Psalms 22:14 Meaning and Explanation
“I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The psalmist's body and strength are utterly drained and broken.
The Context of Psalms 22:14
Physical and emotional collapse described through imagery of liquefaction.
What Does Psalms 22:14 Mean?
Physical collapse becomes spiritual description. The psalmist's being is 'poured out'—drained like water, no substance or strength remaining. Bones dislocated, skeleton failing. The heart, center of emotion and will, melts like wax: resolve, courage, and integrity dissolve. The image is of complete bodily and emotional dissolution, as if the psalmist is liquefying under the pressure of suffering.
This is the depth of pain: not merely wounds but total systemic failure. The body no longer obeys. The will no longer holds. The psalmist has been so pressed by enemies (verses 12–13) that the result is disintegration. Yet still, the prayer continues. The one who is 'poured out' is still speaking to God.
Psalms 22:14 in the Original Language
yaphaph (יָפַח), 'poured out' — to spread, spill, drain; conveys exhaustion and the emptying of life force.
Frequently Asked Questions About Psalms 22:14
What does Psalms 22:14 mean?
The psalmist's body and strength are utterly drained and broken.
What is the context of Psalms 22:14?
Physical and emotional collapse described through imagery of liquefaction.