Psalm 88

Psalms · Chapter 88

Psalms 88:1

1O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:2Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry;3For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.4I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength:5Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.6Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.7Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah.8Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.9Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee.10Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah.11Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?12Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?13But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.14LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?15I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.16Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off.17They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together.18Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
1O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:A song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. For the choirmaster. According to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite. O LORD, the God of my salvation, day and night I cry out before You.A Song, a Psalm of the sons of Korah; for the Chief Musician; set to Mahalath Leannoth. Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite. O Jehovah, the God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
a songשִׁ֥ירshirH7892A
song

שִׁיר (shir) 1) song 1a) lyric song 1b) religious song 1c) song of Levitical choirs Also means: shi.rah (שִׁירָה "song" H7892B)

a psalmמִזְמ֗וֹרmiz-MORH4210
melody

מִזְמוֹר (miz.mor) melody, psalm

of [the] sons ofלִבְנֵ֫יliv-NEIH1121GNo entry
Korahקֹ֥רַחKO-rachH7141I
Korah

קֹ֫רַח (qo.rach) A man of the tribe of Levi living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, first mentioned at Exo.6.21; son of: Izhar (H3324); brother of: Nepheg (H5298), Zichri (H2147) and Shelomith (H8019A); father of: Assir (H0617), Elkanah (H0511) and Ebiasaph (H0043) § Korah = "bald" 1) son of Izhar, grandson of Kohath, great grandson of Levi and leader of the rebellion of the Israelites against Moses and Aaron while in the wilderness; punished and died by an earthquake and flames of fire 2) the 3rd son of Esau by Aholibamah and one of the dukes of Edom …

to the choirmasterלַמְנַצֵּ֣חַlam-na-TZE-achH5329
to conduct

נָצַח (na.tsach) 1) to excel, be bright, be preeminent, be perpetual, be overseer, be enduring 1a) (Niphal) enduring (participle) 1b) (Piel) to act as overseer or superintendent or director or chief Aramaic equivalent: ne.tsach (נְצַח "to distinguish oneself" H5330)

onעַל־'al-H5921A
upon

עַל (al) prep 1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against 1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards 1b) above, beyond, over (of excess) 1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence) 1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition) 1e) over (of suspension or extension) …

Machalathמָחֲלַ֣תma-cha-LATH4257
Mahalath

מַחֲלַת (ma.cha.lat) Mahalath found in headings of Ps 53:1 and Ps 81:1 meaning uncertain, probably a catchword in a song giving name to tune

to singלְעַנּ֑וֹתle-'a-NOTH6030C
to sing

עָנָה (a.nah) (Qal) to sing, utter tunefully

a poemמַ֝שְׂכִּ֗ילmas-KILH4905
Maskil

מַשְׂכִּיל (mas.kil) (Hiphil) poem, song or poem of contemplation

of Hemanלְהֵימָ֥ןle-hei-MANH1968G
Heman

הֵימָן (he.man) A man living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.4.31; son of: Mahol (H4235); brother of: Ethan (H0387), Calcol (H3633) and Darda (H1862) § Heman = "faithful" 1) a wise man to whom Solomon was compared 2) son of Joel, grandson of Samuel, and a Levitical singer and author of PS 88 3) a seer

the Ezrachiteהָאֶזְרָחִֽי׃ha-'ez-ra-CHIH0250
Ezrahite

אֶזְרָחִי (ez.ra.chi) Someone descended from Ezrah(?), first mentioned at 1Ki.4.31 § Ezraite = "a native (as arising out of the soil)" Ezrahite, of the family of Zerach

O Yahwehיְ֭הוָהYAH-wehH3068G
Lord

אֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

[the] God ofאֱלֹהֵ֣י'e-lo-HEIH0430G
God

אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God" Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

salvation myיְשׁוּעָתִ֑יye-shu-'a-TIH3444
salvation

יְשׁוּעָה (ye.shu.ah) 1) salvation, deliverance 1a) welfare, prosperity 1b) deliverance 1c) salvation (by God) 1d) victory

dayיוֹם־yom-H3117G
day

יוֹם (yom) : day/when/time/period 1) day, time, year 1a) day (as opposed to night) 1b) day (24 hour period) 1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1 1b2) as a division of time 1b2a) a working day, a day's journey 1c) days, lifetime (pl.) 1d) time, period (general) 1e) year 1f) temporal references 1f1) today 1f2) yesterday 1f3) tomorrow

I have cried outצָעַ֖קְתִּיtza-'AK-tiH6817
to cry

צָעַק (tsa.aq) 1) to cry, cry out, call, cry for help 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to cry, cry out (for help) 1a2) to cry, cry out (in distress or need) 1a3) to make outcry, clamour 1b) (Niphal) to be summoned 1c) (Piel) to cry aloud (in grief) 1d) (Hiphil) to call together

in the nightבַלַּ֣יְלָהva-LAY-lahH3915
night

לַ֫יְלָה (lay.lah) 1) night 1a) night (as opposed to day) 1b) of gloom, protective shadow (fig.)

before youנֶגְדֶּֽךָ׃neg-DE-khaH5048
before

נֶ֫גֶד (ne.ged) subst 1) what is conspicuous, what is in front of adv 2) in front of, straight forward, before, in sight of 3) in front of oneself, straightforward 4) before your face, in your view or purpose with prep 5) what is in front of, corresponding to 6) in front of, before 7) in the sight or presence of 8) parallel to 9) over, for 10) in front, opposite 11) at a distance prep 12) from the front of, away from 13) from before the eyes of, opposite to, at a distance from 14) from before, in front of 15) as far as the front of Aramaic equivalent: ne.ged (נֶ֫גֶד "before" H5049)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.