truly became sin for us (2 Cor....
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(14) The state of hopeless prostration into which the victim of these terrible foes is brought could not be more powerfully described. It is a state of entire dissolution. Again Lamentations 2:2 offers a close parallel.
**Out of joint.**—Perhaps, better, *stand out as in a state of emaciation. *(Comp. Psalm 22:17.) Literally, *separate themselves. *In other places, however, “bones” is used in the ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
5-8. Elihu like Eliphaz (Job 22:2, 3, 12) shows that God is too exalted in nature to be susceptible of benefit or hurt from the righteousness or sin of men respectively; it is themselves that they benefit by righteousness, or hurt by sin.
**behold the clouds, which are higher than thou--**spoken with irony. Not only are they higher than thou, but thou canst not even reach them clearly with the e...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-21**
In these verses we have Christ suffering, and Christ praying; by which we are directed to look for crosses, and to look up to God under them. The very manner of Christ's death is described, though not in use among the Jews. They pierced his hands and his feet, which were nailed to the accursed tree, and his whole body was left so to hang as to suffer the most severe pain and t...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
Extreme dehydration ('strength is dried up like a potsherd') and the tongue cleaving to the jaws precisely describe crucifixion's effects. Jesus' cry 'I thirst' (John 19:28) fulfilled this verse. The phrase 'thou hast brought me into the dust of death' asserts God's sovereignty even over Christ's death—it was ordained, not merely permitted. Reformed theology sees divine orchestration: the Father s...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) **My strength.**—The conjecture, “my palate,” instead of “my strength,” improves the parallelism. Others, but not so happily, “my moisture.”
**The dust of** **death.**—Comp. Shakespeare’s “Macbeth:”
“The way to dusty death.”
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
5-8. Elihu like Eliphaz (Job 22:2, 3, 12) shows that God is too exalted in nature to be susceptible of benefit or hurt from the righteousness or sin of men respectively; it is themselves that they benefit by righteousness, or hurt by sin.
**behold the clouds, which are higher than thou--**spoken with irony. Not only are they higher than thou, but thou canst not even reach them clearly with the e...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-21**
In these verses we have Christ suffering, and Christ praying; by which we are directed to look for crosses, and to look up to God under them. The very manner of Christ's death is described, though not in use among the Jews. They pierced his hands and his feet, which were nailed to the accursed tree, and his whole body was left so to hang as to suffer the most severe pain and t...
Read full commentary →For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
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KJV Study Commentary
This verse provides one of the Old Testament's most striking prophecies of crucifixion. The Hebrew כָּאֲרִי (ka'ari) can be translated "like a lion" or, with slight vowel pointing, "they pierced" (כָּרוּ/karu). The Septuagint translated it as "pierced" (ὤρυξαν/ōryxan), supporting messianic interpretation. The piercing of hands and feet precisely describes Roman crucifixion—a execution method unkno...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16) **Dogs.**—Literally, *barkers. *(For the wild scavenger dogs of the East, comp. 1Kings 12:19, &c) Symmachus and Theodotion render, “hunting dogs.”
**The assembly of the wicked **denotes the factious nature of the attacks on the sufferer. His enemies have combined, as savage animals, to hunt in packs. Comp. Virgil, *Æn. *ii. 351:—
——“lupi ceu
Raptores atra in nebula.”
**They pierced.**—The wor...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
9. (Ec 4:1.) Elihu states in Job's words (Job 24. 12; 30. 20) the difficulty; the "cries" of "the oppressed" not being heard might lead man to think that wrongs are not punished by Him.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-21**
In these verses we have Christ suffering, and Christ praying; by which we are directed to look for crosses, and to look up to God under them. The very manner of Christ's death is described, though not in use among the Jews. They pierced his hands and his feet, which were nailed to the accursed tree, and his whole body was left so to hang as to suffer the most severe pain and t...
