In Psalm 22—a messianic prophecy Jesus quoted on the cross—we read these striking words:
“I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people.” (Psalm 22:6)
The Hebrew word used here is tolaʿath, a specific scarlet worm known in the ancient world. The female tolaʿath attaches herself to a piece of wood to give birth. As she does, her body is crushed, staining the wood and her offspring with a deep crimson dye that covers and protects them. Afterward, the mother dies—but her young live, sustained by what she has given. In time, what remains turns white.
Isaiah later echoes this imagery:
“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” (Isaiah 1:18)
On the cross, Jesus poured out His life so that others might live. His blood brings cleansing, and His sacrifice brings new life. What was once stained by sin is made white through Him.
Long before Calvary, God embedded the gospel into creation itself. The worm wasn’t random. It was prophetic.
