Psalms 22:18
they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.
English Standard Version (ESV)
All verses
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Psalms 22:18
they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The detail about casting lots for one specific piece of clothing, while dividing the rest, isn't just about robbery; it highlights the soldiers' complete disregard for the suffering person, treating even his last possessions as mere spoils of war and arguing over them like gamblers. This wasn't just a division, but a mockery, emphasizing the utter dehumanization of the one being afflicted.
The Psalmist is describing a scene of utter desolation and abandonment, where his enemies are not only taunting him but also treating him as if he were already dead. This verse paints a stark picture of the suffering individual being stripped and his possessions divided up as spoils by those who have brought him low, culminating in the detail of lots being cast for his clothing.
Imagine the scene: someone is at their lowest point, stripped bare, with their belongings being divided as if they were already gone. This psalm paints a stark picture of abandonment and vulnerability.
Psalms 22:18 vividly describes a person whose enemies are acting as if they are already dead. They don't just take the person's clothes; they 'part' them, meaning they divide them up amongst themselves. Then, for a specific item – the 'vesture' or inner garment – they don't just take turns, they cast lots. This highlights a profound sense of shame and loss, as if every last bit of dignity and possession is being stripped away. It’s the ultimate picture of being left with nothing.
This ancient psalm speaks of a suffering servant whose fate was sealed with the casting of lots for his clothes. This wasn't just poetic imagery; it was a prophecy.
The New Testament writers, particularly John, see the events described in Psalms 22:18 as a direct and literal fulfillment in the crucifixion of Jesus. While David might have used this imagery to express his own deep distress and abandonment, the Holy Spirit guided the psalm's composition to specifically point to Christ. The soldiers at the cross divided Jesus' outer garments, but his inner tunic was seamless. Rather than tear it, they cast lots for it, precisely as the psalm foretold. This wasn't a coincidence; it was a divine signpost, proving Jesus' identity and the foreknowledge of God.
Understand the original words
beged · Hebrew Noun
Articles of clothing or covering. Biblically, garments are significant symbols of identity, status, and protection; the dividing of garments signifies the total stripping away of a person's dignity and worldly possessions.
This verse, often understood as a prophetic lament, describes a suffering individual whose enemies divide his clothing by casting lots. While it speaks to the profound sense of abandonment and suffering experienced by individuals throughout history, its most striking historical resonance is found in the New Testament account of Jesus's crucifixion, where Roman soldiers fulfill this prophecy by gambling for his seamless tunic.
c. 1000 BC
Reign of King David
The traditional period of King David's reign, during which many Psalms are thought to have been composed. This verse is often seen as a lament from David's perspective, describing intense suffering and abandonment.
c. 722 BC
Assyrian Exile of Northern Kingdom
The fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel to the Assyrian Empire, leading to widespread displacement and hardship. This event heightened the sense of national crisis and divine abandonment for many Israelites.
586 BC
Babylonian Exile of Southern Kingdom
The destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple by the Babylonians, resulting in the exile of many Judeans. This period of intense suffering and longing for deliverance deeply shaped Jewish understanding of messianic hope.
c. 30 AD— this verse
Crucifixion of Jesus
This passage directly quotes and applies Psalm 22:18 to the soldiers at Jesus' crucifixion, highlighting the literal fulfillment of the prophecy regarding the division of his garments and the casting of lots for his seamless tunic.
Matthew 27:35This Gospel account also references the fulfillment of scripture as the soldiers cast lots for Jesus' clothes after he was crucified, echoing the precise details found in the psalm.
Luke 23:34While Luke's account focuses on Jesus' prayer for his executioners, it occurs within the context of the soldiers dividing his garments, underscoring the fulfillment of prophetic actions described in Psalm 22.
Job 24:7-10This passage describes the plight of the poor and oppressed who are stripped of their belongings and clothes by the ruthless, drawing a thematic parallel to the indignity and despoilment depicted in Psalm 22.
Micah 2:8Micah condemns those who violently seize clothes from people, casting them off as if they were worthless, which resonates with the utter disregard and looting described in Psalm 22:18.
ellicottPsalms 22:18: "They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture."
(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 psalm.
calvinPsalms 22:17-21: "I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me."
I will number all my bones; they look and stare upon me. 18. They part my garments among them, and cast the lot upon my vesture. 19. Be not thou then, O Jehovah! far from me. O thou: who art my strength, make haste to help me. 20. Deliver my soul from the sword; my only one [514] from the hand [or power] of the dog. 21. Save me from the mouth of the lion, and hear me from the horns of the unicorns. [515]
I will nu…
The detail about casting lots for one specific piece of clothing, while dividing the rest, isn't just about robbery; it highlights the soldiers' complete disregard for the suffering person, treating even his last possessions as mere spoils of war and arguing over them like gamblers. This wasn't just a division, but a mockery, emphasizing the utter dehumanization of the one being afflicted.
The Psalmist is describing a scene of utter desolation and abandonment, where his enemies are not only taunting him but also treating him as if he were already dead. This verse paints a stark picture of the suffering individual being stripped and his possessions divided up as spoils by those who have brought him low, culminating in the detail of lots being cast for his clothing.
The Psalmist is describing a scene of utter desolation and abandonment, where his enemies are not only taunting him but also treating him as if he were already dead. This verse paints a stark picture of the suffering individual being stripped and his possessions divided up as spoils by those who have brought him low, culminating in the detail of lots being cast for his clothing.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Psalms 22:18 is available in the Sola app.
Jesus Christ is crucified by Roman soldiers. This event is seen by Christians as the literal fulfillment of Psalm 22, including the soldiers casting lots for his garments.
c. AD 60-70
Writing of the Gospels
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are written, narrating the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. These texts explicitly connect Jesus's crucifixion to prophecies in the Old Testament, including Psalm 22.
"they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots." — The detail about casting lots for one specific piece of clothing, while dividing the rest, isn't just about robbery; it highlights the soldiers' complete disregard for the suffering person, treating…