Psalm 22 14

Psalm 22:14 kjv

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.

Psalm 22:14 nkjv

I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me.

Psalm 22:14 niv

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me.

Psalm 22:14 esv

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast;

Psalm 22:14 nlt

My life is poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart is like wax,
melting within me.

Psalm 22 verses

Psalm 22 14 Meaning

Psalm 22:14 is a profound expression of utter physical and emotional dissolution, picturing the psalmist's (and ultimately, the Messiah's) extreme suffering. It describes a complete loss of bodily cohesion and internal strength, as if the very essence of life is draining away, and the heart, the core of being, is liquefying under intense pressure and anguish. This vivid imagery communicates a state of being completely overwhelmed, broken, and helpless.

Psalm 22 14 Context

Psalm 22 is a remarkable Messianic psalm of lament, prophetically foretelling the suffering, death, and subsequent resurrection and glorification of Jesus Christ. The psalmist, David, begins with the desperate cry of abandonment found in verse 1 ("My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?"). The first part of the psalm (vv. 1-21) details a horrifying array of afflictions—physical, emotional, and spiritual—faced by the sufferer, moving from an appeal for deliverance to vivid descriptions of agony. Verse 14 falls squarely within this intense depiction of suffering, portraying a literal and metaphorical breakdown of the body and spirit. It follows descriptions of reproach from men and being scorned, and immediately precedes further graphic details of a mouth dried up like a potsherd, extreme thirst, and hands and feet being pierced, ultimately culminating in enemies surrounding and casting lots for garments (vv. 15-18), all deeply fulfilled in the crucifixion narrative. The suffering described is so profound and specific that it transcends ordinary human experience, pointing to a unique and ultimate sacrifice.

Psalm 22 14 Word analysis

• I am poured out (נִשְׁפַּכְתִּי, nishpakhti): A passive perfect verb from shaphak (to pour out, shed). It denotes an action done to the psalmist, indicating a complete lack of control or agency. This verb evokes a loss of form, substance, and vital essence, akin to a liquid that cannot maintain its shape or integrity. It speaks to extreme weakness, dehydration, and a feeling of being completely spent.

• like water (כַּמַּיִם, ka-mayim): The simile emphasizes the total loss of form, stability, and control. Water, once spilled, cannot be easily gathered, signifying irretrievable loss. It points to vital fluids draining away, strength evaporating, and life itself slipping through one's grasp. This also suggests weakness, instability, and a pervasive sense of being overwhelmed.

• and all my bones (וְהִתְפָּרְדוּ כָּל־עַצְמוֹתַי, wəhiṯpārədû kāl-‘aṣmōṯay): "Bones" (עַצְמוֹתַי, ‘aṣmōṯay) refer to the skeletal structure, the very framework and support of the body. In ancient Hebrew thought, bones often represented the inner strength or the very essence of a person's being.

• are out of joint (הִתְפָּרְדוּ, hiṯpārədû): From parad (to separate, part, dislocate). This vivid phrase suggests extreme physical distortion, dislocation, and agonizing pain. The entire physical frame is breaking down, implying a horrific, torturous ordeal. For Christ, this graphically depicts the effects of crucifixion, where hanging weight, torture, and eventual suffocation would lead to such stress on joints and ligaments.

• my heart (לִבִּי, libbi): In Hebrew thought, the "heart" signifies not merely the organ, but the core of one's being – the seat of emotions, will, intellect, and conscience. This is a complete internal, rather than just physical, collapse.

• is like wax (כַּדּוֹנָג, ka-donag): This simile describes the heart losing its firmness and integrity, becoming soft and malleable, signifying overwhelming terror, grief, or inner dissolution.

• it is melted (נָמֵס, nāmēs): From masas (to dissolve, melt, faint). This verb reinforces the imagery of wax, emphasizing the internal softening, dissolving, and giving way under unbearable pressure. It portrays a loss of resolve, strength, and life force from within the innermost being.