Read full commentary →I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
View commentary (3 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The ability to 'tell' (count) all bones indicates extreme emaciation and stretched-out posture of crucifixion. 'They look and stare upon me' captures the humiliating public spectacle of Roman execution. Christ's nakedness and exposure fulfilled this prophecy, demonstrating the depths of His humiliation. Reformed theology emphasizes that Christ bore our shame fully—spiritual, physical, social—to cl...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
10-13. But the reason is that the innocent sufferers often do not humbly seek God for succor; so to their "pride" is to be laid the blame of their ruin; also because (Job 35:13-16) they, as Job, instead of waiting God's time in pious trust, are prone to despair of His justice, when it is not immediately visible (Job 33:19-26). If the sufferer would apply to God with a humbled, penitent spirit, He ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-21**
In these verses we have Christ suffering, and Christ praying; by which we are directed to look for crosses, and to look up to God under them. The very manner of Christ's death is described, though not in use among the Jews. They pierced his hands and his feet, which were nailed to the accursed tree, and his whole body was left so to hang as to suffer the most severe pain and t...
Read full commentary →They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
This prophecy was literally fulfilled when Roman soldiers divided Jesus' garments and cast lots for His robe (John 19:23-24). Written 1000 years before crucifixion and Rome's dominance, this verse demonstrates Scripture's divine inspiration. From a Reformed perspective, every detail of Christ's suffering was foreordained and prophesied, showing God's sovereign plan of redemption was determined bef...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18) **They part my garments . . .***—i.e., *as of one already dead. The word “garment” (*beged*) and “vesture” (*lebûsh*) are synonymous terms for the same article of dress—the modern *abba, *or *plaid, *the usual outer garment of the Bedouin. The latter is a more poetic term. (See *Bib. Diet, *art. “Dress.”) The application of the verse in John 19:24, &c, adds a refinement not present in the psa...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
10-13. But the reason is that the innocent sufferers often do not humbly seek God for succor; so to their "pride" is to be laid the blame of their ruin; also because (Job 35:13-16) they, as Job, instead of waiting God's time in pious trust, are prone to despair of His justice, when it is not immediately visible (Job 33:19-26). If the sufferer would apply to God with a humbled, penitent spirit, He ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-21**
In these verses we have Christ suffering, and Christ praying; by which we are directed to look for crosses, and to look up to God under them. The very manner of Christ's death is described, though not in use among the Jews. They pierced his hands and his feet, which were nailed to the accursed tree, and his whole body was left so to hang as to suffer the most severe pain and t...
Read full commentary →But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
View commentary (4 sources)
KJV Study Commentary
The plea 'be not thou far from me, O LORD' (repeated from v.11) emphasizes desperate need for divine presence. 'O my strength' acknowledges that all help comes from God alone. 'Haste thee to help me' expresses urgency. Reformed theology sees this as Christ's prayer in His humanity—genuinely dependent on the Father, truly needing divine assistance, modeling perfect trust even in extremity. His pray...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **Darling.**—See margin. The Hebrew word is used of an only child, Genesis 22:2; Genesis 22:12, Judges 11:34; of a person left desolate, Psalm 25:16; Psalm 68:6; here as a synonym for “soul” or “life.” We may compare the common Homeric expression, ϕίλον κῆρ*.*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
10-13. But the reason is that the innocent sufferers often do not humbly seek God for succor; so to their "pride" is to be laid the blame of their ruin; also because (Job 35:13-16) they, as Job, instead of waiting God's time in pious trust, are prone to despair of His justice, when it is not immediately visible (Job 33:19-26). If the sufferer would apply to God with a humbled, penitent spirit, He ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-21**
In these verses we have Christ suffering, and Christ praying; by which we are directed to look for crosses, and to look up to God under them. The very manner of Christ's death is described, though not in use among the Jews. They pierced his hands and his feet, which were nailed to the accursed tree, and his whole body was left so to hang as to suffer the most severe pain and t...
Read full commentary →Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog. my darling: Heb. my only one power: Heb. hand
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KJV Study Commentary
The prayer for deliverance from 'the sword' and 'the dog' uses metaphors for violent death and contemptuous enemies. 'My darling' (Hebrew: yachid, 'my only one') likely refers to the psalmist's own life or soul—his singular, precious existence. For Christ, this may refer to His unique, divine-human person. Reformed theology emphasizes that God answered this prayer through resurrection, delivering ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
10-13. But the reason is that the innocent sufferers often do not humbly seek God for succor; so to their "pride" is to be laid the blame of their ruin; also because (Job 35:13-16) they, as Job, instead of waiting God's time in pious trust, are prone to despair of His justice, when it is not immediately visible (Job 33:19-26). If the sufferer would apply to God with a humbled, penitent spirit, He ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-21**
In these verses we have Christ suffering, and Christ praying; by which we are directed to look for crosses, and to look up to God under them. The very manner of Christ's death is described, though not in use among the Jews. They pierced his hands and his feet, which were nailed to the accursed tree, and his whole body was left so to hang as to suffer the most severe pain and t...
