KJV
Click to Change
Return to Top
Psalm Ps. 88. This is an individual lament. It is suited for a person who is so overwhelmed with troubles that even his friends shun him, and who suspects that the Lord has shunned him as well. The psalm does not specify the troubles, only that they feel like God’s punishment. Most laments close on a confidant note, but Psalm 88 has no explicit statement of confidence. However, there is insistent appeal to God (v. 1, “day and night”; v. 9, “every day”; v. 13, “in the morning”). The psalm instills a tough faith in its singers by reminding them to keep turning to God (the “God of my salvation,” v. 1), even during times when it seems that God does not answer.
Ps. 88:1–2 The psalm reflects an ongoing (day and night) and urgent (I cry out, my cry) circumstance.
Ps. 88:3–9 The next section describes the trouble in general terms, focusing more on the feelings (my soul is full of troubles) than on the external circumstances. Your wrath lies heavy upon me. That is, “it feels like I am dying, and worse than that, dying under your wrath, with no hope either now or ever.” The members of the singing congregation are learning to keep coming to the Lord, even when they feel this way.
Ps. 88:10–12 The mention of dying under God’s wrath (vv. 3–7) leads to the question: Do you work wonders for the dead? If one were to die under God’s wrath, then he could not anticipate any experience of God’s wonders, or any chance to praise him.
Ps. 88:13–18 Darkness is the last word in the psalm. Yet the faithful know that there is no alternative but to keep seeking the Lord in prayer.
The ESV Global Study Bible
Copyright © 2012 by Crossway.
All rights reserved.
Used by permission.
|
Line-By-Line Order:
 Verse-ReferenceReference-VerseSeparate LineVerse OnlyReference Only |
Reference Delimiters:
None — Jhn 1:1 KJV Square — [Jhn 1:1 KJV]Curly — {Jhn 1:1 KJV}Parens — (Jhn 1:1 KJV) |
|
Paragraph Order:
Verse-ReferenceReference-VerseReference-Only |
Number Delimiters:*
No NumberNo Delimiter — 15Square — [15]Curly — {15}Parens — (15) |
|
Other Options:
 Abbreviate Books Use SBL Abbrev.En dash not Hyphen |
Quotes Around VersesRemove Square BracketsSort Canonically |
* 'Number Delimiters' only apply to 'Paragraph Order'
The Blue Letter Bible ministry and the BLB Institute hold to the historical, conservative Christian faith, which includes a firm belief in the inerrancy of Scripture. Since the text and audio content provided by BLB represent a range of evangelical traditions, all of the ideas and principles conveyed in the resource materials are not necessarily affirmed, in total, by this ministry.
Blue Letter Bible study tools make reading, searching and studying the Bible easy and rewarding.
Blue Letter Bible is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
©2024 Blue Letter Bible | Privacy Policy
Note: MLA no longer requires the URL as part of their citation standard. Individual instructors or editors may still require the use of URLs.
Loading
Loading
| Interlinear |
| Bibles |
| Cross-Refs |
| Commentaries |
| Dictionaries |
| Miscellaneous |
