Psalm 22:21
New International Version
Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen.

New Living Translation
Snatch me from the lion’s jaws and from the horns of these wild oxen.

English Standard Version
Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!

Berean Standard Bible
Save me from the mouth of the lion; at the horns of the wild oxen You have answered me!

King James Bible
Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

New King James Version
Save Me from the lion’s mouth And from the horns of the wild oxen! You have answered Me.

New American Standard Bible
Save me from the lion’s mouth; From the horns of the wild oxen You answer me.

NASB 1995
Save me from the lion’s mouth; From the horns of the wild oxen You answer me.

NASB 1977
Save me from the lion’s mouth; And from the horns of the wild oxen Thou dost answer me.

Legacy Standard Bible
Save me from the mouth of the lion; From the horns of the wild oxen You have answered me.

Amplified Bible
Save me from the lion’s mouth; From the horns of the wild oxen You answer me.

Christian Standard Bible
Save me from the lion’s mouth, from the horns of wild oxen. You answered me!

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen.

American Standard Version
Save me from the lion's mouth; Yea, from the horns of the wild-oxen thou hast answered me.

Contemporary English Version
Don't let lions eat me. You rescued me from the horns of wild bulls,

English Revised Version
Save me from the lion's mouth; yea, from the horns of the wild-oxen thou hast answered me.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Save me from the mouth of the lion and from the horns of wild oxen. You have answered me.

Good News Translation
Rescue me from these lions; I am helpless before these wild bulls.

International Standard Version
Deliver me from the mouth of the lion, from the horns of the wild oxen. You have answered me.

Majority Standard Bible
Save me from the mouth of the lion; at the horns of the wild oxen You have answered me!

NET Bible
Rescue me from the mouth of the lion, and from the horns of the wild oxen! You have answered me!

New Heart English Bible
Save me from the lion's mouth. Yes, from the horns of the wild oxen, you have answered me.

Webster's Bible Translation
Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

World English Bible
Save me from the lion’s mouth! Yes, you have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Save Me from the mouth of a lion "" And You have answered Me from the horns of the high places!

Young's Literal Translation
Save me from the mouth of a lion: -- And -- from the horns of the high places Thou hast answered me!

Smith's Literal Translation
Save me from the mouth of the lion: and thou didst answer me from the horns of the high.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Save me from the lion's mouth; and my lowness from the horns of the unicorns.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Save me from the mouth of the lion, and my humility from the horns of single-horned beast.

New American Bible
Save me from the lion’s mouth, my poor life from the horns of wild bulls.

New Revised Standard Version
Save me from the mouth of the lion! From the horns of the wild oxen you have rescued me.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Save me from the lion's mouth; save my meekness from the haughty,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Save me from the mouth of the lion and my humility from the horn of pride
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Save me from the lion's mouth; Yea, from the horns of the wild-oxen do Thou answer me.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Save me from the lion's mouth; and regard my lowliness from the horns of the unicorns.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Psalm of the Cross
20Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of wild dogs. 21Save me from the mouth of the lion; at the horns of the wild oxen You have answered me! 22I will proclaim Your name to my brothers; I will praise You in the assembly.…

Cross References
Isaiah 53:7
He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth.

Matthew 27:46
About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

Hebrews 5:7
During 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.

John 19:30
When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished.” And bowing His head, He yielded up His spirit.

1 Peter 2:23
When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.

Revelation 5:5
Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Luke 23:46
Then 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.

Mark 15:34
At the ninth hour, Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

John 10:11
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

Romans 8:32
He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?

2 Timothy 4:17
But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles would hear it. So I was delivered from the mouth of the lion.

Daniel 6:22
My God sent His angel and shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, for I was found innocent in His sight, and I have done no wrong against you, O king.”

Exodus 14:30
That day the LORD saved Israel from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the shore.

1 Samuel 17:37
David added, “The LORD, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” “Go,” said Saul, “and may the LORD be with you.”

2 Samuel 22:1
And David sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.


Treasury of Scripture

Save me from the lion's mouth: for you have heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

me from

Luke 22:53
When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.

John 14:30
Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

2 Timothy 4:17
Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

horns

Numbers 23:22
God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.

Deuteronomy 33:17
His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.