Read full commentary →Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
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KJV Study Commentary
The plea to be saved 'from the lion's mouth' and 'from the horns of the unicorns' (wild oxen) depicts surrounded danger. The phrase 'thou hast heard me' marks a turning point—from lament to confidence, from petition to assurance. Reformed theology sees this as the moment of answered prayer, prophetically fulfilled in Christ's resurrection. God heard Christ's cry and raised Him from death, vindicat...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(21) **Unicorns.**—See Numbers 23:22; either “buffaloes” or “antelopes.” There is some uncertainty about the translation of the second clause of this verse. It may be (1) “And from the horns of buffaloes hear me,” *i.e., *hear me calling for help from the horns, &c*; *or (2) “Save me from the lion’s mouth, and from the horns of buffaloes Thou hast heard me”—a sudden transition from plaintive praye...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**14. Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him--**(as a temporal deliverer; for he did look for a Redeemer after death, Job 19:25-27; which passage cannot consistently with Elihu's assertion here be interpreted of "seeing" a temporal "redeemer"), Job 7:7; 9:11; 23:3, 8, 9; yet, judgment ... ; therefore trust ... But the Hebrew favors Maurer, "How much less (will God ... regard, Job 35:13), sinc...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 11-21**
In these verses we have Christ suffering, and Christ praying; by which we are directed to look for crosses, and to look up to God under them. The very manner of Christ's death is described, though not in use among the Jews. They pierced his hands and his feet, which were nailed to the accursed tree, and his whole body was left so to hang as to suffer the most severe pain and t...
Read full commentary →I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
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KJV Study Commentary
This verse marks the psalm's transformation from lament to praise. 'I will declare thy name unto my brethren' is quoted in Hebrews 2:12 as Christ's words to the church. The resurrected Christ declares God's name (character, attributes, glory) to His 'brethren'—believers united to Him through redemption. Reformed theology emphasizes that Christ calls us brethren (not servants only), showing the int...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(22) **I will declare.**—For the application of this verse in Hebrews 2:12, see *New Testament Commentary.*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
15. As it is, because Job waited not trustingly and patiently (Job 35:14; Nu 20:12; Zep 3:2; Mi 7:9), God hath visited ... ; yet still he has not taken (severe) cognizance of the great multitude (English Version wrongly, "extremity") of sins; therefore Job should not complain of being punished with undue severity (Job 7:20; 11:6). Maurer translates: "Because His anger hath not visited (hath not im...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 22-31**
The Saviour now speaks as risen from the dead. The first words of the complaint were used by Christ himself upon the cross; the first words of the triumph are expressly applied to him, He 2:12. All our praises must refer to the work of redemption. The suffering of the Redeemer was graciously accepted as a full satisfaction for sin. Though it was offered for sinful men, the Fat...
Read full commentary →Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.
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KJV Study Commentary
The call to 'fear the LORD' transitions from individual testimony to corporate worship. The Hebrew 'yare' (fear) combines reverence, awe, and obedient love. All who belong to covenant ('seed of Jacob/Israel') are summoned to glorify and fear Him. Reformed theology emphasizes that authentic worship springs from proper fear of God—not terror but reverent acknowledgment of His holiness, sovereignty, ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(23, 24) These verses contain the substance of the poet’s joyful announcement.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
16. Apodosis to Job 35:15.
**in vain--**rashly.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 22-31**
The Saviour now speaks as risen from the dead. The first words of the complaint were used by Christ himself upon the cross; the first words of the triumph are expressly applied to him, He 2:12. All our praises must refer to the work of redemption. The suffering of the Redeemer was graciously accepted as a full satisfaction for sin. Though it was offered for sinful men, the Fat...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
God did not 'despise nor abhor the affliction of the afflicted'—a profound statement of divine compassion toward suffering. Though God ordained Christ's suffering, He did not delight in it for its own sake but for redemption's sake (Isa. 53:10). 'Neither hath he hid his face from him' contradicts the earlier cry of forsakenness (v.1), showing that apparent divine absence was temporary and purposef...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 22-31**
The Saviour now speaks as risen from the dead. The first words of the complaint were used by Christ himself upon the cross; the first words of the triumph are expressly applied to him, He 2:12. All our praises must refer to the work of redemption. The suffering of the Redeemer was graciously accepted as a full satisfaction for sin. Though it was offered for sinful men, the Fat...
