Psalms 22:16 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

For dogs have compassed me— The idea here is, of a pack of hounds encompassing a distressed deer, which they have hunted down. See the remarks on the title. Hereby are represented the Roman soldiers and the other Gentiles who were with the Jews around the cross. Schultens renders the next clause, the assembly of the wicked, as a lion, have broken my hands and my feet. But Houbigant defends our present version. See his note. This and the following verses were literally fulfilled in our Saviour; and Theodoret observes, that when he was extended, and his limbs distorted on the cross, it might be easy for a spectator literally to tell all his bones. See Bishop Pearson on the Creed, p. 88.