Psalms 22 · Verse 21

Psalms 22:21

Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
Psalms 22:21, King James Version

Psalms 22:21 in other translations

BSBSave me from the mouth of the lion; at the horns of the wild oxen You have answered me!
WEBSave me from the lion’s mouth! Yes, you have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen.
ASVSave me from the lion’s mouth; Yea, from the horns of the wild-oxen thou hast answered me.
YLTSave me from the mouth of a lion: --And--from the horns of the high places Thou hast answered me!
DARBYSave me from the lion's mouth. Yea, from the horns of the buffaloes hast thou answered me.
BBEBe my saviour from the lion's mouth; let me go free from the horns of the cruel oxen.
WebsterSave me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

What does Psalms 22:21 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
21. Deliverance pleaded in view of former help, when in the most imminent danger, from the most powerful enemy, represented by the unicorn or wild buffalo. the lion's mouth--(Compare Psa 22:13). The lion often used as a figure representing violent enemies; the connecting of the mouth intimates their rapacity.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 21 Save me from the lion's mouth - Probably our Lord here includes his Church with himself. The lion may then mean the Jews; the unicorns, רמים remim (probably the rhinoceros), the Gentiles. For the unicorn, see the note on Num 23:22. There is no quadruped or land animal with one horn only, except the rhinoceros; but there is a marine animal, the narwhal or monodon, a species of whale, that has a very fine curled ivory horn, which projects from its snout. One in my own museum measures seven feet four inches and is very beautiful. Some of these animals have struck their horn through the side of a ship and with it they easily transfix the whale, or any such animal. The old Psalter says, "The unicorn es ane of the prudest best that es, so that he wil dye for dedeyn if he be haldyn ogayn his wil."

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 22:11-21

In these verses we have Christ suffering, and Christ praying; by which we are directed to look for crosses, and to look up to God under them. The very manner of Christ's death is described, though not in use among the Jews. They pierced his hands and his feet, which were nailed to the accursed tree, and his whole body was left so to hang as to suffer the most severe pain and torture. His natural force failed, being…

Read the full comment on Psalms 22:11-21 →

Psalms 22:21 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ה֭וֹשִׁיעֵנִיHo.o.shi.'e.nisave meH3467
מִפִּ֣יmi.Pifrom [the] mouth ofH6310
אַרְיֵ֑ה'ar.Yeha lionH738
וּמִקַּרְנֵ֖יu.mi.kar.Neiand from [the] horns ofH7161
רֵמִ֣יםre.Mimwild oxenH7214
עֲנִיתָֽנִי\׃'a.ni.Ta.niyou have answered meH6030

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Psalms 22:21

  • 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.

  • 1 Peter 5:8

    Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

  • Acts 4:27

    For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,

  • John 14:30

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

  • Numbers 23:22

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

  • Isaiah 34:7

    And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.

  • John 8:59

    Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

  • Acts 5:30-32

    The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

  • 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 39:9-10

    Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib? Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?

  • 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.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
me from.
Lu 22:53; Joh 14:30; 2Ti 4:17; 1Pe 5:8
horns.
Nu 23:22; De 33:17; Job 39:9,10; Isa 34:7; Joh 8:59; Ac 4:27
Ac 5:30-32

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Psalms 22:20

    Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog.

  • Psalms 22:21

    Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

  • Psalms 22:22

    I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

Read all of Psalms 22

Psalms 22:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Sálvame de la boca del león, y óyeme librándome de los cuernos de los unicornios.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Délivre mon âme de l’épée, mon unique de la patte du chien.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Rette mich aus dem Rachen des Löwen! Ja, du hast mich erhört von den Hörnern der Büffel.