Psalms 22:6

But I ¹  am a worm, ²  not a man; ³  people insult me and despise me. ⁴ 

But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people.

But I am a worm and not a man, A reproach of men and despised by the people.

But I am a worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all!

And here I am, a nothing--an earthworm, something to step on, to squash.

But I am a worm and not a man; cursed by men, and looked down on by the people.

But I am a worm, and not human; scorned by others, and despised by the people.

But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people.

But I ¹  am a worm, ²  not a man; ³  people insult me and despise me. ⁴ 

¹ tn The grammatical construction (conjunction + pronoun) highlights the contrast between the psalmist’s experience and that of his ancestors. When he considers God’s past reliability, it only heightens his despair and confusion, for God’s present silence stands in stark contrast to his past saving acts.

² tn The metaphor expresses the psalmist’s self-perception, which is based on how others treat him (see the following line).

³ tn Or “not a human being.” The psalmist perceives himself as less than human.

⁴ tn Heb “a reproach of man and despised by people.”