The Bible NETWork ~ Impacting the World for Christ one post at a time!

I have a question on Psalms 22:20 KJV how do you understand that verse?
Who do the dog repersent?
Is David praying for deliverance or is it Jesus?
Who is the darling?

May be I should re-post but I try here first
Thanks

Psalm 22:20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.
The soul is your spirit and darling is your life which synonymous and the sword is word of God Hebrews 4:12
Scripture describe the dog as the god of this world, the devil in one part and another is the false prophets or false god.

Isaiah 56:10 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant,they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down,
loving to slumber.
(v.11) Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never had enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.

All scripture are NKJV unless otherwise indicated,emphasise mine.

_________________
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation, that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Isaiah 52:7

Some other translations may help here:
Psalms 22:20
* NET© 22:20 Deliver me from the sword! Save my life from the claws of the wild dogs!
* NIV© 22:20 Deliver my life from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs.
* NASB© 22:20 Deliver my soul from the sword, My only life from the power of the dog.
* ESV© 22:20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog!
* NLT© 22:20 Save me from the sword; spare my precious life from these dogs.
* MSG© 22:20 Don't let them cut my throat; don't let those mongrels devour me.
* BBE© 22:20 Make my soul safe from the sword, my life from the power of the dog.
* NKJV© 22:20 Deliver Me from the sword, My precious life from the power of the dog.
* NRSV© 22:20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my life from the power of the dog!
* KJV© 22:20 Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog. {my darling: Heb. my only one} {power: Heb. hand}
From the "Parallel" option at: http://net.bible.org/?ref=nbt#!bible/Psalms+22:20

Who do the dogs represent?
Context would show that dogs and lions are often used as metaphors for David's enemies throughout the Psalms, and that is what it appears to be here, especially when you read the entire Psalm. The dogs are his enemies, pressing in on every side to devour and destroy him.

Is David praying for deliverance or is it Jesus?
It is a Psalm of David ... it is David's prayer.
(The notes on the NET bible for verse 16 deals with some of the issues about assigning it all to Christ.)

Who is the darling?
The "darling" is his "only one" generally translated as his "life" which is precious, being the only one he has to lose.

_________________
Avid Reader

“Lord, in my zeal for love of truth, let me not forget the truth about love.” - Thomas Aquinas
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forum Code of Conduct
Forum Statement of Beliefs

cw-nf wrote:



Psalm 22 is one of the messianic psalms because it is referred to in the NT as being about the Messiah
Dog represents the romans. see verse 16
David is writing about the messiah. verses 1-21 deal with the crucifixion
Darling is "precious life" or "only life"

I strongly agree with Avid. Why must we rip this Psalm out of the context in which it was written?

I'm not aware of a text where this Psalm is referred to specifically as being Messianic. Indeed Christ quoted from it while on the cross. However, what was he trying to communicate in that quotation?

Assuming this is a Messianic Psalm (which I would partly agree that it is), the words had to mean something for David and he would never have applied it as you have. You've totally destroyed the context with this allegorical application. Lets look at the NET note for this:
Throughout the Psalm the psalmist's enemies are compared to bulls (vs.12), lions (vs.13 & 21), wild oxen (vs. 21), and, of course, dogs (vs. 16, & 20). All these pictures represent the psalmists enemies and not the Romans who, frankly, wasn't even a consideration at the time this was written.

If we were to pull this meaning forward to the obvious parallels of the Crucifixion, the enemies of the Messiah were not just the Romans but even his own people. If we remember several texts from David's life we will see that this is true of David as well. How many times were his enemies surrounding him both the Phillistines as well as the troops of Saul? Both of whom sought to kill David.

As I said there are obvious parallels to the Crucifixion but this had meaning for David which applied to his time and context. I really doubt that David even realized the implications of this passage beyond his physical lifetime untill he saw the event while in the care of his Heavenly Father.

I agree with this!

