For He has not despised or detested the torment of the afflicted. He has not hidden His face from him, but has attended to his cry for help.
Parallel translations
- WEB For he has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, Neither has he hidden his face from him; but when he cried to him, he heard.
- KJV For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.
- NKJV For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from Him; But when He cried to Him, He heard.
- NASB For He has not despised nor scorned the suffering of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from him; But when he cried to Him for help, He heard.
- NLT For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy. He has not turned his back on them, but has listened to their cries for help.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God did not despise or hide from the afflicted one but heard his cry. This is the heart of the psalm's testimony: God answers suffering faith.
Overview
This verse gives the reason for praise: Yahweh has not turned away from the affliction of the lowly but has listened. It answers the earlier sense of forsakenness, affirming that God's apparent silence was not abandonment. The cross shows the fullest expression of this truth, for the Father heard the Son and vindicated him, assuring all who suffer that God does not despise their cries.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Heb 5:7During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.
- Isa 50:6–9I offered My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who tore out My beard. I did not hide My face from scorn and spittle.
- Ps 116:3–6The ropes of death entangled me; the anguish of Sheol overcame me; I was confronted by trouble and sorrow.
- Ps 118:5In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered and set me free.
- Ps 69:29–34But I am in pain and distress; let Your salvation protect me, O God.
- Ps 34:6This poor man called out, and the LORD heard him; He saved him from all his troubles.
- Luke 23:46Then Jesus called out in a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I commit My Spirit.” And when He had said this, He breathed His last.
- Ps 22:6But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.
- Ps 69:17Hide not Your face from Your servant, for I am in distress. Answer me quickly!
- Ps 22:2I cry out by day, O my God, but You do not answer, and by night, but I have no rest.
- Ps 35:10All my bones will exclaim, “Who is like You, O LORD, who delivers the afflicted from the aggressor, the poor and needy from the robber?”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 22:24 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.