Psalms 22:16

“Hear me, O Lord; for thy lovingkindness [is] good, etc.] His lovingkindness to him, not only as his Son, but as Mediator; and which is a love of complacency and delight, and was from eternity, and will be to eternity: and this is “good”, as appears by the effects and evidences of it; such as putting all things into his hands, showing him all that he does, concealing and keeping nothing from him, appointing him to be the Saviour of his people, the Head of the church, and the Judge of the world; and this lovingkindness shown to him is a reason why he might expect to be heard by his God and Father; (see <431724>John 17:24); and the loving kindness of God to his people, and the members of…”

“Evildoers are well described as dogs, which, in the East, herding together, wild and rapacious, are justly objects of great abhorrence. The last clause has been a subject of much discussion (involving questions as to the genuineness of the Hebrew word translated "pierce)" which cannot be made intelligible to the English reader. Though not quoted in the New Testament, the remarkable aptness of the description to the facts of the Saviour's history, together with difficulties attending any other mode of explaining the clause in the Hebrew, justify an adherence to the terms of our version and their obvious meaning.”

“Dogs - So he calls his enemies for their insatiable greediness, and implacable fierceness against him. Pierced - These words cannot with any probability be applied to David, but were properly and literally verified in Christ. Psalms 22:17”

“22:16 The wild pack of dogs represents fierce and unscrupulous people.”

“dogs: Psa 22:1 \*title Psa 22:20, Psa 59:6, Psa 59:14; Mat 7:6; Phi 3:2; Rev 22:15 compassed: Luk 11:53, Luk 11:54 assembly: Psa 86:14; Jer 12:6; Mat 26:57; Mar 15:16-20; Luk 22:63-71, Luk 23:4, Luk 23:5, Luk 23:10, Luk 23:11; Luk 23:23 they pierced: The textual reading is kaari, "as a lion my hands and feet;" but several manuscripts, read karoo, and others karoo in the margin, which affords the reading adopted by our translators. So the LXX ωρυξαν χειρας μου και ποδας, so also the Vulgate, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic; and as all the Evangelists so quote the passage, and apply it to the crucifixion of Christ, there seems scarcely the shadow of a doubt that this is the genuine reading;…”

“(Heb.: 22:17-19)A continuation, referring back to Psa 22:12, of the complaint of him who is dying and is already as it were dead. In the animal name כּלבים, figuratively descriptive of character, beside shamelessness and meanness, special prominence is given to the propensity for biting and worrying, i.e., for persecuting; hence Symmachus and Theodotion render it θηράται κυνηγέται. In Psa 22:17 עדת מרעים takes the place of כלבים; and this again is followed by הקּיף in the plur. (to do anything in a circle, to surround by forming a circle round, a climactic synonym, like כּתּר to סבב) either per attractionem (cf. Psa 140:10; Sa1 2:4), or on account of the collective עדה. Tertullian renders…”