Psalm 22 (21):10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

You have drawn me forth from the womb. You have released me, not just from the Virgin's womb (for it is the nature of birth that all are taken from the womb), but also from the lineage of the Jewish people, shrouded in darkness and yet not awakened to the light of Christ, despite their reliance on superficial measures for salvation such as adherence to the Sabbath and circumcision. My assurance is rooted in the nurturing of my mother. You, O God, are my assurance, not just from the moment the Virgin began to nourish me, but even prior to that. However, from the teachings of the synagogue, from which, as I mentioned, You caused me to emerge, I did not assimilate worldly traditions.

He expresses this because He was incarnated as a man by the Father's divine will. It is written, "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman" (Galatians 4:4). In doing so, He addresses His Father as His source of trust, speaking from a human perspective. God uniquely brought Christ into the world through Mary, whereas ordinary men do not originate in the same way; rather, it is stated, "Esau came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak" (Genesis 25:25).

The expressions of humanity When Christ addresses the Father as His God, He does so in representation of mankind, as indicated in Scripture: O God, my God, why have You forsaken me? (Psalm 21:2). In another instance, it is stated, 'From my mother's womb You are my God.' In the first quotation, He experiences suffering as a human, while in the second, He is recognized as a human who has emerged from His mother's womb. Through the phrase, ‘From my mother's womb You are my God,’ Christ reveals that He who has eternally been the Father adopts the role of His God from the very moment of His birth.

The esteemed prophet Isaiah also predicted this event. When he stated, "Behold, a virgin shall conceive in the womb and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," he further expressed, "She shall eat butter and honey, before she knows to discern between good and evil; she shall reject the wicked and choose the righteous" (Isaiah 7:14-16). Likewise, the revered David, reflecting the essence of the Lord Christ, declares, "You created me in the womb, and afterward brought me forth; while still being nourished with milk, and holding onto my mother's breasts, I placed my trust in Your care."

You have drawn me forth from the womb. Through the union with her husband, the keys of a wife’s virginity are opened; for the seed introduced by the husband naturally causes the womb to give way, which, while closed, holds the seed until the child is fully formed. Once the child reaches fullness, the womb—burdened by the child’s weight—opens to grant the child the freedom to emerge, to be born. Regarding the birth of Christ our Savior, it is important to note that His conception was devoid of human seed, thus His birth was both supernatural and magnificent. The power of God brought the child into the light in an unimaginable manner, without compromising the keys of the Virgin’s virginity. My expectation comes from my mother’s breast!

The Holy One and the Guide of righteousness must have originated from sacred origins. If the faithful servant of Christ chose to refrain from marriage, it stands to reason that the Lord Himself could not have been conceived through the union of a man and woman. As expressed in the Psalm, "As thou art, hast brought forth me from the womb." This phrase, "begat me out of the womb," clearly indicates that He was born from the womb and flesh of a virgin, without the involvement of a husband. In contrast, all others are born from the union of marriage.

In this passage, David seeks solace for himself to counter the schemes of the adversary and to fend off his assaults. He reflects on the kindnesses of God, which have taught him throughout his life that the Lord has always been his father. Even before his birth, David experienced instances of divine love that lead him to hope for life amidst the shadows of death. This understanding is imparted to the faithful by the Holy Spirit, enabling them to lean on the evidence of God's goodness during challenging times and thereby fortify their trust in Him. Just as God's generosity is unwavering, so too are the depths of His grace never depleted; thus, we find Him as a tender father from our earliest days and throughout our later years.

When the Lord Christ was born, He did so not in the same manner as others, but transcended nature, emerging in the flesh from the Most Pure Virgin without undermining her virginity, accomplished through God's divine power. From His infancy, Christ placed His faith in God the Father concerning His resurrection from the dead, for the King of ages achieved salvation in the heart of the earth (Psalm 73:12).