You asked

what is the significance of jesus quoting psalm 22, rather than offering a new lament?

Adds the setting and its conversation across both testaments.

Matthew 27:46

“About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” That is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?””

This moment, recorded in Matthew's Gospel, occurs during Jesus' crucifixion. It is one of his final utterances, spoken from the cross to a crowd that includes Roman soldiers, Jewish leaders, and his followers. The evangelist places this cry at the climax of Jesus' suffering.

What does Jesus' choice to echo ancient words of despair and hope reveal about the nature of human suffering and divine presence?

Then — the setting

Jesus' quoting of Psalm 22:1 from the cross, likely in Aramaic (Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani), situates his suffering within a long tradition of Jewish lament. Psalm 22 is a Davidic psalm from the Israelite monarchy period (around 10th century BCE) that moves from intense personal agony and a feeling of divine abandonment to a declaration of trust and hope in God's ultimate deliverance. For a 1st-century Jewish audience, quoting the opening line of a psalm would often bring the entire psalm to mind, implying not just the cry of dereliction but also its eventual turn towards vindication and praise. It connected Jesus' experience directly to the prophetic tradition of suffering and expectation.

Across the Testaments

This passage is in the New Testament, portraying Jesus' suffering. The fact that he quotes an Old Testament Psalm (Psalm 22) is highly significant. In the Old Testament, Psalm 22 begins with deep despair but ends with hope and divine vindication, describing the suffering of an innocent righteous person. Jesus' utterance links his unique experience to this ancient expression of human anguish and faith. While the New Testament presents Jesus' death as a unique redemptive act, his use of an existing lament grounds it in Israel's shared spiritual heritage, inviting readers to see his passion through the lens of a suffering servant who is ultimately delivered, echoing themes found in Isaiah 53 and other prophetic texts.

Keep thinking

Read alongside it

Psalm 22:1
This is the precise verse Jesus quotes, expressing profound abandonment.
Hebrews 4:15
This passage highlights Jesus' ability to empathize with human weakness, having been tempted in every way, yet without sin.
Lamentations 3:1-20
This text illustrates the depth of lament and suffering within the biblical tradition, often finding expression through communal memory.

Ask your own follow-up