• in the midst of my bowels (בְּתוֹךְ מֵעָי, b'ṯôḵ mē‘āy): "Bowels" (מֵעָי, mē‘āy) often refers to the innermost parts, the gut or internal organs, traditionally considered a seat of deep emotion and compassion. "In the midst of" emphasizes the profound depth and centrality of this internal collapse, showing that the disintegration affects the very core of one's visceral existence.

Word-group analysis

• "I am poured out like water": This phrase paints a picture of complete lack of containment and integrity. It conveys a feeling of physical and emotional strength draining away, becoming formless, uncontrollable, and irretrievably lost. This resonates with the dehydration and profound fluid loss associated with crucifixion, including blood, sweat, and tears. It also suggests overwhelming despair that leaves one feeling completely wasted.

• "all my bones are out of joint": This vividly describes excruciating skeletal pain and dislocation. It points to a literal tearing apart of the physical frame, suggestive of the immense strain placed on a body during torture and crucifixion, where limbs might indeed be stretched and dislocated from hanging weight. Metaphorically, it implies a complete internal breaking, a foundational collapse.

• "my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels": This group of phrases conveys ultimate emotional and psychological dissolution. The heart, as the seat of life and will, is no longer firm but is liquefying due to terror, sorrow, and extreme anguish. This can refer to the internal hemorrhaging or severe myocardial stress during Christ's Passion, potentially even the 'broken heart syndrome,' where severe emotional distress causes physical damage to the heart muscle. It speaks to a level of suffering that fundamentally attacks and dissolves one's very core.

Psalm 22 14 Bonus section

The intensely descriptive language of Psalm 22:14-18 (including bones out of joint, thirst, pierced hands/feet, etc.) has been extensively studied from a medical perspective to correlate with the physiological effects of crucifixion, strengthening its prophetic nature. While not every detail may be clinically verifiable in all cases of crucifixion, the collective imagery strikingly aligns with known effects: profound fluid loss from sweating, blood loss from scourging and nail wounds, hypovolemic shock (contributing to a sense of internal organs "melting"), and the agony of hanging which could indeed stretch joints and muscles to their limit, making the body feel dislocated. This medical lens, often explored by Christian physicians and scholars, provides an additional layer of appreciation for the literal fulfillment of the psalm in Christ's Passion. The suffering is not merely symbolic; it is a depiction of real, human anguish endured to its ultimate degree, showcasing the Lamb of God truly suffering "as if for sin" and in the ultimate payment. This level of physical suffering also provides a counter-narrative to common ancient world beliefs where powerful gods were detached from human suffering, portraying instead a God who enters into and bears the absolute worst of human experience.

Psalm 22 14 Commentary

Psalm 22:14 profoundly captures the extreme depth of suffering, both physical and emotional, that the psalmist endures, culminating in the Passion of Christ. The imagery is hyperbolic yet precise, depicting a person utterly disintegrating. "Poured out like water" portrays a loss of vitality and substance, akin to a vital fluid leaking away, leaving one empty and drained. This resonates with the immense dehydration, blood loss, and internal fluid shifts experienced during scourging and crucifixion, possibly hinting at the water and blood that flowed from Christ's side (John 19:34).

The description "all my bones are out of joint" evokes agonizing physical distortion and collapse of the body's structure. While precise dislocation may vary in individual crucifixion accounts, the imagery powerfully conveys intense muscular spasm, extreme joint strain, and unimaginable pain from the stretching of limbs on the cross, making the entire skeletal framework feel like it's coming apart. It emphasizes the foundational tearing and breakdown of the physical being under immense torture.

Finally, "my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels" points to an even deeper, internal crisis. The heart, the core of one's life, emotions, and will, is depicted as liquefying. This symbolizes profound despair, terror, and perhaps literal physiological distress such as cardiac failure due to extreme suffering and trauma (a "broken heart"). This imagery suggests a spiritual and emotional meltdown that accompanies the physical torment, representing the comprehensive assault on the sufferer's entire being. Collectively, these phrases powerfully articulate an unparalleled experience of weakness, dissolution, and absolute helplessness, fully realized in Christ's crucifixion, where He willingly underwent this comprehensive suffering for the atonement of sins.