Read full commentary →My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.
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KJV Study Commentary
Praise 'in the great congregation' emphasizes public, corporate worship. Paying 'vows before them that fear him' refers to fulfilling promises made during distress—a common practice in lament psalms. From a Reformed perspective, this models covenant faithfulness: God keeps His promises, and His people respond by keeping theirs. Public worship becomes the forum for testifying to God's faithfulness ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 36
Job 36:1-33.
1-2. Elihu maintains that afflictions are to the godly disciplinary, in order to lead them to attain a higher moral worth, and that the reason for their continuance is not, as the friends asserted, on account of the sufferer's extraordinary guilt, but because the discipline has not yet attained its object, namely, to lend him to humble himself penitently before God (Is ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 22-31**
The Saviour now speaks as risen from the dead. The first words of the complaint were used by Christ himself upon the cross; the first words of the triumph are expressly applied to him, He 2:12. All our praises must refer to the work of redemption. The suffering of the Redeemer was graciously accepted as a full satisfaction for sin. Though it was offered for sinful men, the Fat...
Read full commentary →The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
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KJV Study Commentary
The 'meek' (Hebrew: anavim, humble/afflicted) inherit blessing—a theme Jesus echoed (Matt. 5:5). 'Eat and be satisfied' evokes messianic banquet imagery, anticipating the Lord's Supper and the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:9). 'Your heart shall live forever' promises eternal life to those who seek the LORD. Reformed theology sees this as effectual calling: those who seek God do so because G...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(26) **The meek.**—Better, *The afflicted. *This term, combined here with so many expressions for the worship of Jehovah, points to the Levites.
**Your heart.**—LXX. and Vulg., “their,” which carries on the construction better. But such sudden changes of person are common in Hebrew; see even next verse. The feast that was made after a great sacrifice, such as 2Chronicles 7:5, not improbably sugges...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 36
Job 36:1-33.
1-2. Elihu maintains that afflictions are to the godly disciplinary, in order to lead them to attain a higher moral worth, and that the reason for their continuance is not, as the friends asserted, on account of the sufferer's extraordinary guilt, but because the discipline has not yet attained its object, namely, to lend him to humble himself penitently before God (Is ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 22-31**
The Saviour now speaks as risen from the dead. The first words of the complaint were used by Christ himself upon the cross; the first words of the triumph are expressly applied to him, He 2:12. All our praises must refer to the work of redemption. The suffering of the Redeemer was graciously accepted as a full satisfaction for sin. Though it was offered for sinful men, the Fat...
Read full commentary →All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
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KJV Study Commentary
The vision expands to global proportions: 'all the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD.' This is explicit missiology—God's plan includes all nations. 'All the kindreds of the nations shall worship' anticipates the Great Commission and Revelation's multitude from every tribe and tongue (Rev. 7:9). Reformed theology sees this as God's eternal decree: Christ's suffering would purc...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**3. from afar--**not trite commonplaces, but drawn from God's mighty works.
**ascribe righteousness--**whereas Job ascribed unrighteousness (Job 34:10, 12). A man, in enquiring into God's ways, should at the outset presume they are all just, be willing to find them so, and expect that the result of investigation will prove them to be so; such a one will never be disappointed [Barnes].
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 22-31**
The Saviour now speaks as risen from the dead. The first words of the complaint were used by Christ himself upon the cross; the first words of the triumph are expressly applied to him, He 2:12. All our praises must refer to the work of redemption. The suffering of the Redeemer was graciously accepted as a full satisfaction for sin. Though it was offered for sinful men, the Fat...
Read full commentary →For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the governor among the nations.
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KJV Study Commentary
The theological foundation for universal worship is stated: 'the kingdom is the LORD's: and he is the governor among the nations.' God's sovereignty over all nations justifies His claim to universal worship. Reformed theology emphasizes that God's kingship is not potential but actual—He reigns now over all peoples, whether they acknowledge it or not. Christ's death and resurrection established thi...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4. I will not "speak wickedly for God," as the friends (Job 13:4, 7, 8)--**that is, vindicate God by unsound arguments.
