Psalms 22:13 Meaning and Explanation
“They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Some suffering comes through the gaze and speech of hostile people. This verse gives that experience a vivid image without softening it. The speaker is surrounded by enemies whose open mouths resemble a hunting lion. Within Psalm 22, the comparison prepares for an urgent plea to the LORD for rescue and helps us take human cruelty seriously before God.
Psalm 22:13 portrays hostile people as gaping predators, using the image of a ravening, roaring lion to convey the speaker's exposure, fear, and the fierce malice of those surrounding him.
The Context of Psalms 22:13
Psalm 22 moves from a cry of abandonment to remembrance of God's faithfulness to Israel. The speaker then describes being despised, mocked, and falsely treated as though trust in the LORD were grounds for scorn. Verse 11 asks God to stay near because trouble is close and no helper is present. Verses 12 through 18 develop the danger through figures of bulls, lions, dogs, bodily weakness, and enemies dividing garments. Verse 13 lies between the encircling bulls and the body's anguish. Verse 21 later asks God to save the speaker from the lion's mouth, before the psalm turns to praise and proclamation.
What Does Psalms 22:13 Mean?
"They gaped upon me with their mouths" presents enemies whose mouths are open toward the sufferer. The image includes hostile display and threat. Their mouths belong to people in the psalm, yet the comparison immediately gives their behavior the character of an attacking animal. A "ravening" lion is a lion seeking prey, and a "roaring" lion makes its presence terrifyingly known. Together the words communicate appetite, violence, noise, and nearness. The verse does not provide names or a particular event. It faithfully records what the pressure feels like to the speaker: he is exposed before opponents whose words and actions seem ready to consume him.
The animal images in this part of the psalm are carefully connected. Strong bulls compass the speaker, a lion opens its mouth, and dogs encircle him. These figures describe a situation where hostile forces appear numerous and overpowering. The psalmist does not call the enemies animals in a literal sense. Poetry supplies a fitting language for danger that ordinary description may fail to carry. The image also keeps the moral focus clear: the threat comes from those who oppose and afflict the speaker. God is addressed as the needed helper in verse 11 and again in verse 19. The prayer places fear before God while refusing to pretend that hostility is harmless.
Psalm 22:13 gains further force from the later plea, "Save me from the lion's mouth" in verse 21. Deliverance is sought from a real and terrifying assault, and the psalm's later praise testifies that the cry was heard. The Gospel accounts use several other lines of Psalm 22 in describing Jesus' crucifixion, including the mockery of verse 8 and the casting of lots in verse 18. Those explicit connections make the psalm a fitting lens for Christ's exposure to contempt and violence. Verse 13 contributes the experience of being threatened by hostile human mouths, while the psalm keeps its hope fixed on God's saving hearing.
Bible Verses Related to Psalms 22:13
“Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.”
- Psalm 22:12
“Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.”
- Psalm 22:21
“My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.”
- Psalm 57:4
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
- 1 Peter 5:8
Where Psalms 22:13 Echoes in Scripture
1 Peter 5:8 warns believers that their adversary the devil walks about as a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Peter's image resembles Psalm 22:13, though the psalm directly describes the speaker's human enemies through lion imagery. The echo helps readers recognize that predatory hostility is a recurring biblical picture. Psalm 22 also keeps the sufferer's attention on God, whose hearing and deliverance are proclaimed later in the same prayer.
How to Apply Psalms 22:13 Today
When harsh speech, mockery, or intimidation makes us feel surrounded, this verse permits us to name the threat truthfully before God. We need not minimize cruelty in order to remain prayerful. The psalm also guides us away from answering predatory words with the same spirit. We can seek wise help, remain near faithful companions, and place our safety and vindication before God. In situations involving immediate danger or abuse, seeking protection from trustworthy authorities and practical support is consistent with treating danger seriously. Prayer joins these faithful actions with dependence upon the LORD.
Reflection & Prayer
Whose words or behavior have made us feel exposed, frightened, or diminished? Bring that situation into God's presence with its true weight. Suggested prayer: "O LORD, you see the threats around us. Draw near in trouble, guard us from harm, give us wise help, and keep our hearts faithful amid hostility."