Psalms 22:7 Meaning: Mocked and Scorned, Yet Not Forsaken
All those who see me mock me. They insult me with their lips. They shake their heads, saying,
All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
All they that see me laugh me to scorn: They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
All beholding me do mock at me, They make free with the lip--shake the head,
All they that see me laugh me to scorn; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, [saying:]
Meaning in one sentence
Psalm 22:7 describes mockery David experienced, which was fulfilled in Christ at the cross. See how God’s servant faces scorn yet trusts.
Context
Psalm 22 is a lament of David, written in a time of deep distress, perhaps during Absalom’s rebellion, when Shimei cursed him and others joined in. But the psalm reaches beyond one man’s pain. From verse 1, David cries out with words Jesus would later quote on the cross. In this chapter, he moves from feeling abandoned to trusting God’s deliverance. Verse 7 shows the public scorn he endured: people mocking, sneering, shaking their heads. The Gospels record that the same gestures were made at Jesus’ crucifixion. So this verse sits at a crossroads, one man’s raw experience and a prophecy of the Messiah’s suffering.
Key Words
Three actions capture the cruelty here. The word translated “mock” in the Hebrew (la‘ag) means to deride or treat with contempt, not just casual laughter but the kind that cuts deep. As Barnes notes, it is more about scorn than laughter. Next, “shoot out the lip” comes from a Hebrew verb (patar) that means to split open or gape wide. It pictures someone making a wide mouth or sticking out their lip in deliberate insult. Finally, “shake the head” was a common gesture of contempt in the ancient world, a way of saying, “You’re finished, and I’m not sorry.” Each detail is vivid and bodily, as if the mockers are using their whole selves to pour shame onto the sufferer. And each detail appears again at the cross: Matthew 27:39 says those who passed by reviled Jesus, wagging their heads. These words do not just describe an old event; they frame a pain that the Son of God would taste fully.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have long seen this verse as working on two levels. Adam Clarke, a Methodist commentator, wrote that while the insults first applied to David, the evangelists applied them to Christ because the cases were so similar. Calvin, from the Reformed tradition, called David a “type of Christ” in this psalm, meaning his suffering pointed ahead to the greater Suffering Servant. The Geneva Bible notes simply that the gestures were fulfilled in the Jews at the cross. From the early church to modern times, believers have agreed: Psalm 22 is both a honest cry from David’s own life and a prophetic window into what Jesus would endure. Neither reading cancels the other; together they show how personal anguish and divine purpose can meet.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers assume this verse is only about David and has nothing to do with Jesus. In fact, the New Testament directly applies it to Christ (Matthew 27:39), and Christian tradition has always read Psalm 22 as messianic prophecy. David’s experience was real, but it also foreshadowed the mocking Jesus faced on the cross.
Living This Out
Maybe this week someone will sneer at you for your faith, or for a choice you made because you were trying to follow God. It stings when people use their words and bodies to show contempt. David lets us see that we can bring that hurt straight to God, not pretending it doesn’t hurt, but still saying “You are my God” (verse 10). Jesus walked this road before us, and He knows how alone it feels. When someone shakes their head at you, you can shake your head toward heaven instead, remembering that the One who endured the cross is with you. That might not stop the mockery, but it can stop it from having the last word.
Main takeaway: Even when others pour out contempt, God is still near to those who trust Him through their deepest shame.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Some people made fun of Jesus when He was on the cross. They shook their heads. But God was still with Him. When someone is mean to you, God is with you too.
For ages 9, 12
This verse shows exactly what happened to David and later to Jesus. People made faces, stuck out their lips, and shook their heads to say, “You are nobody.” It hurts when people do that. But David and Jesus both kept trusting God even while being mocked. You can tell God how you feel when people make fun of you, and He will listen.
Questions People Ask
Who is speaking in Psalm 22:7?
David is speaking. He describes his own experience of being mocked by others. But the Holy Spirit also spoke through him to prophesy the suffering of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Is Psalm 22 about David or Jesus?
It is about both. David wrote from his own pain, but his words perfectly describe what Jesus endured on the cross. Christians across traditions read it as a prophecy that points to Christ, while still respecting David’s original context.
What does 'shoot out the lip' mean?
It means opening the mouth wide in scorn, perhaps sticking out the lip or making a face to insult someone. It was a deliberate gesture of contempt, like when people mocked Jesus at the cross.
How is this verse fulfilled in the New Testament?
Matthew 27:39 records that those who passed by Jesus on the cross “reviled him, wagging their heads.” The gestures and mockery match Psalm 22:7 exactly, showing that Jesus suffered the same scorn David described.
Why does God let His people be mocked?
Scripture doesn’t give one simple answer, but we see that even innocent suffering can be part of God’s larger plan. David’s mockery led him to cry out to God, and Jesus’ mockery was part of His sacrifice for us. God does not waste our pain, and He draws near to those who call on Him.
For pastors & researchers
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