IMHO, it is very dangerous to attempt application until we have grasped, as fully as we possibly can, the meaning of the passage in the context it is written. Even those OT texts with obvious NT application should be studied contextually before examining the NT implications contextually. If we don't exercise this descretion we will impose meaning on the text the Lord never intended and thus will be adding to His revelation. Something I'm pretty sure He does not appreciate.

When Jesus quoted this Psalm (Matthew 27:46 & Mark 15:34), why did He want this brought to the minds of those who were there? I think it was more than just mere fulfillment of prophecy although that was most assuredly part of it. What message was He sending to those there (including some Scribes & Pharisees who were witnesses) who had full knowledge of that passage?

_________________
Blessings,
Randy
Forum Code of Conduct
The Bible NETWork Doctrinal Statement
The Net Bible Online

I have always viewed Ps. 22 as a Messianic Psalm and many other commentators and scholars have interpreted Ps. 22 as Messianic. Now I agree that we should study scripture in its immediate context and consider the immediate application in that time period for the audience for which it was intended. However, we should allow for prophetic verses and study their fulfillment or partial fulfillment in history. Augustine said that in the Old Testament the New is hidden and in the New Testament the Old Testament is revealed. E.W. Hengstenberg in his book "Christology of the Old Testament" states that Ps. 22 is Messianic just to name one of the many sources.
The word sword could refer to Roman power and authority. The word darling means unique of alone and refers to the soul. The word dogs refer to the oppression of persons or dogs could refer to the Gentiles.
I read some interesting things in the "Treasury of David" by C.H. Spurgeon on this Psalm.

Thanks for the imput
There is a reason for the Question's

Now Look at Psalms 35:17

I am looking for some clear meaning for darling because someone clamed it to be Christ.

God Bless

Same as for the other one, see:
http://bible.cc/psalms/35-17.htm
New International Version (©1984)
O Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my life from their ravages, my precious life from these lions.
New Living Translation (©2007)
How long, O Lord, will you look on and do nothing? Rescue me from their fierce attacks. Protect my life from these lions!
English Standard Version (©2001)
How long, O Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their destruction, my precious life from the lions!
New American Standard Bible (©1995)
Lord, how long will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, My only life from the lions.
GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
O Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue me from their attacks. Rescue my precious life from the lions.
King James Bible
Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.
American King James Version
Lord, how long will you look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.
American Standard Version
Lord, how long wilt thou look on? Rescue my soul from their destructions, My darling from the lions.
Bible in Basic English
Lord, how long will you be looking on? take my soul from their destruction, my life from the lions.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Lord, when wilt thou look upon me? rescue thou soul from their malice : my only one from the lions.
Darby Bible Translation
Lord, how long wilt thou look on? Rescue my soul from their destructions, my only one from the young lions.
English Revised Version
Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.
Webster's Bible Translation
Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.
World English Bible
Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my soul from their destruction, my precious life from the lions.
Young's Literal Translation
Lord, how long dost thou behold? Keep back my soul from their desolations, From young lions my only one.

Barne's Notes:
... My darling - Margin, "my only one." See the notes at Psalm 22:20. The reference here is to "his own soul" or life. It is the language of tenderness addressed to himself. He had but one soul or life, and that was dear to him, as an only child is dear to its parent."

In the sense that Jesus is "The Way, the Truth and the Life" and He is our life etc, then it could be said to refer to Jesus ... but I think it a stretch to apply it directly to such references every time in a blanket sort of way.

_________________
Avid Reader

“Lord, in my zeal for love of truth, let me not forget the truth about love.” - Thomas Aquinas
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forum Code of Conduct
Forum Statement of Beliefs

Regarding the context of Psalm 22, when is David ever recorded as lamenting God had forsaken him? (verse 1). (See 1 Sam. 16:13) Or scorned by men and despised by the people? All who see me mock me (verse 6). Or when could it have been David's condition as described, "I am poured out like water and all my bones are out of joint?" (verse 14). Or, "My strength is dried up like a potsherd and my tongue sticks to my mouth (extreme thirst)? (verse15). When was David ever in such a desperate situation he could say, "They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing?" (verse18).

