Psalms 22:11
Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Psalms 22:11
Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The psalmist isn't just saying he needs help; he's highlighting that no one else is available. This isn't about a lack of potential rescuers, but a profound isolation where even his usual supports have vanished, leaving only God as the absolute last resort.
The psalmist is in a desperate situation, feeling utterly abandoned by God and surrounded by enemies. This plea follows a reflection on God's faithfulness from birth, highlighting the stark contrast between past security and present peril. The immediate context is one of intense suffering and isolation, where the psalmist feels there is no human help available and pleads for God's direct intervention.
Have you ever felt like you're completely alone, with no one to turn to? This verse plunges into that raw feeling.
The psalmist's cry, 'trouble is near, and there is none to help,' is not just a statement of fact, but an urgent plea. It highlights a moment of utter desperation where human support has vanished.
The Weight of Solitude
This isn't just about having a bad day; it's about facing a crisis where all earthly resources fail. The psalmist has no one – no friends, no allies, no one who can possibly intervene. This can feel like being stranded in a storm with no shelter and no rescue in sight.
A Plea for Divine Intervention
Because no human help is available, the psalmist's only recourse is God. The plea 'Be not far from me' becomes even more profound when 'none to help' is the stark reality. It's a desperate reach for the One who is never too far, even when all others are absent.
Even in our darkest hours, God's faithfulness can be seen, stretching back to the very beginning of our lives.
While verse 11 paints a picture of utter desolation, the surrounding verses (9-10) remind us of God's protective presence from our earliest moments.
God's Providence from the Womb
David recalls how God drew him from the womb and gave him confidence even as an infant. This wasn't just natural birth, but a divine act of bringing him into existence and sustaining him. It's a reminder that God's care wasn't just for his adult life, but from his very conception and infancy.
Trusting God Through Every Season
This past faithfulness serves as a powerful argument for present help. Even when 'trouble is near' and 'none to help,' the psalmist has a history with God. This history speaks of a God who is not distant but intimately involved, a God who was there at the beginning and remains a constant source of hope, even amidst betrayal and suffering.
Understand the original words
tsarah · Hebrew Noun
A state of distress, affliction, or tribulation that causes physical or emotional suffering; often used in Psalms to describe the plight of the righteous before God.
This psalm vividly portrays a moment of extreme suffering and abandonment, resonating deeply with the experience of Jesus Christ on the cross, where He felt forsaken, yet His cry clung to God.
c. 1000 BC
David's Reign as King
Psalms are traditionally attributed to David, a time of both great triumph and intense persecution, providing a backdrop for themes of suffering and deliverance.
c. 586 BC
Babylonian Exile Begins
The Babylonian exile, a period of national crisis and displacement for the Israelites, deeply impacted their understanding of God's presence and faithfulness during suffering.
c. 450 BC
Post-Exilic Period and Temple Rebuilding
Following the exile, the community faced rebuilding challenges and spiritual renewal, continuing to grapple with God's faithfulness amid hardship.
c. 30 AD— this verse
Crucifixion of Jesus Christ
The New Testament uniquely interprets this psalm as a prophetic cry of Jesus Christ during His crucifixion, highlighting His suffering and isolation.
This passage echoes Psalm 22's lament, with Jesus crying out 'Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!' on the cross, highlighting his ultimate reliance on God even in his most desperate hour, mirroring the psalmist's plea.
Matthew 26:56This verse describes how all the disciples forsook Jesus and fled when he was arrested, directly illustrating the 'none to help' aspect of Psalm 22:11 from a New Testament perspective.
Isaiah 53:7The suffering servant in Isaiah is described as being led like a lamb to slaughter and not opening his mouth, paralleling the sense of utter vulnerability and lack of earthly support found in Psalm 22.
Hebrews 4:15This passage speaks of Jesus as a high priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses, having been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. This emphasizes Jesus' human suffering and his unique position as someone who experienced extreme distress without human help, yet remained sinless.
pulpitPsalms 22:11: "Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help."
Verse 11. - Be not far from me. The considerations dwelt upon in vers. 3-5, and again in veto. 9, 10, have removed the sense of desertion expressed in vex. 1; and the Sufferer can now confidently call on God to help him. "Be not far from me," he says, for trouble is near. The time is come when aid is most urgently required. For there is none to help; literally, not a helper. David himself had never been in such…
calvinPsalms 22:9-11: "But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts."
Surely thou didst draw me forth from the womb, and thou didst cause me to confide upon the breasts of my mother. [509] 10. I was cast upon thee [510] from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly. 11. Depart not far from me, for distress is near, and there is none to help me.
Surely thou. David again here raises a new fortress, in order to withstand and rep…
The psalmist isn't just saying he needs help; he's highlighting that no one else is available. This isn't about a lack of potential rescuers, but a profound isolation where even his usual supports have vanished, leaving only God as the absolute last resort.
The psalmist is in a desperate situation, feeling utterly abandoned by God and surrounded by enemies. This plea follows a reflection on God's faithfulness from birth, highlighting the stark contrast between past security and present peril. The immediate context is one of intense suffering and isolation, where the psalmist feels there is no human help available and pleads for God's direct intervention.
The psalmist is in a desperate situation, feeling utterly abandoned by God and surrounded by enemies. This plea follows a reflection on God's faithfulness from birth, highlighting the stark contrast between past security and present peril. The immediate context is one of intense suffering and isolation, where the psalmist feels there is no human help available and pleads for God's direct intervention.
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c. 30 AD
Jesus's Followers Flee
At Jesus's crucifixion, His disciples abandoned Him, illustrating the profound sense of being utterly alone and without human help described in the psalm.
"Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help." — The psalmist isn't just saying he needs help; he's highlighting that no one else is available. This isn't about a lack of potential rescuers, but a profound isolation where even his usual supports…