My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
English Standard Version (ESV)
The phrase "words of my groaning" might seem like just poetic language for intense suffering. However, it actually highlights that even in the deepest pain, where words are reduced to mere sounds of distress, there's still an attempt to communicate this agony to God. This shows that even when feeling utterly abandoned, the person is still looking to God, turning their pain into a plea, not just a lament.
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
English Standard Version (ESV)
This psalm opens with an agonizing cry from someone in deep distress, feeling utterly abandoned by God. It's a lament that pours out raw pain and confusion, contrasting the psalmist's desperate need for help with God's apparent distance. This cry sets the stage for the entire psalm, which moves from this profound sense of forsakenness to an eventual declaration of trust and praise.
Ever felt like God isn't listening, even when you call out to Him? This verse captures that raw, gut-wrenching feeling, but it's not a sign of weak faith.
A Cry of Anguish and Trust
The opening words, 'My God, my God,' are not a cry of pure despair. They are a powerful declaration of faith, even in the midst of extreme suffering. The Psalmist (and later, Jesus on the cross) cries out to God, not as a stranger, but as his God. This repetition and intimate address reveal a deep, underlying trust, even when God feels distant.
This verse illustrates a profound spiritual reality: the wrestling between faith and despair. The flesh cries out, 'Why have you forsaken me?' It sees only the darkness. Yet, faith counters, 'My God, my God.' It remembers the covenant, the promises, and the character of God, even when emotions scream otherwise.
This internal battle is not a sign of failure but a hallmark of genuine faith. It's about holding onto God even when you can't feel His presence.
The words 'words of my groaning' paint a vivid picture. What does this intense language tell us about the depth of suffering and the nature of prayer?
Voicing the Unspeakable Pain
The phrase 'the words of my groaning' (or 'roaring' in some translations) isn't just a poetic flourish. It signifies a level of suffering so profound that it bypasses normal speech. It's the sound of a soul in extreme distress, a deep, guttural expression of pain that words alone cannot contain.
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This imagery highlights the urgency and intensity of the Psalmist's plea. He's not just asking for help; he's pouring out his entire being in a cry that shakes him to his core. It implies that his suffering is so overwhelming that his very voice is reduced to a raw, unrestrained sound of anguish.
Even in this raw expression, there's a direction: it's directed towards God. It's an unfiltered communication of pain, trusting that God can hear and understand what cannot be fully articulated.
Understand the original words
Eli · Hebrew Noun
In Hebrew, God (Elohim) refers to the Supreme Being, the Creator and Judge. It conveys His power, authority, and sovereignty over all creation, and when used in personal possessive, signifies a covenant relationship.
azavtani · Hebrew Verb
To leave, abandon, or desert. Biblically, it signifies a sense of being left without aid, protection, or the manifest presence of God, often felt by the believer during extreme suffering.
sha'agati · Hebrew Noun
An inarticulate cry of pain or distress. It represents the raw, internal lament of one suffering deeply and longing for God's intervention.
This verse echoes the sentiment of abandonment, showing that even a nation can feel forsaken by God, much like the Psalmist here, highlighting the profound human experience of perceived divine absence.
Job 30:19-20Job expresses a similar feeling of God being distant and unresponsive to his cries, illustrating that this lament is not unique to David but a shared experience for those in deep suffering.
Matthew 27:46This passage is the direct fulfillment of Psalm 22:1, with Jesus crying out these exact words on the cross, revealing the prophetic nature of the Psalm and the deep suffering of Christ.
Hebrews 5:7This passage describes Jesus offering 'loud cries and tears' to God, which aligns with the 'words of my groaning' and shows Jesus' profound anguish and reliance on God even in His suffering.
Psalm 88:14This verse is another psalm that questions God's abandonment and distance, further emphasizing the theme of feeling forsaken by God in times of extreme distress and desperation.
ellicottPsalms 22:1: "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?"
(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…
calvinPsalms 22:1-2: "<> My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?"
My God! my God! why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou far from my help, and from the words of my roaring? 2. O my God! I cry in the day-time, [498] but thou hearest not: and in the night-season, and there is no silence to me.
My God! The first verse contains two remarkable sentences, which, although apparently contrary to each other, are yet ever enterin…
The phrase "words of my groaning" might seem like just poetic language for intense suffering. However, it actually highlights that even in the deepest pain, where words are reduced to mere sounds of distress, there's still an attempt to communicate this agony to God. This shows that even when feeling utterly abandoned, the person is still looking to God, turning their pain into a plea, not just a lament.
This psalm opens with an agonizing cry from someone in deep distress, feeling utterly abandoned by God. It's a lament that pours out raw pain and confusion, contrasting the psalmist's desperate need for help with God's apparent distance. This cry sets the stage for the entire psalm, which moves from this profound sense of forsakenness to an eventual declaration of trust and praise.
This psalm opens with an agonizing cry from someone in deep distress, feeling utterly abandoned by God. It's a lament that pours out raw pain and confusion, contrasting the psalmist's desperate need for help with God's apparent distance. This cry sets the stage for the entire psalm, which moves from this profound sense of forsakenness to an eventual declaration of trust and praise.
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?" — The phrase "words of my groaning" might seem like just poetic language for intense suffering. However, it actually highlights that even in the deepest pain, where words are reduced to mere sounds of…
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Last reviewed October 2026