Psalms 22:16 Meaning and Explanation
“For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Enemies encircle like dogs, and the psalmist is pierced in hands and feet.
The Context of Psalms 22:16
Enemies physically pierce the psalmist's hands and feet.
What Does Psalms 22:16 Mean?
Now the assault is explicit: dogs (contemptible scavengers), a mob of the wicked, and they have pierced the psalmist's hands and feet. The word 'pierced' speaks to crucifixion-like wounds in antiquity, though the context is military execution or torture. The psalmist is literally wounded, not merely in metaphor. Multiple encircling enemies (verses 12–13) now actively lacerate the sufferer's extremities.
The psalmist's body is no longer merely failing but being actively destroyed by those who hunt them down. The hands and feet—instruments of work, movement, and freedom—are crippled. This is torture beyond mere violence: it is the systematic destruction of function and agency.
Psalms 22:16 in the Original Language
karah (כָּרוּ), 'pierced' — dug, bored, pierced through; indicates deliberate wounding, not accidental injury.
Frequently Asked Questions About Psalms 22:16
What does Psalms 22:16 mean?
Enemies encircle like dogs, and the psalmist is pierced in hands and feet.
What is the context of Psalms 22:16?
Enemies physically pierce the psalmist's hands and feet.