Psalms — Chapter 88

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1A 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.

2May my prayer come before You; incline Your ear to my cry.

3For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol.

4I am counted among those descending to the Pit. I am like a man without strength.

5I am forsaken among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom You remember no more, who are cut off from Your care.

6You have laid me in the lowest Pit, in the darkest of the depths.

7Your wrath weighs heavily upon me; all Your waves have submerged me. Selah

8You have removed my friends from me; You have made me repulsive to them; I am confined and cannot escape.

9My eyes grow dim with grief. I call to You daily, O LORD; I spread out my hands to You.

10Do You work wonders for the dead? Do departed spirits rise up to praise You? Selah

11Can Your loving devotion be proclaimed in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon?

12Will Your wonders be known in the darkness, or Your righteousness in the land of oblivion?

13But to You, O LORD, I cry for help; in the morning my prayer comes before You.

14Why, O LORD, do You reject me? Why do You hide Your face from me?

15From my youth I was afflicted and near death. I have borne Your terrors; I am in despair.

16Your wrath has swept over me; Your terrors have destroyed me.

17All day long they engulf me like water; they enclose me on every side.

18You have removed my beloved and my friend; darkness is my closest companion.

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.

1O Jehovah, the God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee.

2Let my prayer enter into thy presence; Incline thine ear unto my cry.

3For my soul is full of troubles, And my life draweth nigh unto Sheol.

4I am reckoned with them that go down into the pit; I am as a man that hath no help,

5Cast off 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 dark places, in the deeps.

7Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, And thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah

8Thou hast put mine acquaintance far from me; Thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.

9Mine eye wasteth away by reason of affliction: I have called daily upon thee, O Jehovah; I have spread forth my hands unto thee.

10Wilt thou show wonders to the dead? Shall they that are decreased 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, O Jehovah, have I cried; And in the morning shall my prayer come before thee.

14Jehovah, 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 is gone over me; Thy terrors have cut me off.

17They came round about me like water all the day long; They compassed me about together.

18Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, And mine acquaintance into darkness. Psalm 89 Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite.

1A song, a psalm written by the Korahites, for the music director, according to the machalath-leannoth style; a well-written song by Heman the Ezrahite. O Lord God who delivers me, by day I cry out and at night I pray before you.

2Listen to my prayer. Pay attention to my cry for help.

3For my life is filled with troubles, and I am ready to enter Sheol.

4They treat me like those who descend into the grave. I am like a helpless man,

5adrift among the dead, like corpses lying in the grave whom you remember no more and who are cut off from your power.

6You place me in the lowest regions of the Pit, in the dark places, in the watery depths.

7Your anger bears down on me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves. (Selah)

8You cause those who know me to keep their distance; you make me an appalling sight to them. I am trapped and cannot get free.

9My eyes grow weak because of oppression. I call out to you, O Lord, all day long; I spread out my hands in prayer to you.

10Do you accomplish amazing things for the dead? Do the departed spirits rise up and give you thanks? (Selah)

11Is your loyal love proclaimed in the grave, or your faithfulness in the place of the dead?

12Are your amazing deeds experienced in the dark region, or your deliverance in the land of oblivion?

13As for me, I cry out to you, O Lord; in the morning my prayer confronts you.

14O Lord, why do you reject me, and pay no attention to me?

15I am oppressed and have been on the verge of death since my youth. I have been subjected to your horrors and am numb with pain.

16Your anger overwhelms me; your terrors destroy me.

17They surround me like water all day long; they join forces and encircle me.

18You cause my friends and neighbors to keep their distance; those who know me leave me alone in the darkness.

1Yahweh, the God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before you.

2Let my prayer enter into your presence. Turn your ear to my cry.

3For my soul is full of troubles. My life draws near to Sheol.

4I am counted among those who go down into the pit. I am like a man who has no help,

5set apart among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more. They are cut off from your hand.

6You have laid me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths.

7Your wrath lies heavily on me. You have afflicted me with all your waves. Selah.

8You have taken my friends from me. You have made me an abomination to them. I am confined, and I can’t escape.

9My eyes are dim from grief. I have called on you daily, Yahweh. I have spread out my hands to you.

10Do you show wonders to the dead? Do the departed spirits rise up and praise you? Selah.

11Is your loving kindness declared in the grave? Or your faithfulness in Destruction?

12Are your wonders made known in the dark? Or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

13But to you, Yahweh, I have cried. In the morning, my prayer comes before you.

14Yahweh, why do you reject my soul? Why do you hide your face from me?

15I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up. While I suffer your terrors, I am distracted.

16Your fierce wrath has gone over me. Your terrors have cut me off.

17They came around me like water all day long. They completely engulfed me.

