“But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people.”
—Psalm 22:6
These words are part of Psalm 22, written centuries before the birth of Christ. It is the same psalm Jesus quoted while He was on the cross when He said, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Psalm 22:1; Matthew 27:46). Later in that same psalm, after the words Jesus quoted, we find a rather unusual expression: “But I am a worm, and not a man.”
In the Hebrew text, the word translated as “worm” is tola’at. The term is also associated with the color scarlet because this type of insect was used to produce the crimson red dye used in ancient times.
The life cycle of this insect has recently caught the attention of many Christians because of some of its unusual characteristics. According to entomological studies compiled in the global ScaleNet database and by Pellizzari et al. (2012), the female kermes insect attaches herself firmly to the branch of a tree to lay her eggs, protecting them beneath her own body. At the end of the process, she dies there, leaving her dried body as a protective covering for her offspring. The characteristic crimson pigment is found within her body and has been extracted since ancient times to produce red dyes. Its history and chemical composition have been studied by Anthons and Cooksey (2010). The insect also develops a whitish waxy covering during its life cycle.
When you read these details alongside Psalm 22, it is easy to understand why many believers have seen a resemblance to the crucifixion: Christ on the wood, His blood shed, and His life given for us.
Although the Bible does not say that the life cycle of the scarlet worm was a prophecy of the crucifixion, it is a fascinating comparison and an image that reminds us of Christ.
As for what we can affirm from the Bible, Psalm 22 is closely connected to what happened on the cross. Jesus spoke the opening words of the psalm while He was being crucified. Later, the same psalm speaks of someone despised by the people: “But I am a worm, and not a man; a reproach of men, and despised by the people.” Isaiah also described the Messiah as “despised and rejected by men” (Isaiah 53:3).
Christ’s humiliation went all the way to death. Philippians 2:8 says that “He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” God Himself had come and allowed Himself to be rejected, betrayed, mocked, and ultimately crucified because of His love for us.
His blood also holds a central place in our redemption. Ephesians 1:7 says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses.” Hebrews 9:12 adds that Christ entered “once for all into the holy places… having obtained eternal redemption.” When we think of the scarlet color associated with tola’at, it is understandable that we think of the blood Jesus shed for us.
Perhaps we will never know whether there was any additional meaning behind the use of that particular word in Psalm 22. After all, God Himself was the One who designed the scarlet worm. We do not need to make that claim in order to appreciate the comparison.
He knew what awaited Him and was willing to go through it. Jesus Himself said of His life, “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord” (John 10:18). He was despised and humiliated, yet He willingly gave Himself for us.
A tiny scarlet worm can remind us of that story. But what makes the story important is not the worm. It is Christ, who was willing to give His life so that you and I could be redeemed.
Digitally created illustration using artificial intelligence for illustrative purposes.
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