Psalms — Chapter 88
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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
The darkest lament in the Psalter — Heman the Ezrahite cries day and night, feeling abandoned among the dead, overwhelmed by God's wrath, cut off from friends; uniquely, this psalm ends without resolution or hope.
Authorship & Background
- Cry to God Day and Night (vv.1-2)
- At Death's Door (vv.3-5)
- God Has Done This (vv.6-8)
- Daily Weeping and Reaching (v.9)
- Theological Protest: Can the Dead Praise? (vv.10-12)
- Morning Prayer and God's Rejection (vv.13-14)
- Lifelong Suffering (vv.15-17)
- Final Isolation: Darkness (v.18)
Map & Geography
- No specific geographic locations are referenced in this chapter.
Reflection
- 1. Faith can persist in total darkness (v.1). The psalmist calls God "God of MY salvation" while experiencing no salvation. This is the deepest faith — trust without evidence, hope without feeling, persistence without reward.
- 2. It is acceptable to end a prayer in darkness (v.18). Not every prayer resolves happily. Not every lament ends in praise. Scripture validates the experience of unresolved suffering. You don't need to manufacture false hope. You can end in darkness and still be heard.
- 3. Isolation in suffering is real (v.8). If friends have withdrawn, if you feel like a horror to others, this psalm says: you are not alone in feeling alone. Heman felt it. Christ experienced it on the cross.
- 4. The psalm's existence IS the answer. God did not answer Heman's prayer within the psalm — but He preserved it in Scripture for 3000 years. The prayer is the testimony. Praying in darkness is its own act of faith, even without resolution.