Psalms 22:14

"They open their mouths wide against me, lions tearing prey and roaring."

Key Reflection

In Psalm 22:14, the imagery of "lions tearing prey and roaring" vividly depicts the ferocity and viciousness of one's enemies. This metaphor highlights the intense hostility and destructive intent directed against God’s suffering servant, emphasizing the severity of the spiritual warfare he faces.

From the Scholars: Barnes' Notes

I am poured out like water -The sufferer now turns from his enemies, and describes the effect of all these outward persecutions and trials on himself. The meaning in this expression is, that all his strength was gone. It is remarkable that we have a similar expression, which is not easily accounted for, when we say of ourselves that “we are as weak as water.” An expression similar to this occurs inJoshua 7:5: “The hearts of the people melted, and became as water.” CompareLamentations 2:19;Psalms 58:7. “My bones are out of joint.” Margin, “sundered.” The Hebrew word -פרדpârad- means “to break off, to break in pieces, to separate by breaking;” and then, to be separated, or divided.

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