Psalm 22 8

Psalm 22:8 kjv

He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

Psalm 22:8 nkjv

"He trusted in the LORD, let Him rescue Him; Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!"

Psalm 22:8 niv

"He trusts in the LORD," they say, "let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him."

Psalm 22:8 esv

"He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!"

Psalm 22:8 nlt

"Is this the one who relies on the LORD?
Then let the LORD save him!
If the LORD loves him so much,
let the LORD rescue him!"

Psalm 22 verses

Psalm 22 8 Meaning

Psalm 22:8 presents the mockery hurled by the adversaries at the suffering righteous one, challenging his declared trust in the LORD. Their words question God's character and faithfulness, essentially saying, "If God truly delights in you and you trust Him, then He should rescue you from this suffering." It prophetically foreshadows the taunts against Jesus Christ during His crucifixion, highlighting the stark contrast between human scorn and divine truth regarding the Messiah's unwavering trust and God's ultimate plan of deliverance through suffering.

Psalm 22 8 Context

Psalm 22 is a prophetic Messianic Psalm that begins with the deepest lament (Ps 22:1-2) and moves through intense suffering (Ps 22:3-21) to an eventual triumph and praise (Ps 22:22-31). The speaker feels utterly forsaken by God, yet recounts His faithfulness from birth. The present verse, Ps 22:8, falls within the section describing the contempt and mockery from the adversaries who surround and afflict the suffering individual. They verbally attack his trust in God, interpreting his suffering as proof that God does not delight in him and therefore will not rescue him. This verbal assault is as much a part of the torment as the physical one described elsewhere in the Psalm. Historically and culturally, a person's suffering was often attributed to God's disfavor, and open ridicule from foes was a common element of shame and degradation. This particular taunt not only aimed to mock the suffering one but also to challenge the very nature of God's character and covenant faithfulness to His chosen ones.

Psalm 22 8 Word analysis

• He trusted: (Hebrew: baṭaḥ בטח). This verb means "to trust," "to confide," "to be secure," "to rely on." It denotes a settled and unwavering confidence. The adversaries mock this claim of trust, believing it to be unfounded in light of the speaker's dire circumstances.
• in the LORD: (Hebrew: Yahweh יהוה). This is God's personal covenant name, emphasizing His self-existent and relational nature. The mockery is not just about trust, but specifically trust in the one, true God, suggesting He is either unwilling or unable to act.
• let Him deliver him: (Hebrew: yip·lə·ṭê·hû יפלטהו from palaṭ פלט). "To deliver," "to escape," "to rescue." This is a jussive form, expressing a command or a challenge, equivalent to "If He is truly for him, let Him demonstrate it by delivering him now." It highlights their disbelief that God would intervene.
• let Him rescue him: (Hebrew: yaṣ·ṣî·lê·hû יצילהו from naṣal נצל). "To snatch away," "to save," "to preserve." This term often implies a powerful and decisive act of removal from danger. It parallels "deliver," intensifying the challenge for divine intervention. The repetition emphasizes the urgency of their cynical demand for immediate evidence of God's care.
• since He delights in him: (Hebrew: kî ḥā·p̄ēṣ bō כי חפץ בו). Kî (כי) means "because" or "since," establishing the supposed reason. Ḥāp̄ēṣ (חפץ) means "to delight in," "to desire," "to take pleasure in." The adversaries ironically use the very principle of God's favor – that He acts on behalf of those in whom He delights – to challenge Him. They imply that if God truly delighted in the suffering one, this distress would not be occurring. Their taunt exposes their superficial understanding of delight, presuming it always equates to freedom from suffering.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "He trusted in the LORD;": This phrase identifies the central claim of the suffering one, which his adversaries vehemently deny by observation of his outward suffering. It sets up the test of God's faithfulness, as perceived by the mockers.
• "let Him deliver him: let Him rescue him,": This dual jussive expression constitutes the core of the challenge and mockery. It's a demand for God to perform a miraculous rescue on their terms and timing, asserting that if God were truly faithful, this would happen immediately. The repetition underscores their scorn and absolute certainty that God will not act.
• "since He delights in him.": This phrase offers the theological basis for their demand. It twists the concept of God's delight – which genuinely does lead to care and blessing – into a premise for immediate worldly vindication, effectively setting a condition on God's love and power based on human logic and observation of suffering. It highlights their faulty theology where suffering negates divine favor.

Psalm 22 8 Bonus section

The mockery of "He trusted in the LORD; let Him deliver him..." contains a profound blasphemy: it presumes to dictate terms to God based on human understanding of what divine love and power should look like. This particular taunt weaponizes the sufferer's piety against him. The fact that these exact words are quoted at the crucifixion demonstrates a specificity of prophecy that is astounding. Furthermore, it reveals a core tension: God's delight in His Son (Luke 3:22) did not prevent the cross but worked through it. The enemies failed to comprehend that true divine delight and ultimate rescue might come through temporary apparent abandonment and sacrifice, fulfilling a greater spiritual deliverance rather than an immediate physical escape from suffering. This verse also implicitly reveals the superficial nature of the faith that requires immediate external evidence of God's pleasure.

Psalm 22 8 Commentary

Psalm 22:8 serves as a chilling and potent prophetic voice, directly anticipating the specific verbal abuses endured by Jesus Christ during His crucifixion (Matt 27:43). The taunt reveals the profound spiritual blindness of the adversaries, who measure God's delight and faithfulness by outward prosperity or immediate deliverance from suffering. They mistakenly believe that God’s presence implies absence of pain or immediate divine intervention, failing to grasp the deeper, redemptive purposes that God accomplishes through His chosen one's affliction. Their mockery, intended to shame the sufferer and deny God's power, unwittingly testifies to the very truth it scorns: the Messiah's unwavering trust in Yahweh, even as His Father's delight found expression not in preventing the suffering but in empowering Him through it to achieve humanity's salvation. Christ’s enduring this abuse without recourse confirmed His trust and revealed God’s perfect will.