Psalm 22: the worm is the clue
Posted: Thu Sep 10, 2015 3:56 pm
Here is a unique alternative way to understand Psalm 22 using "like a lion" but with a different explanation.
PSALM 22:7
In PSALM 22:7, the writer says he is a worm and not a man. Maybe he said this because later he says that G-d put him to the dust of death which would be the ground where worms are.
PSALM 22:9
USUAL TRANSLATION
In PSALM 22:9, his enemies surround him and seem to mock him about G-d helping him. They say things like:
"Let him commit himself to the L-rd, He will save him..." or "Let him commit himself to the L-rd, let Him save him..."
I don't think the verb GIMEL LAMED can mean "let him commit himself" because it does not have the letter YUD at the beginning of the verb.
PSALM 22:9
ALTERNATIVE TRANSLATION
"A heap is to the L-rd, He will save him (it)..." or "A heap is to the L-rd, let Him save him (it)..."
The word GIMEL LAMED can mean "heap", so it could say "a heap is to the L-rd."
PSALM 22:13-14
USUAL TRANSLATION
"Many bulls have surrounded me, strong ones of Bashan have surrounded me, they have opened against me their mouth, a lion is ravening (seizing or tearing to pieces) and roaring."
Or: "Many bulls have surrounded me, strong ones of Bashan have surrounded me, they have opened against me their mouth, a ravening and roaring lion".
I am not sure if he is saying a lion is also surrounding him, or that he is the ravening and roaring lion. Some translations say that they have opened their mouths against him "like a ravening and roaring lion", but the Hebrew does not say the word "like". In PSALM 22:22, the psalm writer asks to be saved from the lion's mouth, so it sounds like the lion is someone else.
PSALM 22:15-16
USUAL TRANSLATIONS
"Like water I was poured out and all of my bones have been parted, my heart was like wax melted in the midst of my inner parts."
If a person’s bones have parted, and that person has collapsed into a heap (PSALM 22:9), then you can’t see the person’s bones, and the person is like a worm on the floor (PSALM 22:7).
PSALM 22:17
USUAL TRANSLATION
"...And to the dust of death You will put me because dogs have surrounded me, companies of evildoers have surrounded me like a lion, my hands and my feet, I will count (I can count) all of my bones, they will look, they will look against me" or "at me."
ALTERNATIVE TRANSLATION
"...And to the dust of death You will put me because dogs have surrounded me, companies of evildoers have surrounded me like a lion. My hands and my feet I will count. All of my bones they will see. They will look against me" or "at me."
In PSALM 22:7, David said he is a worm, and not a man. Since a worm does not have hands, feet, or bones, I think in PSALM 22:17, he is saying poetically that he is not a worm any more by saying that he has hands, feet, and bones like a lion. Before he was surrounded by wild bulls and a lion, but later he says he is surrounded by dogs, and he is like a lion.
I think at first King David felt weak compared to the enemies that surrounded him, but I think later he felt strong compared to them. I think that is why he first said he is surrounded by wild bulls, and probably a lion, but later he says dogs have surrounded him like a lion.
Maybe PSALM 22 is about the time King David's son, Absalom, tried to overthrow him (2 SAMUEL 15-19). 2 SAMUEL 17:26 says that Absalom and Israel camped in Gilead before the battle against David and his people. I read that Gilead is in Bashan which is mentioned in PSALM 22:13 "strong ones of Bashan". Maybe Absalom was the ravening and roaring lion in PSALM 22:14, and the people with him were the bulls surrounding King David.
For some reason, people can believe the usual translation that the writer will count all of his bones, but not that he will count his hands and feet. I think this is a poetic way of saying he has hands and feet. I think it says they will see his bones because now he is like a lion and not a worm. Maybe he means that his bones are not separated anymore, so that he is collapsed into a heap. Now his body has a support structure that holds it up like a lion with hands, feet, and bones.
Kenneth Greifer
PSALM 22:7
In PSALM 22:7, the writer says he is a worm and not a man. Maybe he said this because later he says that G-d put him to the dust of death which would be the ground where worms are.
PSALM 22:9
USUAL TRANSLATION
In PSALM 22:9, his enemies surround him and seem to mock him about G-d helping him. They say things like:
"Let him commit himself to the L-rd, He will save him..." or "Let him commit himself to the L-rd, let Him save him..."
I don't think the verb GIMEL LAMED can mean "let him commit himself" because it does not have the letter YUD at the beginning of the verb.
PSALM 22:9
ALTERNATIVE TRANSLATION
"A heap is to the L-rd, He will save him (it)..." or "A heap is to the L-rd, let Him save him (it)..."
The word GIMEL LAMED can mean "heap", so it could say "a heap is to the L-rd."
PSALM 22:13-14
USUAL TRANSLATION
"Many bulls have surrounded me, strong ones of Bashan have surrounded me, they have opened against me their mouth, a lion is ravening (seizing or tearing to pieces) and roaring."
Or: "Many bulls have surrounded me, strong ones of Bashan have surrounded me, they have opened against me their mouth, a ravening and roaring lion".
I am not sure if he is saying a lion is also surrounding him, or that he is the ravening and roaring lion. Some translations say that they have opened their mouths against him "like a ravening and roaring lion", but the Hebrew does not say the word "like". In PSALM 22:22, the psalm writer asks to be saved from the lion's mouth, so it sounds like the lion is someone else.
PSALM 22:15-16
USUAL TRANSLATIONS
"Like water I was poured out and all of my bones have been parted, my heart was like wax melted in the midst of my inner parts."
If a person’s bones have parted, and that person has collapsed into a heap (PSALM 22:9), then you can’t see the person’s bones, and the person is like a worm on the floor (PSALM 22:7).
PSALM 22:17
USUAL TRANSLATION
"...And to the dust of death You will put me because dogs have surrounded me, companies of evildoers have surrounded me like a lion, my hands and my feet, I will count (I can count) all of my bones, they will look, they will look against me" or "at me."
ALTERNATIVE TRANSLATION
"...And to the dust of death You will put me because dogs have surrounded me, companies of evildoers have surrounded me like a lion. My hands and my feet I will count. All of my bones they will see. They will look against me" or "at me."
In PSALM 22:7, David said he is a worm, and not a man. Since a worm does not have hands, feet, or bones, I think in PSALM 22:17, he is saying poetically that he is not a worm any more by saying that he has hands, feet, and bones like a lion. Before he was surrounded by wild bulls and a lion, but later he says he is surrounded by dogs, and he is like a lion.
I think at first King David felt weak compared to the enemies that surrounded him, but I think later he felt strong compared to them. I think that is why he first said he is surrounded by wild bulls, and probably a lion, but later he says dogs have surrounded him like a lion.
Maybe PSALM 22 is about the time King David's son, Absalom, tried to overthrow him (2 SAMUEL 15-19). 2 SAMUEL 17:26 says that Absalom and Israel camped in Gilead before the battle against David and his people. I read that Gilead is in Bashan which is mentioned in PSALM 22:13 "strong ones of Bashan". Maybe Absalom was the ravening and roaring lion in PSALM 22:14, and the people with him were the bulls surrounding King David.
For some reason, people can believe the usual translation that the writer will count all of his bones, but not that he will count his hands and feet. I think this is a poetic way of saying he has hands and feet. I think it says they will see his bones because now he is like a lion and not a worm. Maybe he means that his bones are not separated anymore, so that he is collapsed into a heap. Now his body has a support structure that holds it up like a lion with hands, feet, and bones.
Kenneth Greifer