Psalm 88 Exegetical Issues
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
Psalm 88/Exegetical Issues
Among the Dead
Psalm 88
Introduction to Exegetical Issues
Presented here are the top three Exegetical Issues that any interpreter of the psalm—whether they’re reading the text in Hebrew or looking at a number of translations—are likely to encounter. These issues usually involve textual criticism, grammar, lexical semantics, verbal semantics, and/or phrase-level semantics, though they sometimes involve higher-level layers as well.
Exegetical Issues for Psalm 88
- The word חָפְשִׁי in Ps 88:6 is one of the most enigmatic and unclear words in the whole psalm, as is shown by the variety of readings we find in the various Modern Translations.
- The last word in Ps 88:16b, אָפֽוּנָה has posed difficulties for translators and commentators for generations.
- The line מְֽיֻדָּעַ֥י מַחְשָֽׁךְ in Ps 88:19b poses a well-known problem, which is shown by the existence of no fewer than six different translations that we find in the various translations and commentaries.