Psalms 22:14

14 My strength is gone, like water poured out onto the ground, and my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax; it has melted inside me.

Psalms 22:14 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 22:14

I am poured out like water
This may refer to Christ's sweat in the garden, when through his agony or conflict with Satan, and his vehemency in prayer, and the pressure on his mind, in a view of his people's sins, and the wrath of God for, them, and the accursed death he was about to undergo on that account, sweat in great abundance came from all parts of his body, and not only stood in large drops, but fell to the ground like great drops of blood; so that his body was all covered with water, or rather seemed to be dissolving into water, or else to the quantity of tears he shed both there and elsewhere; his sorrow was great even unto death, which vented itself in floods of tears; his prayers were offered up with strong crying and tears; his head was, as Jeremiah wished his might be, as waters, and his eyes a fountain of tears, yea, his whole body seemed to be bathed with them: or else to the shedding of his blood, and the pouring out his soul unto death for his people, which was voluntarily done by himself, or by his enemies; which they shed like water, and made no account of it, ( Psalms 79:3 ) . Some have thought this respects the opinion some had of him, even some of his own disciples, when he was dead; all their hopes of his being their Redeemer and Saviour being gone, he was as water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up; see ( 2 Samuel 14:14 ) ; but rather the phrase intends his being quite dispirited, his heart failing, his soul sorrowful unto death, his hands feeble, his knees weak like water, and he just ready to faint and die; see ( Joshua 7:5 ) ( Ezekiel 7:17 ) ;

and all my bones are out of joint;
not through the stretching of his body on the cross, which seems to be designed in ( Psalms 22:17 ) ; but as it is with persons in a panic, their joints seem to be loosed, and their bones parting asunder, their legs tremble, no member can perform its office, but as if everyone was dislocated and out of its place; see ( Psalms 6:2 ) ;

my heart is like wax, it is melted in the midst of my bowels;
as wax melts before the fire, so did the heart of Christ at the wrath and fury of God, which was poured forth like fire upon him; and which he had a sense of, when in the garden and on the cross, bearing the sins of his people, and sustaining the punishment due unto them for it was not because of his enemies, nor merely at the presence of God, and his righteous judgments, which is sometimes the case; see ( 2 Samuel 17:10 ) ( Psalms 68:2 ) ( 97:5 ) ; but at the apprehension of divine wrath, and feeling the same, as the surety of his people; and what an idea does this give of the wrath of God! for if the heart of Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, melted at it, what heart can endure, or hands be strong, when God deals with them in his wrath? ( Ezekiel 22:14 ) .

Psalms 22:14 In-Context

12 People have surrounded me like angry bulls. Like the strong bulls of Bashan, they are on every side.
13 Like hungry, roaring lions they open their mouths at me.
14 My strength is gone, like water poured out onto the ground, and my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax; it has melted inside me.
15 My strength has dried up like a clay pot, and my tongue sticks to the top of my mouth. You laid me in the dust of death.
16 Evil people have surrounded me; like dogs they have trapped me. They have bitten my arms and legs.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.