Psalm-88

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Tanakh versions:

Throughout this site I may use any of the following three versions of the TaNaKh: 1. “Jewish Publication Society” (JPS-1917), 2. Mechon-Mamre.org” (MEC), and 3. “Sefaria.org” (SEF).

Colour coded details of the - TaNaKh:

1. Torah = History & Law, 2. Nevi’im = The Prophets. 3. *Ketuvim = all other Writings.

*The Ketuvim - Includes, Poetical books - Psalms, Proverbs, Job, the Megillot, or Scrolls - Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations of Jeremiah, Ecclesiastes, and Esther, prophecy of Daniel, and history of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles I & II.

Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold

wondrous things out of Thy Law!

Tehillim - Psalm 119:18..

(JPS-1917 version of the Tanakh).

Please Note: Some alterations or (additions) have been made relating to ‘Names’ and ‘Attributes’ of אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, having been corrected like it once was pre the “Masoretic Text”.

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Remember the following truth from our beloved Torah!

“Ye shall NOT ADD TO THE WORD which I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM IT, that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem, which I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy 4:2. (JPS-1917).

However, sadly both the later priests as well as our rabbis of long ago have shamefully disobeyed this command of אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - the LORD Elohim, בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם קָדוֹשׁוֹ - ‘Baruch Shem Kadosho’ – ‘Blessed be His Holy Name!’

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“Tehillim-Psalm 88”

With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.

Foreword:

Psalm 88 is a raw, sustained lament that refuses consolation; it models honest prayer from the depths of despair and leaves the reader with a faithful witness to suffering rather than tidy answers.

Introduction:

Context and tone: Psalm 88 is traditionally attributed to Heman the Ezrahite and set to the tune Mahalath Leannoth; it is widely regarded as one of the darkest, most unrelieved laments in the Psalter, notable for its unbroken tone of anguish and petition. Purpose: the Psalm teaches how to bring unvarnished grief to אֱלֹהִים - Elohim (God) and remain in relationship even when comfort does not come.

Let us read Tehillim - Psalm Chapter 88: (JPS-1917 version of the Tanankh).

1. “A Song, a Psalm of the sons of Korah; for the Leader; upon Mahalath Leannoth. Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite.
2. O אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - LORD Elohim of my salvation, what time I cry in the night before Thee,
3. Let my prayer come before Thee, incline Thine ear unto my cry.
4. For my soul is sated with troubles, and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.
5. I am counted with them that go down into the pit; I am become as a man that hath no help;
6. Set apart among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom Thou rememberest no more; and they are cut off from Thy hand.
7. Thou hast laid me in the nethermost pit, in dark places, in the deeps.
8. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and all Thy waves Thou pressest down. Selah
9. Thou hast put mine acquaintance far from me; Thou hast made me an abomination unto them; I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.
10. Mine eye languisheth by reason of affliction; I have called upon Thee, O יְהוָה - LORD, every day, I have spread forth my hands unto Thee.
11. Wilt Thou work wonders for the dead? Or shall the shades arise and give Thee thanks? Selah.
12. Shall Thy mercy be declared in the grave? or Thy faithfulness in destruction?
13. Shall Thy wonders be known in the dark? and Thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
14. But as for me, unto Thee, O “יְהוָה - LORD, do I cry, and in the morning doth my prayer come to meet Thee.
15. יְהוָה - LORD, why castest Thou off my soul? Why hidest Thou Thy face from me?
16. I am afflicted and at the point of death from my youth up; I have borne Thy terrors, I am distracted.
17. Thy fierce wrath is gone over me; Thy terrors have cut me off.
18. They came round about me like water all the day; they compassed me about together.
19. Friend and companion hast Thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness”.

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Let’s now look at the ‘verse by verse’ with its explanations:

1. “A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah; for the Leader; upon Mahalath Leannoth. Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite”.

Explanation: The superscription sets the tone: this is not a typical psalm of hope. It is a lament “to afflict”, a teaching Psalm from Heman, known for wisdom. It signals that this prayer comes from the depths of suffering

2. “O אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - the LORD Elohim of my salvation, I have cried day and night before Thee.”

Explanation: Even in despair, the psalmist affirms אֱלֹהִים - Elohim as “אֱלֹהִים of my salvation.” Faith remains intact, though the experience of salvation may feel distant.

3. “Let my prayer come before Thee; incline Thine ear unto my cry”.

Explanation: A plea for אֱלֹהִים to listen. The Psalmist feels unheard and begs for Divine attention.

4. “For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draweth nigh unto the grave”.

Explanation: A raw confession: the suffering is overwhelming, life feels close to ending. This verse resonates with anyone facing mortal illness.

5. “I am counted with them that go down into the pit; I am become as a man that hath no help”.

Explanation: He feels socially and spiritually abandoned, treated as though already dead.

6. “Set apart among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom Thou rememberest no more; and they are cut off from Thy hand”.