**he that is perfect, &c.--**Rather, as the parallelism requires, "a man of integrity in sentiments is with thee" (is he with whom thou hast to do). Elihu means himself, as opposed to the dishonest reasonings of the friends (Job 21:34).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 22-31**
The Saviour now speaks as risen from the dead. The first words of the complaint were used by Christ himself upon the cross; the first words of the triumph are expressly applied to him, He 2:12. All our praises must refer to the work of redemption. The suffering of the Redeemer was graciously accepted as a full satisfaction for sin. Though it was offered for sinful men, the Fat...
Read full commentary →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.
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KJV Study Commentary
Universal worship includes both 'they that be fat' (prosperous/powerful) and 'they that go down to the dust' (dying/humble)—all humanity will bow before God. The phrase 'none can keep alive his own soul' asserts human inability to self-save. Reformed theology emphasizes total depravity and absolute dependence on divine grace: no human effort, wealth, or power can secure eternal life. Only God pres...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(29) **Shall eat.**—The figure of the banquet is resumed from Psalm 22:26, and extended. The mention of the “fat upon earth,” as included in this feast, seems certainly out of place, and injures the parallelism. We must change the text to either (1) “Shall eat and do homage all earth’s mourners,” or (2) “Ah! to him shall be bowed all the fat ones of earth.”
**They that go down to the *dust****—i.e...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
5. Rather, "strength of understanding" (heart) the force of the repetition of "mighty"; as "mighty" as God is, none is too low to be "despised" by Him; for His "might" lies especially in "His strength of understanding," whereby He searches out the most minute things, so as to give to each his right. Elihu confirms his exhortation (Job 35:14).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 22-31**
The Saviour now speaks as risen from the dead. The first words of the complaint were used by Christ himself upon the cross; the first words of the triumph are expressly applied to him, He 2:12. All our praises must refer to the work of redemption. The suffering of the Redeemer was graciously accepted as a full satisfaction for sin. Though it was offered for sinful men, the Fat...
Read full commentary →A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.
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KJV Study Commentary
The promise of a 'seed' that 'shall serve him' echoes Genesis 3:15's protevangelium—the woman's seed would crush the serpent. This seed, 'accounted to the Lord for a generation,' refers to the covenant people whom God regards as His own. Reformed theology sees this as the doctrine of the church: Christ's spiritual offspring, born through the gospel, constitute a generation devoted to God's service...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(30) **A seed . . .**—*Better, Posterity shall serve Him. About Jehovah it shall be told to the *(coming) *generation. *The article makes for this interpretation. Others, as in Psalm 87:6, understand a reference to the census; but the parallelism is against this reference. The next verse repeats the same thought in another form.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**6. right ... poor--**He espouses the cause of the afflicted.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 22-31**
The Saviour now speaks as risen from the dead. The first words of the complaint were used by Christ himself upon the cross; the first words of the triumph are expressly applied to him, He 2:12. All our praises must refer to the work of redemption. The suffering of the Redeemer was graciously accepted as a full satisfaction for sin. Though it was offered for sinful men, the Fat...
Read full commentary →They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.
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KJV Study Commentary
The psalm concludes with proclamation: 'they shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born.' Future generations will hear the gospel—the declaration of God's righteousness demonstrated at the cross. The final phrase 'he hath done this' (literally 'it is finished') echoes Christ's cry from the cross (John 19:30). Reformed theology sees the completed work of redemp...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(31) **They shall come**—*i.e.*, the generation just foretold: it shall announce His righteousness to a still younger generation (literally, *to a people born*) that He wrought. The tale of Jehovah’s goodness to Israel would be handed on from age to age,
“His triumphs would be sung
By some yet unmoulded tongue.”
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com. Used by ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
7. (1Pe 3:12). God does not forsake the godly, as Job implied, but "establishes," or makes them sit on the throne as kings (1Sa 2:8; Psa 113:7, 8). True of believers in the highest sense, already in part (1Pe 2:9; Re 1:6); hereafter fully (Re 5:10; Job 22:5).
**and they are--**that they may be.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 22-31**
The Saviour now speaks as risen from the dead. The first words of the complaint were used by Christ himself upon the cross; the first words of the triumph are expressly applied to him, He 2:12. All our praises must refer to the work of redemption. The suffering of the Redeemer was graciously accepted as a full satisfaction for sin. Though it was offered for sinful men, the Fat...
Read full commentary →