Psalms 88

A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah. For the director of music. According to mahalath leannoth. A maskil of Heman the Ezrahite.

1 [a][b][c]LORD, you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you.
2 May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry.
3 I am overwhelmed with troubles and my life draws near to death.
4 I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am like one without strength.
5 I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care.
6 You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths.
7 Your wrath lies heavily on me; you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.[d]
8 You have taken from me my closest friends and have made me repulsive to them. I am confined and cannot escape;
9 my eyes are dim with grief. I call to you, LORD, every day; I spread out my hands to you.
10 Do you show your wonders to the dead? Do their spirits rise up and praise you?
11 Is your love declared in the grave, your faithfulness in Destruction[e] ?
12 Are your wonders known in the place of darkness, or your righteous deeds in the land of oblivion?
13 But I cry to you for help, LORD; in the morning my prayer comes before you.
14 Why, LORD, do you reject me and hide your face from me?
15 From my youth I have suffered and been close to death; I have borne your terrors and am in despair.
16 Your wrath has swept over me; your terrors have destroyed me.
17 All day long they surround me like a flood; they have completely engulfed me.
18 You have taken from me friend and neighbor— darkness is my closest friend.

Images for Psalms 88

Cross References 31

  • 1. S Psalms 51:14
  • 2. Psalms 3:4; Psalms 22:2; Psalms 27:9; Luke 18:7
  • 3. Psalms 6:3; Psalms 25:17
  • 4. S Job 33:22; Psalms 107:18,26
  • 5. S Psalms 31:12; Psalms 28:1
  • 6. Psalms 18:1
  • 7. S Psalms 31:22; Isaiah 53:8
  • 8. Psalms 30:1; S Psalms 69:15; Lamentations 3:55; John 2:3
  • 9. Psalms 7:11
  • 10. S Psalms 42:7
  • 11. S Job 19:13; Psalms 31:11
  • 12. Jeremiah 32:2; Jeremiah 33:1
  • 13. S Job 3:23
  • 14. S Psalms 38:10
  • 15. Psalms 5:2; Psalms 86:3
  • 16. Job 11:13; Psalms 143:6
  • 17. S Psalms 6:5
  • 18. S Psalms 30:9
  • 19. S Psalms 30:2
  • 20. Psalms 5:3; S Psalms 55:17
  • 21. Psalms 119:147
  • 22. S Psalms 43:2
  • 23. Job 13:24; Psalms 13:1
  • 24. Psalms 129:1; Jeremiah 22:21; Ezekiel 16:22; Hosea 2:15
  • 25. Psalms 9:12
  • 26. Job 6:4; S Job 18:11
  • 27. 2 Corinthians 4:8
  • 28. Psalms 7:11
  • 29. Job 6:4
  • 30. Psalms 22:16; Psalms 124:4
  • 31. ver 8; Job 19:13; Psalms 38:11

Footnotes 5

  • [a]. In Hebrew texts 88:1-18 is numbered 88:2-19.
  • [b]. Title: Possibly a tune, “The Suffering of Affliction”
  • [c]. Title: Probably a literary or musical term
  • [d]. The Hebrew has "Selah" (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 10.
  • [e]. Hebrew "Abaddon"

Psalms 88 Commentaries

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