Our exploration of Psalm 22 in its OT contexts has uncovered its singular character and perhaps reasons why it is heard on the very lips of Jesus. By taking up the words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46, see also vv. 35, 39, 43), he becomes the lamenter par excellence. No other individual prayer psalm is as dark as this one (aside from Ps. 88, which complains of lifelong suffering and would be inappropriate to Jesus). Our exploration has also uncovered the developments in
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