Bible Commentaries

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Psalms 88

Introduction

1  A prayer containing a grievous complaint.
Verse 1

O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:
A. M. cir. 2473. B.C. cir. 1531. (Title.) for. or, of. Mahalath
53:1; *title
Maschil, etc
or, A Psalm of Heman the Ezrahite, giving instruction. Supposed to have been written by Heman, son of Zerah, and grandson of Judah, on the oppression of the Hebrews in Egypt.
Heman
1 Kings 4:31, 1 Chronicles 2:6
Lord
27:1,9, 51:14, 62:7, 65:5, 68:19, 79:9, 140:7, Genesis 49:18, Isaiah 12:2, Luke 1:47, 2:30, Titus 2:10,13, 3:4-7
I have
22:2, 86:3, Nehemiah 1:6, Isaiah 62:6, Luke 2:37, 18:7, 1 Thessalonians 3:10, 2 Timothy 1:3
Verse 2

Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry;
79:11, 141:1,2, 1 Kings 8:31, Lamentations 3:8
Verse 3

For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.
soul
14,15, 22:11-21, 69:17-21, 77:2, 143:3,4, Job 6:2-4, Isaiah 53:3,10,11, Lamentations 3:15-19, Matthew 26:37-39, Mark 14:33,34
life
107:18, Job 33:22
Verse 4

I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength:
counted
28:1, 30:9, 143:7, Job 17:1, Isaiah 38:17,18, Ezekiel 26:20, Jonah 2:6, 2 Corinthians 1:9
as a man
31:12, 109:22-24, Romans 5:6, 2 Corinthians 13:4
Verse 5

Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.
Free
Isaiah 14:9-12, 38:10-12, Ezekiel 32:18-32
whom
136:23, Genesis 8:1, 19:29
cut
16, 31:22, Job 6:9, 11:10, Isaiah 53:8
from thy hand
or, by thy hand.
Verse 6

Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.
lowest
40:2, 86:13, Deuteronomy 32:22
darkness
143:3, Proverbs 4:19, Lamentations 3:2, John 12:46, Jude 1:6,13
deeps
69:15, 130:1
Verse 7

Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah.
Thy wrath
38:1, 90:7, 102:10, Job 6:4, 10:16, John 3:36, Romans 2:5-9, 1 Peter 2:24, Revelation 6:16,17
with
42:7, Jonah 2:3
Verse 8

Thou 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.
put
18, 31:11, 143:4, 1 Samuel 23:18-20, Job 19:13-19, John 11:57
made
Isaiah 49:7, 63:3, Zechariah 11:8, Matthew 27:21-25, John 15:23,24
I am shut
Job 12:14, 19:8, Lamentations 3:7-9
Verse 9

Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee.
38:10, 42:3, 102:9, Job 16:20, 17:7, Lamentations 3:48,49, John 11:35
called
1, 55:17, 86:3
stretched
44:20, 68:31, 143:6, Ezekiel 17:11, Job 11:13
Verse 10

Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah.
Wilt thou
The interrogations in these verses imply the strongest negations.
6:5, 30:9, 115:17, 118:17, Isaiah 38:18,19, Mark 5:35,36
shall
Job 14:7-12, Isaiah 26:19, Ezekiel 37:1-14, Luke 7:12-16, 1 Corinthians 15:52-57
Verse 11

Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?
in destruction
55:23, 73:18, Job 21:30, 26:6, Proverbs 15:11, Matthew 7:13, Romans 9:22, 2 Peter 2:1
Verse 12

Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
dark
143:3, Job 10:21,22, Isaiah 8:22, Matthew 8:12, Jude 1:13, 5, 31:12, Ecclesiastes 2:16, 8:10, 9:5
Verse 13

But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.
and in
5:3, 119:147,148, Mark 1:35
prevent thee
"Come before thee;" see on Ps 21:3.
Verse 14

LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?
Lord
43:2, 77:7-9, Matthew 27:46
hidest
13:1, 44:24, 69:17, Job 13:24
Verse 15

I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.
afflicted
73:14, Job 17:1,11-16, Isaiah 53:3
while
22:14,15, Job 6:4, 7:11-16, Isaiah 53:10, Zechariah 13:7, Luke 22:44
Verse 16

Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off.
fierce
38:1,2, 89:46, 90:7,11, 102:10, Isaiah 53:4-6, Romans 8:32, Galatians 3:13, Revelation 6:17
cut me
Isaiah 53:8, Daniel 9:26
Verse 17

They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together.
They
22:16, 42:7, 69:1,2, 116:3, Job 16:12,13, 30:14,15, Lamentations 3:5-7, Matthew 27:39-44
daily
or, all the day.
Verse 18

Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.
Lover
8, 31:11, 38:11, Job 19:12-15
mine acquaintance
A figurative expression to denote that he now never saw them.

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