18You have put lover and friend far from me, and my friends into darkness.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

Widely regarded as the darkest lament in the Psalter, the psalmist cries out to God day and night, describing his soul as full of trouble and his life as drawing near to the grave, counted among those already dead (vv. 1-5). He describes God himself as the source of his suffering, laid in the lowest pit under crushing waves of wrath, cut off even from friends and acquaintances (vv. 6-9). He questions whether God's wonders and faithfulness can even be known among the dead, while continuing to pray to him morning after morning (vv. 10-13). Unlike nearly every other psalm, it ends without resolution or praise, closing simply with darkness as his closest companion (vv. 14-18).

Authorship & Background

Author: Multiple authors — primarily David (73 psalms attributed), plus Asaph (12), Sons of Korah (11), Solomon (2), Moses (1), Heman (1), Ethan (1), and anonymous. The Psalter was compiled over approximately 1000 years and served as Israel's hymnal and prayer book. The book is divided into five 'books' (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150), paralleling the five books of Moses.
Classification: Individual Lament Psalm (the darkest psalm)
Attributed Author: Heman the Ezrahite (Sons of Korah)
Key Themes: Unrelieved suffering, divine wrath experienced, isolation and abandonment, proximity to death, unanswered prayer, faith persisting without resolution
Historical Context: Psalm 88 is the darkest psalm in the Psalter — the only lament that ends without any note of hope, resolution, or praise. It has dual attribution: "A Song or Psalm for the sons of Korah" and "Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite." Heman was one of David's chief musicians (1 Chronicles 6:33), known for wisdom (1 Kings 4:31). The psalm describes someone who has been afflicted "from my youth" (v.15) — this is not a temporary crisis but lifelong suffering. Yet the very existence of the psalm in Scripture is its message: even the prayer that receives no visible answer is still prayer. Faith can persist in total darkness. The last word is "darkness" — and God honored this cry by preserving it in His Word.
O LORD God of My Salvation (vv.1-2): O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee. The title in the first line is the only positive thing in the psalm, and everything after it is complaint. Let my prayer come before thee, incline thine ear unto my cry, which is a request to be heard rather than helped.
My Life Draweth Nigh unto the Grave (vv.3-5): For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. The condition is described as already counted among the dead, I am as a man that hath no strength, free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave. And the last clause is the psalm's characteristic note, whom thou rememberest no more.
Thou Hast Laid Me in the Lowest Pit (vv.6-8): Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. The agency is God's throughout this psalm and it is never softened, thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Then the social consequence, thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me, thou hast made me an abomination unto them, so even the isolation is attributed to God rather than to the friends.
Mine Eye Mourneth by Reason of Affliction (v.9): Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction, LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee. One verse, and the gesture in the last clause is the psalter's standing posture of prayer, reported here as a daily practice that has not been answered.
Shall the Dead Arise and Praise Thee (vv.10-12): Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead, shall the dead arise and praise thee. Three verses of questions and they are the same argument Psalm 6:5 and Isaiah 38:18 make: a dead worshipper is no use. Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave, or thy faithfulness in destruction. And the last question names the place where nothing is remembered, and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness.
Why Castest Thou Off My Soul (vv.13-14): But unto thee have I cried, O LORD, and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee. Morning in the psalter is normally where relief arrives, as at 30:5, and here it is only where the prayer is filed again. Then the two questions, LORD, why castest thou off my soul, why hidest thou thy face from me.
I Have Been Afflicted from My Youth Up (vv.15-17): I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up, while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted. The duration is the point: this is not a crisis but a life. And the imagery is of being surrounded, thy fierce wrath goeth over me, thy terrors have cut me off, they came round about me daily.
Mine Acquaintance into Darkness (v.18): Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness. This is the last verse of the psalm and the last word in the Hebrew is darkness. Every other lament in the psalter turns somewhere, even Psalm 44 asking for help and Psalm 77 choosing to remember. This one does not, and its presence in the collection is the psalter's admission that some prayers are recorded without an answer attached. It should not be read with hope borrowed from the psalms on either side of it.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Verse-by-verse commentary on this chapter, written for the everyday reader and freely available online.
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

Psalm 88 | A Song of Darkness | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Psalm 88 - A Desperate Prayer from Deep Affliction
David Guzik

Articles

  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of Psalms -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • Faith Can Persist Without Feeling (v.1) — The psalmist calls out to the "God of my salvation" while experiencing no rescue and no relief, day and night. Can you keep calling God by His true names even when your circumstances don't seem to match them?
  • The Pain of Isolation in Suffering (v.8) — Heman describes friends withdrawing from him, left to face his affliction essentially alone. If you know someone in a season like this, does this verse move you to stay close rather than pull away?
  • Continuing to Pray Even When It Feels Unheard (v.13) — Despite no answer so far, the psalmist keeps bringing his prayer to God every morning without fail. Does the absence of a quick answer ever stop you from praying, or can you keep showing up anyway?
  • Scripture Doesn't Require a Happy Ending (v.18) — This psalm is unique in the Psalter for ending in unresolved darkness rather than praise or resolution. Does it comfort you to know that God preserved this kind of raw, unresolved lament in His Word?