Explanation: The psalmist feels cut off from אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s presence, the deepest pain is not physical but spiritual isolation.

7. “Thou hast laid me in the nethermost pit, in dark places, in the deeps”.

Explanation: The imagery evokes Sheol. Darkness symbolizes confusion, fear, and distance from אֱלֹהִים.

8. “Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and all Thy waves Thou pressest upon me. Selah”.

Explanation: He interprets his suffering as divine anger. The “waves” suggest relentless affliction.

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

Explanation: Illness or sorrow has isolated him socially. He feels trapped, with no escape.

10. “Mine eye languisheth by reason of affliction; I have called upon Thee, O יְהוָה - LORD, every day; I have spread forth my hands unto Thee.”

Explanation: Despite exhaustion, he continues to pray. This perseverance mirrors our own live at times.

11. “Wilt Thou work wonders for the dead? Or shall the shades arise and give Thee thanks? Selah”.

Explanation: A theological argument: praise belongs to the living. He asks אֱלֹהִים to act while he can still give thanks.

12. “Shall Thy mercy be declared in the grave? Or Thy faithfulness in destruction?”

Explanation: He appeals to אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s attributes, mercy and faithfulness, suggesting they are best revealed in saving the living.

13. “Shall Thy wonders be known in the dark? And Thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?”

Explanation: Again, he argues that אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s greatness is shown through deliverance, not abandonment.

14. “But as for me, unto Thee, O יְהוָה - LORD, do I cry, and in the morning doth my prayer come to meet Thee”.

Explanation: He persists in prayer. Morning symbolizes renewed hope, even if the hope feels faint.

15. “LORD, why castest Thou off my soul? Why hidest Thou Thy face from me?”

Explanation: The central anguish: the sense of divine hiddenness. This is the heart of the Psalm.

16. “I am afflicted and at the point of death from my youth up; I have borne Thy terrors, I am distracted”.

Explanation: His suffering is lifelong. This is not a sudden crisis but a chronic burden.

17. “Thy fierce wrath is gone over me; Thy terrors have cut me off”.

Explanation: He feels overwhelmed by forces beyond his control, interpreting them as Divine.

18. “They came round about me like water all the day long; they compassed me about together”.

Explanation: The imagery of drowning returns, a sense of being engulfed by suffering.

19. “Lover and friend hast Thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.”

Explanation: The psalm ends without resolution. This is unique: no turn to hope, no praise.
It leaves the pain exposed, a sacred acknowledgment that sometimes suffering remains unanswered.

My Closing message:

Psalm 88 teaches that faith can coexist with unrelieved suffering; honest lament before is itself a faithful posture. The psalm does not resolve the pain, but it preserves the Psalmist’s voice before אֱלֹהִים an invitation for readers to bring their own darkness into prayer rather than hide it.

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This site was originally created, for those who desired to return to our blessed and wonderful faith. Thus be wise and work on your faith and pray at least two or three times a day (if possible) and always seek our beloved אֱלֹהִים - Elohim’s guidance, for His love is always with us, especially when we seek Him, blessed be He! However this site has become very much a teaching site with hundreds of studies!

Remember what אֱלֹהִים - Elohim, blessed be He, said the following via several of our prophets...

“Return unto Me, and I will return unto you, saith צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה- the LORD of hosts”. Mal’a’chi - Malachi 3:7. (JPS).

And Remember ...

Enjoy your Sabbath Rest, Shabbat Shalom!

אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, בְּחֻקּוֹתַי לֵכוּ; וְאֶת-מִשְׁפָּטַי שִׁמְרוּ, וַעֲשׂוּ אוֹתָם

וְאֶת-שַׁבְּתוֹתַי, קַדֵּשׁוּ; וְהָיוּ לְאוֹת, בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵיכֶם-לָדַעַת, כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם

“I am אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יְהוָה - the LORD your Eloheichem; walk in My statutes, and keep Mine ordinances, and do them; and hallow My Sabbaths, and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that ye may know that I am אֱלֹהֵיכֶם יְהוָה - the LORD your Eloheichem”. Yechezkel - Ezekiel 20:19-20. (JPS).

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“Hebraic Studies” motto is as follows;

“The More Torah, the More Life”

For אֱלֹהִים יְהוָה - the LORD Elohim, Blessed be His Sanctified Name,

He is the one who gave us our Life!”

May the שָׁלוֹם - Shalom = Peace of צְבָאוֹת- יְהוָה= the LORD of hosts. be with you, and please always uphold our blessed שַׁבָּת - Shabbat, as well as the מוֹעֲדִים - Mo’a’dim - Feasts, and continue saying your daily תְּפִלָּה - Tefeelah’s (Prayers) and regular בְּרָכָה - Be’ra’chah’s (blessings) before food and drinks, etc!

שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם - Shalom Aleichem - Peace be with you!

Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.

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