Psalm 22: Nailing An Alleged Crucifixion Scenario

 

 

I.            Introduction

 

A casual reading of Psalms 22, either in the Hebrew or in an accurate translation from the Hebrew, is not likely to raise many eyebrows or draw much attention as having some special and unique significance to Christianity.  It is only when reading any one of many Christian translations of this psalm, that the reasons for its being dubbed the "Crucifixion Psalm" by Christians, start to surface.  This, of course, makes the 22^nd chapter in the Book of Psalms an important component of the portfolio of the Christian apologist and missionary.  In fact, some Christian sources list as many as 22 passages from Psalms 22, which are claimed to "messianic prophecies" (i.e., "proof texts") that were "fulfilled" by Jesus.[1]

 

In this essay, only the significant and most commonly used "proof texts" are examined.  For each of these, the Christian perspective is contrasted with the Jewish perspective by analyzing the respective Hebrew texts.  The analysis demonstrates that Psalms 22 is an historic account by its author, King David, rather than "messianic text" that foretells the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus.

 

II.            English Translations of Psalms 22

 

Table II-1 displays English translations of Psalms 22.  Note that the respective verse numbers are not synchronized since the superscription is not numbered separately as a verse in Christian Bibles.[2]  The King James Version (KJV) rendition contains references to key passages in the New Testament, where the respective portions of this psalm are cross-referenced.  [The references are found in the New American Standard Bible (NASB), but the corresponding passages, quoted below the table, are taken from the KJV.]

 

Table II-1 – English translations of Psalms 22

 

1. Matthew 27:46(KJV) - And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli,

                                        lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou

                                        forsaken me?

    Mark 15:34(KJV) - And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama

                                  sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou

                                  forsaken me?

2. Matthew 27:35(KJV) - And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it

                                       might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my

                                       garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.

    John 19:23-24(KJV) - (23) Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his

                                       garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also [his]

                                       coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. 

                                      (24) They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast

                                       lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which

                                       saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did

                                       cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.

3. Hebrews 2:12(KJV) - Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the

                                      church will I sing praise unto thee.

 

Upon comparing the two translations, it becomes evident that there are several significant differences between the KJV and Jewish renditions of several passages.  The particular verses in question are shown in boldface (key phrases within them are highlighted), and are the focus of the analysis that follows.

 

III.            The Christian Perspective

 

Only a summary of the Christian perspective is presented here.  Standard Christian sources, such as commentaries by Matthew Henry and Jamieson, Fausset, & Brown, provide detailed verse-by-verse Christian interpretations of Psalms 22, which are beyond the scope of this essay.

 

The Church has long regarded Psalms 22 as a prophetic messianic psalm that describes the agony of the Passion (Ps 22:2[1]), the Crucifixion (Ps 22:17[16]), and Resurrection (Ps 22:23[22]) of Jesus, the Messiah of Christianity.  These passages are "quoted" in the New Testament as "evidence" of the fulfillment of the messianic prophecies allegedly contained in this psalm.  Perhaps the most notable "quote" from this psalm found in the New Testament is its opening verse, one that is used by the authors of the Gospels of Matthew (Mt 27:46) and Mark (Mk 15:34) as the passionate statement of the crucified Jesus and his last words as he was dying on the cross.  In the Gospels of Matthew (Mt 27:35) and John (Jn 19:24), verse 19[18] is "quoted" in the "Crucifixion narrative"; while the author of the Book of Hebrews (He 2:12) "quotes" Psalms 22:23[22] to explain that Jesus needed to suffer in order to triumph, celebrate, and publish G-d's gracious dealings upon his resurrection.

 

These passages are revisited in the analysis that follows.  It is interesting to note that one of the most important verses from the Christian perspective, Psalms 22:17[16], is not cited by any of the New Testament authors.  Their silence on this verse would suggest that this verse might not have had the same form as that found today in most Christian translations.

 

IV.            The Jewish Interpretation

 

As was done with the Christian perspective, this will be a summary of the Jewish interpretation.  A detailed verse-by-verse analysis and commentary is beyond the scope of this essay.

 

The Jewish perspective rests on the context as well as on the consistency of the themes described in this psalm with those found elsewhere within the Hebrew Bible.  The overall theme of Psalms 22 depicts the plight of the Jew who, as an individual, prays for an end to Israel’s long exile from its land and from the Temple in Jerusalem.  A reading of this psalm in the original Hebrew or in a correct translation reveals that King David is its author (Ps 22:1) and that he is the "voice" throughout.  David describes his own pain, anguish, and longing during those times when he was a fugitive from his enemies.  Consequently, this is an historical rather than a messianic psalm.  When he refers to himself as a worm (Ps 22:7[6]), a helpless creature, whose only salvation can come from G-d, it becomes abundantly clear that the author does not consider himself to be someone who can provide salvation, and certainly not one who is divine!.

 

King David speaks of the powerful empires that have constantly tried to conquer his kingdom, Israel, and dispossess him of his mantle of royalty.  He utilizes a series of metaphorical references to what he endured (Ps 22:12-22[11-21]); this is similar to Isaiah's use of a series of metaphorical references to describe what King Hezekiah experienced during his illness (Is 38:12-14).  David's use of animal motifs of lions, dogs, and bulls/bison, to describe his adversaries is not unique to this psalm; he employs similar metaphors on many other occasions (e.g., Ps 17:11,12, 35:17,  59:2-7,15).

 

V.            The Christian Perspective vis-à-vis the Hebrew Text

 

A comparison of the Christian and Jewish perspectives on Psalms 22 indicates that both cannot be simultaneously valid interpretations.  The question is, “Which of these two views is consistent with the Hebrew Bible (and Israel's history)?”

 

The analysis focuses on the verses being “quoted” in the New Testament.  The respective renditions of each verse are taken from Table II-1 above, and are augmented by the corresponding Hebrew text.

 

A.     Psalms 22:2[1]

 

 

As noted earlier, this verse is used in both the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Mark, and it appears there as follows:

 

Matthew 27:46(KJV) - And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

 

Mark 15:34(KJV) – And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

 

These two verses are now compared; first against each other and, then, against the Hebrew text and, finally, against the context of the original verse.

 

1.      Comparing Matthew 27:46 with Mark 15:34

 

The variations between the two renditions in the Gospels are rather minor, with perhaps, Eli vs. Eloi, showing the most variance.  This is, however, only a superficial problem since:

 

§         Some of the old manuscripts have either Eli or Eloi or a mix in both sources

§         This is a transliterated word from the Hebrew (or Aramaic), and transliteration is inherently subject to variation

 

2.      Comparing Matthew 27:46 & Mark 15:34 with Psalms 22:2

 

The transliterated phrases in the Gospels are, "… Eli/Eloi, Eli/Eloi, lama sabachthani …".  The Hebrew text of the corresponding phrase in Psalms 22:2 reads,  (Eli, Eli, lama azavtani).  The question is: "Does sabachtani have the same meaning as  (azavtani)?"

 

The conjugated verb  (azavtani) derives from the root verb  (azav), [to] abandon/forsake/leave.  The word sabachtani exists neither in Hebrew nor in Aramaic.  Two possibilities exist here:

 

§         The closest Hebrew/Aramaic term to sabachtani would be