Psalms 22:1-2
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The depth of despair here is intense, but notice how the Psalmist immediately reaffirms his connection to God by repeating "My God, my God." This isn't just a cry of abandonment; it's an anguished appeal from someone who still believes God is their God, even when it feels like He's impossibly distant. The "words of my groaning" highlight how his pain is so profound it can barely be put into coherent speech, yet he still directs it to God.
The Psalmist is crying out in deep anguish, feeling abandoned by God in the midst of intense suffering. This psalm is a profound expression of distress, depicting a soul overwhelmed by enemies and seemingly forgotten by divine help, yet still clinging to God as "my God." This cry would later be echoed by Jesus on the cross, highlighting its prophetic significance for the Messiah's suffering.
This verse is a raw cry of anguish, but look closely at how the Psalmist cries out. It reveals a profound spiritual battle.
The Heart of the Conflict
This verse isn't just about feeling abandoned; it's about the tension between what we feel and what we believe. Notice how David begins: 'My God, my God.'
Claiming God in Crisis
Even in his deepest despair, David doesn't renounce God. He calls Him 'my God' – twice! This isn't the cry of someone giving up, but of someone wrestling.
It shows that true faith isn't the absence of doubt or pain, but the persistent, sometimes desperate, clinging to God despite those feelings. It's an act of will, a declaration of loyalty even when circumstances scream the opposite.
The Flesh vs. The Spirit
This inner battle is common. Our feelings (the 'flesh') can tell us God has left us, especially when we're suffering. But faith (the Spirit) reminds us of God's promises and His enduring presence, even when hidden.
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This wrestling is not a sign of weak faith, but of a living faith that is being tested and, ultimately, strengthened.
When David cries out 'Why have you forsaken me?', he's not just expressing sadness. He's articulating an agony that goes bone-deep.
More Than Just Absence
The word 'forsaken' here (and the related 'far from helping') speaks to an utter abandonment. It's not a gentle nudge away, but a profound sense of being left utterly alone in a desperate situation.
The Cry of Extreme Distress
The language of 'groaning' and 'roaring' vividly portrays the physical and emotional torment. It’s the sound of someone pushed to their absolute limit, where words fail and only primal sounds of suffering remain.
This isn't a polite request for assistance; it's a desperate plea from the depths of despair, highlighting the immense weight of the suffering the Psalmist is enduring. It underscores the severity of his crisis.
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.
dumiyah · Hebrew Noun
A state of quiet, stillness, or pause. It represents both the physical need for relief from labor/suffering and the spiritual need for peace in the soul.
This passage directly quotes Jesus on the cross, fulfilling the cry of this Psalm and highlighting its prophetic significance for the suffering of the Messiah.
Isaiah 49:14This verse echoes the sentiment of abandonment with Zion lamenting, 'The Lord has forsaken me; the Lord has forgotten me,' showing a recurring theme of God's people feeling forsaken in times of crisis.
Job 30:20Job cries out, 'I cry to you for help, but you do not answer,' revealing a similar desperate plea for divine intervention when feeling abandoned and unheard in deep suffering.
Psalm 13:1This Psalm begins with 'How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?', presenting another instance of a psalmist grappling with a sense of God's absence and silence.
Lamentations 3:8Even in times of great distress, Jeremiah writes, 'Though I cry and call for help, you stop my prayers,' illustrating the painful experience of feeling that one's cries to God are met with silence or blocked.
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 depth of despair here is intense, but notice how the Psalmist immediately reaffirms his connection to God by repeating "My God, my God." This isn't just a cry of abandonment; it's an anguished appeal from someone who still believes God is their God, even when it feels like He's impossibly distant. The "words of my groaning" highlight how his pain is so profound it can barely be put into coherent speech, yet he still directs it to God.
The Psalmist is crying out in deep anguish, feeling abandoned by God in the midst of intense suffering. This psalm is a profound expression of distress, depicting a soul overwhelmed by enemies and seemingly forgotten by divine help, yet still clinging to God as "my God." This cry would later be echoed by Jesus on the cross, highlighting its prophetic significance for the Messiah's suffering.
The Psalmist is crying out in deep anguish, feeling abandoned by God in the midst of intense suffering. This psalm is a profound expression of distress, depicting a soul overwhelmed by enemies and seemingly forgotten by divine help, yet still clinging to God as "my God." This cry would later be echoed by Jesus on the cross, highlighting its prophetic significance for the Messiah's suffering.
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest." — The depth of despair here is intense, but notice how the Psalmist immediately reaffirms his connection to God by repeating "My God, my God." This isn't just a cry of abandonment; it's an anguished ap…
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