What is the power of the dog in Psalm 22:20?

Response

Psalm 22 is a messianic psalm where King David experiences great pain and distress as a foreshadowing of Christ. He calls out to God for assistance, similar to Jesus who would later cry out on the cross (see Psalm 22:1, referenced in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34). Like Christ, who implored the Father to save Him from death “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.”, (Hebrews 5:7), David pleads with God to deliver him from his adversaries: “Rescue my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog!” “Rescue me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs.”, (Psalm 22:20, ESV).

In many regions today, dogs are seen as cherished companions. However, in ancient times, dogs were mainly wild, scavenging creatures considered impure in Israel. While dogs were occasionally employed for guarding homes and herding livestock (Isaiah 56:10;Job 30:1), they more commonly roamed the streets as untamed animals feeding on garbage and corpses (1 Kings 14:11;1 Kings 16:4;1 Kings 21:19,23;22:38).

In Scripture, one’s adversaries were symbolized as “dogs” “They return at evening, snarling like dogs, and prowl about the city.”, (Psalm 59:6). In Jeremiah 15:3, the Lord designated four types of destroyers: “the sword to kill, the dogs to drag away, the vultures to feed on,And the wild animals to finish up what is left.” The apostle Paul warned believers to watch out for false apostles, calling them dogs: “Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh” «Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. », (Philippians 3:2). Those who were excluded from the kingdom of heaven were called dogs in Revelation 22:15: “Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”

In Psalm 22, David refers to his enemies as “bulls” or “wild oxen” (verses 12 and 21), “lions” (verses 13 and 21), and “dogs” (verses 16 and 20). These are metaphors and not literal animals. In verse 16, he reports, “Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet.”

The power of the dog speaks of the creature’s ability to surround its prey like a pack of wolves, to bite, tear, inflict wounds, do evil, and destroy. Both a sword and a dog can kill. When David prayed to God to deliver his soul “from the sword” and his “precious life from the power of the dog,” he feared losing his life in a cruel and violent manner.

The terminology power of the dog may also invoke the might of the Roman Empire in Psalm 22’s prophetic portrayal of Christ’s suffering and death. It was Roman soldiers who carried out the crucifixion of Christ, surrounding Jesus, stripping off His clothing, nailing Him to the cross, and even gambling for His clothing (Matthew 27:35;Mark 15:24;Luke 23:34;John 19:24;cf: Psalm 22:18). A dog was the Jewish derogatory term for the Gentiles (Matthew 7:6;Matthew 15:26;Revelation 22:15). The Romans, the Jewish High Council, and Satan himself gathered together to execute Jesus.

In the Bible, dogs are mostly portrayed in a negative light (1 Samuel 17:43;2 Samuel 16:9;2 Kings 8:13;Proverbs 26:11). They represent contemptible, aggressive, or wicked individuals who unite like dogs to victimize the defenseless. Our formidable foe, the devil, behaves like a dog or a lion, lurking around in search of prey “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: “, (1 Peter 5:8). Therefore, the dog’s power symbolizes the deadly impact of one’s adversaries who join forces to cause harm, suffering, or death.