Psalm 22:17-18 pictures the sufferer exposed before hostile onlookers while his clothing is divided among others. His ability to count his bones suggests emaciation or bodily exposure, while those around him stare and gloat over his helpless condition.

Luke 23:34-35 describes the soldiers dividing Jesus' garments by casting lots while the people stand watching. The Gospel passion accounts thus reproduce both major features of the psalmic scene: public exposure and the distribution of the sufferer's clothing. The clothing detail is especially strong because John 19:23-24 explicitly identifies Psalm 22:18 as fulfilled in the soldiers' actions. The humiliation described by David becomes part of the historical circumstances surrounding Jesus' crucifixion.