Psalms88

Psalm 88 is a profound lament, where the psalmist, Heman the Ezrahite, cries out to the LORD God of his salvation from deep affliction. He describes his soul as full of troubles, drawing nigh unto the grave, and feeling like one counted among the dead. The psalmist expresses a sense of being overwhelmed by God's wrath and abandoned by all his acquaintances, concluding without a typical turn to hope.

Superscription and Invocation

1
A song. A psalm of the sons of Korach. For the leader. Set to "Sickness that Causes Suffering." A maskil of Heiman the Ezrachi. ADONAI, God of my salvation, when I cry out to you in the night, ​
2
let my prayer come before you, turn your ear to my cry for help!

Near Death and Utter Isolation

3
For I am oversupplied with troubles, which have brought me to the brink of Sh'ol. ​
4
I am counted among those going down to the pit, like a man who is beyond help,
5
left by myself among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave -you no longer remember them; they are cut off from your care. ​
6
You plunged me into the bottom of the pit, into dark places, into the depths.
7
Your wrath lies heavily on me; your waves crashing over me keep me down. (Selah) ​
8
You separated me from my close friends, made me repulsive to them; I am caged in, with no escape; ​
9
my eyes grow dim from suffering. I call on you, ADONAI, every day; I spread out my hands to you.

The Rhetoric of the Grave

10
Will you perform wonders for the dead? Can the ghosts of the dead rise up and praise you? (Selah) ​
11
Will your grace be declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon?
12
Will your wonders be known in the dark, or your righteousness in the land of oblivion? ​
13
But I cry out to you, ADONAI; my prayer comes before you in the morning.

Abandoned by God and Man

14
So why, ADONAI, do you reject me? Why do you hide your face from me?
15
Since my youth I have been miserable, close to death; I am numb from bearing these terrors of yours. ​
16
Your fierce anger has overwhelmed me, your terrors have shriveled me up. ​
17
They surge around me all day like a flood, from all sides they close in on me.
18
You have made friends and companions shun me; the people I know are hidden from me. ​

Study Notes for Psalms 88

Verse 1

Heman the Ezrahite is named as the author; he was one of the wise men mentioned alongside Solomon (1 Kings 4:31) and a chief musician. The title *Mahalath Leannoth* likely refers to a specific, somber melody or tune associated with affliction.

Verse 3

This verse establishes the existential crisis: the Psalmist feels his life is already claimed by Sheol (the grave). This deep lament is characterized by the physical and spiritual feeling of being utterly overwhelmed by trouble.

Verse 5

To be 'free among the dead' suggests the Psalmist is already counted among those who are powerless and forgotten. He fears that death means being 'cut off from thy hand,' signifying a cessation of God’s active care and remembrance.

Verse 7

Unlike many psalms of lament where the affliction comes from enemies, here the suffering is directly attributed to God’s active wrath. The imagery of 'waves' suggests overwhelming, inescapable divine judgment.

Verse 8

The Psalmist’s distress is compounded by social rejection. Severe illness or misfortune in the ancient world often led to isolation, as others assumed the sufferer was under divine curse or judgment.

Verse 10

These rhetorical questions employ an argument based on God's glory. The Psalmist implies that if he dies, God will lose a worshipper, and His great acts (wonders, faithfulness, lovingkindness) cannot be praised or witnessed effectively from the grave (Sheol).

Verse 12

The 'land of forgetfulness' is a poetic term for the grave (Sheol), emphasizing the inability of the dead to participate in the ongoing life and worship of God or witness His righteousness.

Verse 15

The suffering is portrayed as lifelong ('from my youth up'). The term translated 'distracted' suggests mental anguish, despair, or a state of terror caused by the constant sense of divine judgment.

Verse 16

The terrors mentioned are not external threats but the terrifying realization of God's 'fierce wrath' directed toward him, which the Psalmist feels has utterly destroyed him.

Verse 18

This verse provides a tragic climax, summarizing the Psalmist’s total isolation. The affliction has led God to remove all human comfort, leaving the sufferer alone in utter darkness. Psalm 88 is unique in the Psalter because it ends without a shift to hope or a statement of trust.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate
Settings

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Reading Width 45 chars

Options