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Dialogue with Trypho

Justin Martyr

Chapter 98

About this work

A literary dialogue in which Justin recounts his conversion to Christianity and debates Scripture, covenant, messianic prophecy, law, and the identity of God’s people with a Jewish interlocutor.

Author: Justin Martyr
Date: Mid-2nd century
Origin: Rome
Genre: Dialogue

Chapter XCVIII.—Predictions of Christ in Ps. xxii.

“I shall repeat the whole Psalm, in

‹ Chapter 97 Chapter 99 ›

order

that

you

may

hear

His

reverence

to

the

Father

,

and

how

He

refers

all

things

to

Him

,

and

prays

to

be

delivered

by

Him

from

this

death

;

at

the

same

time

declaring

in

the

Psalm

who

they

are

that

rise

up

against

Him

,

and

showing

that

He

has

truly

become

man

capable

of

suffering

.

It

is

as

follows

:

‘

O

God

,

my

God

,

attend

to

me

:

why

hast

Thou

forsaken

me

?

The

words

of

my

transgressions

are

far

from

my

salvation

.

O

my

God

,

I

will

cry

to

Thee

in

the

day

-

time

,

and

Thou

wilt

not

hear

;

and

in

the

night

-

season

,

and

it

is

not

for

want

of

understanding

in

me

.

But

Thou

,

the

Praise

of

Israel

,

inhabitest

the

holy

place

.

Our

fathers

trusted

in

Thee

;

they

trusted

,

and

Thou

didst

deliver

them

.

They

cried

unto

Thee

,

and

were

delivered

:

they

trusted

in

Thee

,

and

were

not

confounded

.

But

I

am

a

worm

,

and

no

man

;

a

reproach

of

men

,

and

despised

of

the

people

.

All

they

that

see

me

laughed

me

to

scorn

;

they

spake

with

the

lips

,

they

shook

the

head

:

He

trusted

on

the

Lord

:

let

Him

deliver

him

,

let

Him

save

him

,

since

he

desires

Him

.

For

Thou

art

He

that

took

me

out

of

the

womb

;

my

hope

from

the

breasts

of

my

mother

:

I

was

cast

upon

Thee

from

the

womb

.

Thou

art

my

God

from

my

mother’s

belly

:

be

not

far

from

me

,

for

trouble

is

near

;

for

there

is

none

to

help

.

Many

calves

have

compassed

me

;

fat

bulls

have

beset

me

round

.

They

opened

their

mouth

upon

me

,

as

a

ravening

and

roaring

lion

.

All

my

bones

are

poured

out

and

dispersed

like

water

.

My

heart

has

become

like

wax

melting

in

the

midst

of

my

belly

.

My

strength

is

dried

up

like

a

potsherd

;

and

my

tongue

has

cleaved

to

my

throat

;

and

Thou

hast

brought

me

into

the

dust

of

death

.

For

many

dogs

have

surrounded

me

;

the

assembly

of

the

wicked

have

beset

me

round

.

They

pierced

my

hands

and

my

feet

,

they

did

tell

all

my

bones

.

They

did

look

and

stare

upon

me

;

they

parted

my

garments

among

them

,

and

cast

lots

upon

my

vesture

.

But

do

not

Thou

remove

Thine

assistance

from

me

,

O

Lord

:

give

heed

to

help

me

;

deliver

my

soul

from

the

sword

,

and

my

only

-

begotten

from

the

hand

of

the

dog

.

Save

me

from

the

lion’s

mouth

,

and

my

humility

from

the

horns

of

the

unicorns

.

I

will

declare

Thy

name

to

my

brethren

;

in

the

midst

of

the

Church

will

I

praise

Thee

.

Ye

that

fear

the

Lord

,

praise

Him

:

all

ye

the

seed

of

Jacob

,

glorify

Him

.

Let

all

the

seed

of

Israel

fear

Him

.

’

“

Notes

377
Probably should be “Thy.”