Job 30:9,10
And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword…

in the

Psalm 22:25
My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.

Psalm 40:9,10
I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest…

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Psalm 22
1. David complains in great discouragement
9. He prays in great distress
23. He praises God














Save me
The Hebrew root for "save" is "yasha," which means to deliver or rescue. This plea for salvation is a recurring theme throughout the Psalms, reflecting a deep reliance on God's power to deliver from peril. In the context of Psalm 22, this cry is both a literal and metaphorical request for deliverance from imminent danger, symbolizing the ultimate salvation that God provides to His people. It is a reminder of the believer's dependence on divine intervention in times of distress.

from the mouth of the lion
The "lion" is often used in Scripture as a symbol of powerful and ferocious enemies. In the ancient Near Eastern context, lions were literal threats, but they also represented overwhelming adversaries or trials. This imagery evokes the sense of being trapped or overpowered by forces beyond one's control. The plea to be saved from the lion's mouth underscores the urgency and desperation of the psalmist's situation, yet it also highlights the confidence that God can deliver from even the most fearsome threats.

at the horns of the wild oxen
The "wild oxen," or "re'em" in Hebrew, were known for their strength and untamable nature. The horns symbolize power and might, often used in biblical literature to represent formidable challenges or enemies. By referencing the horns of the wild oxen, the psalmist acknowledges the intensity of the opposition faced. However, this phrase also serves as a testament to God's ability to answer prayers and provide protection against the most daunting adversaries.

You have answered me
This phrase marks a pivotal transition from plea to praise within the psalm. The assurance that "You have answered me" reflects a profound faith in God's responsiveness and faithfulness. It signifies a shift from despair to hope, as the psalmist recognizes that God has heard and responded to his cries for help. This acknowledgment of divine intervention serves as an encouragement to believers, affirming that God is attentive to their prayers and capable of delivering them from their trials.

(21) Unicorns.--See Numbers 23:22; either "buffaloes" or "antelopes." There is some uncertainty about the translation of the second clause of this verse. It may be (1) "And from the horns of buffaloes hear me," i.e., hear me calling for help from the horns, &c; or (2) "Save me from the lion's mouth, and from the horns of buffaloes Thou hast heard me"--a sudden transition from plaintive prayer to exultant faith; or (3), following the LXX. and Vulg., "And from the horns of buffaloes save me, poor and humble as I am." The first is, on the whole, preferable, as preserving the parallelism better.

Verse 21. - Save me from the lion's mouth (comp. ver. 13). Either the chief persecutors, viewed as a class, or Satan, their instigator, would seem to be intended. For thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns; rather, even from the horns of the win oxen hast thou heard me. The conviction suddenly comes to the Sufferer that he is heard. Still, the adversaries are round about him - the "dogs," the "lions," and the "strong bulls of Bashan," now showing as ferocious wild cattle, menacing him with their horns. But all the Sufferer's feelings are changed. The despondent mood has passed away. He is not forsaken. He has One to help. In one way or another he knows himself - feels himself - delivered; and he passes from despair and agony into a condition of perfect peace, and even exultation. He passes, in fact, from death to life, from humiliation to glory; and at once he proceeds to show forth his thankfulness by a burst of praise. The last strophe of the psalm (vers. 22-31) is the jubilant song of the Redeemer, now that his mediatorial work is done, and his life of suffering "finished" (John 19:30).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Save me
ה֭וֹשִׁיעֵנִי (hō·wō·šî·‘ê·nî)
Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 3467: To be open, wide, free, to be safe, to free, succor

from the mouth
מִפִּ֣י (mip·pî)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to

of the lion;
אַרְיֵ֑ה (’ar·yêh)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 738: A lion

at the horns
וּמִקַּרְנֵ֖י (ū·miq·qar·nê)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - fdc
Strong's 7161: A horn, a flask, cornet, an elephant's tooth, a corner, a peak, a ray, power

of the wild oxen
רֵמִ֣ים (rê·mîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 7214: A wild bull

You have answered Me!
עֲנִיתָֽנִי׃ (‘ă·nî·ṯā·nî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 6030: To answer, respond


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OT Poetry: Psalm 22:21 Save me from the lion's mouth! (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 22:20
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