Peter, at Pentacost, (Acts 2:25-31) reminded the people that David was a prophet and wrote about Jesus in Psm. 16. If psalm 16, then why not in Psm 22?

It seems to me that the context is not in the OT but in the NT, even tho we are looking at Psalm 22.

I don't see that anyone has denied that Ps. 22 finds fulfillment in Christ, but what is being spoken to is the very real need to actually allow for the original context of the Psalm to be dealt with instead of simply making it just mean whatever we wish various terms to mean (which is not what even the NT writers did).

That the Spirit was with David is no different than the Spirit being with Jesus or as if Jesus ever surrendered his deity (which would make him somehow actually broken from the Father...even considering whatever the "foresakeness" from the cross entailed). This is the cry of David in despair, but also in hope (because the Psalm is not complete if you only read the first verse). As one example, David was cursed as he left Jerusalem and Judah when his son Absalom took the kingdom from him. But technically, there were many who supported Saul in the days of Saul's reign and thus David was forced to move about and hide away from Benjamite territory. And as to thirst and his sense of rejection and all such things...since when are the Psalms (being the genre of poetry) NOT given to hyperbole among other forms of linguistic emotive license? Also, could we not consider the notion of the garments and the "dividing" and "casting lots" to be more poetic language referring to those who would destroy him and treat him and all that belonged to him as nothing? These certainly applied to David in his own time and own way. Yet they prophetically referred to the Christ in another manner that was at another level.

_________________
Everyone is equal at the foot of the cross...just some are more equal than others.
Forum Code of Conduct
Bible.org Doctrinal Statement
rickwadholmjr.wordpress.com
iheartbarth.wordpress.com
bluechippastor.org
Twitter: @RickWadholmJr

I guess it is always best to be frank about things in scripture. I don't think there is anything about David in Psalm 22, nor anything about David in Psalm 16, nor in Psalm 110. In the light of Peter's pronouncements in Acts 2:24-35, why would we think David is speaking about himself in any of these Psalms?

That they are poetry should not be taken to mean they are replete with examples of hyperbole. The NET BIBLE has several references in the Gospels to Psalm 22, centering on the crucifixion of Jesus.

If we cannot except that we find things about Jesus in the Psalms, what do we do with Luke 24:44?

Jack,
These psalms make use of poetic language (albeit prophetic in the mouth of David) just as all psalms normally do. I'm not certain why you do not seem to understand why they cannot be applied to Christ though they were original and pertinent to David's own context. That they did not mean the same thing in each context is not surprising, but you should not simply deny the context for which these suggest themselves. It is to say that David spoke of things for which he did not truly understand what he was speaking, but he spoke by the Spirit.

_________________
Everyone is equal at the foot of the cross...just some are more equal than others.
Forum Code of Conduct
Bible.org Doctrinal Statement
rickwadholmjr.wordpress.com
iheartbarth.wordpress.com
bluechippastor.org
Twitter: @RickWadholmJr

Antipater wrote:

I

Me thinks you have shelled the ear of corn down to the cob!

Antipater, If I'm reading Peter right he is saying that David spoke as he did because he knew hinself exactly what he was saying. Acts 2:30, "But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was not abandoned to the grave, nor did His body see decay".

However, if you can produce from the OT any of these things as personally happening to David I certainly will reconsider.

Seeing as you don't accept any of the evidence already presented (poetic language and context, prophetically speaking better than one knows, etc.)...I don't see that you are actually looking for any. You appear only to be looking to argue...so I will leave you to believe what you will aside from the great majority of all commentators on this issue and what the context itself bears out. All that aside one may believe whatever one wishes to believe.

_________________
Everyone is equal at the foot of the cross...just some are more equal than others.
Forum Code of Conduct
Bible.org Doctrinal Statement
rickwadholmjr.wordpress.com
iheartbarth.wordpress.com
bluechippastor.org
Twitter: @RickWadholmJr