Psalm 34:20 declares that God keeps the bones of the righteous sufferer and that not one of them is broken. In its original context this is poetic language describing God's protective care for the righteous rather than necessarily a prediction about a future execution.

John 19:31-36 records that the soldiers broke the legs of the two men crucified beside Jesus but did not break His legs because He was already dead. John explicitly says that this occurred so that Scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken." The wording may evoke both Psalm 34:20 and the Passover regulations concerning the unbroken sacrificial lamb. In either case, John deliberately presents the preservation of Jesus' bones as scripturally significant and consistent with His identity as the righteous sufferer and Passover sacrifice.