What Does Psalm 22:6 Mean?
Two renderings of the same sentence, the verses it belongs to, and what the passage is doing — so you can decide what it means rather than take someone's word for it.
"But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people." Psalm 22:6, King James Version
The same verse in modern English
"But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people." Psalm 22:6, Berean Standard Bible
What it sits inside
A verse quoted on its own is the commonest way one gets misread. Here it is with what comes immediately before and after, in the King James Version.
Psalm 22:4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
Psalm 22:5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded.
Psalm 22:6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
Psalm 22:7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
Psalm 22:8 He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
A conversation built on it
When you are low enough for long enough, the feeling starts sounding like a fact about you. David let himself say the worst of it out loud — and the same psalm ends in praise. The words were honest. They were never the verdict.
Questions people ask
What does Psalm 22:6 mean?
In modern English (Berean Standard Bible) it reads: “But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.” The King James rendering most people know is: “But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.”
What is the context of Psalm 22:6?
The verses immediately around it read: (Psalm 22:4) Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. (Psalm 22:5) They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. (Psalm 22:6) But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. (Psalm 22:7) All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, (Psalm 22:8) He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
How is Psalm 22:6 used in a conversation about this?
When you are low enough for long enough, the feeling starts sounding like a fact about you. David let himself say the worst of it out loud — and the same psalm ends in praise. The words were honest. They were never the verdict.
Reading it is one thing. Saying what it stirs up is another.
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