Psalm 69:21, "They also gave me gall for my food. In my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink," is a poignant expression of suffering and mistreatment. Here's a breakdown of its meaning:
Gall (or Wormwood): Gall refers to a bitter, poisonous substance. It symbolizes extreme bitterness, pain, and suffering inflicted upon the speaker. Giving someone gall for food is a way of describing deliberate cruelty and maliciousness.
Vinegar: Vinegar was a sour, acidic liquid, often a cheap and unpleasant drink for the poor. Offering vinegar for thirst instead of water or a more refreshing beverage is another act of deliberate degradation and mockery. It represents the denial of even basic comfort and kindness.
Symbolic Interpretation:
Beyond the literal act of being given these unpleasant substances, the verse carries deeper symbolic meaning:
Betrayal and Rejection: The speaker is experiencing betrayal and rejection by those around him. They are not offering comfort or support, but actively adding to his suffering.
Humiliation and Degradation: The acts of offering gall and vinegar are intended to humiliate and degrade the speaker. They are being treated with contempt and scorn.
Injustice: The speaker is likely suffering unjustly, and these acts of cruelty are part of the injustice he's facing.
Connection to Jesus:
This verse is often seen as a prophecy fulfilled in the New Testament accounts of Jesus's crucifixion:
Matthew 27:34: "They offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink."
John 19:29: "A jar full of sour wine was standing there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth."
While Jesus refused the initial offering of wine mixed with gall, he did accept the sour wine (vinegar) offered to him later. This fulfillment of the prophecy strengthens the connection between Jesus and the suffering righteous individual depicted in the Psalms.
In Summary:
Psalm 69:21 expresses profound suffering, betrayal, and injustice. It highlights the cruelty and contempt inflicted upon the speaker, who is denied even basic comfort and kindness. Its connection to the crucifixion of Jesus gives it added significance in Christian theology, illustrating the depth of his suffering and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.
Psalm 69:21, "They also gave me gall for my food. In my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink," is a poignant expression of suffering and mistreatment. Here's a breakdown of its meaning:
Gall (or Wormwood): Gall refers to a bitter, poisonous substance. It symbolizes extreme bitterness, pain, and suffering inflicted upon the speaker. Giving someone gall for food is a way of describing deliberate cruelty and maliciousness.
Vinegar: Vinegar was a sour, acidic liquid, often a cheap and unpleasant drink for the poor. Offering vinegar for thirst instead of water or a more refreshing beverage is another act of deliberate degradation and mockery. It represents the denial of even basic comfort and kindness.
Symbolic Interpretation:
Beyond the literal act of being given these unpleasant substances, the verse carries deeper symbolic meaning:
Betrayal and Rejection: The speaker is experiencing betrayal and rejection by those around him. They are not offering comfort or support, but actively adding to his suffering.
Humiliation and Degradation: The acts of offering gall and vinegar are intended to humiliate and degrade the speaker. They are being treated with contempt and scorn.
Injustice: The speaker is likely suffering unjustly, and these acts of cruelty are part of the injustice he's facing.
Connection to Jesus:
This verse is often seen as a prophecy fulfilled in the New Testament accounts of Jesus's crucifixion:
Matthew 27:34: "They offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink."
John 19:29: "A jar full of sour wine was standing there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth."
While Jesus refused the initial offering of wine mixed with gall, he did accept the sour wine (vinegar) offered to him later. This fulfillment of the prophecy strengthens the connection between Jesus and the suffering righteous individual depicted in the Psalms.
In Summary:
Psalm 69:21 expresses profound suffering, betrayal, and injustice. It highlights the cruelty and contempt inflicted upon the speaker, who is denied even basic comfort and kindness. Its connection to the crucifixion of Jesus gives it added significance in Christian theology, illustrating the depth of his suffering and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.