Psalms 22:13

"Many bulls have surrounded me. Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me."

Key Reflection

The psalmist vividly describes his enemies as fierce and numerous, comparing them to powerful cattle in order to emphasize their strength and the overwhelming nature of the attack. In first-century Israel, bulls were not only a symbol of power but also associated with the gods worshipped in Canaanite and Phoenician cultures, particularly Baal. Thus, the imagery suggests that the psalmist is facing a formidable enemy aligned with pagan forces, which adds depth to his cries for divine intervention.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

They gaped upon me with their mouths -Margin, as in Hebrew, “opened their mouths against me.” That is, they opened their mouths wide as if they would devour me, as a lion does when he seizes upon his prey. InPsalms 22:7they are represented as “opening” the mouth for another purpose - that of derision or scorn; here they are described as if they were fierce and wild beasts ready to fall upon their prey. As a ravening and roaring lion -The word “ravening” means “voraciously devouring,” and the allusion in the Hebrew word is to the lion as he tears his prey -טרףṭâraph- rending it in pieces to devour it.

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