Psalm 22:16 describes hostile evildoers surrounding the sufferer and contains the famous phrase traditionally rendered, "they pierced my hands and feet." The Hebrew text of this line is difficult and has an important textual variant; some witnesses support a reading associated with piercing, while the traditional Masoretic text is commonly rendered in relation to "like a lion." Because of this textual issue, the verse should be presented with appropriate care.

John 20:27 provides unmistakable evidence that Jesus' hands were wounded in the crucifixion when the risen Christ invites Thomas to examine them. John 19:34-37 also records the piercing of Jesus' side. Christian tradition has therefore long read Psalm 22:16 as a striking anticipation of crucifixion. The textual question does not erase the broader correspondence between Psalm 22 and the passion, but it does mean that the specific claim that the Hebrew unambiguously predicts pierced hands and feet should not be overstated.