Psalm 88/Overview/Structure

Psalm 88 At-a-Glance

These sections divide the content of the psalm into digestible pieces , and are determined based on information from many of our layers, including Semantics, Poetics, and Discourse. The columns, left to right, contain: the verse numbers; the main title of the section; a brief summary of the content of that section (quote marks indicate the text is taken directly from the English text of the psalm (as per our Close-but-Clear translation); and an icon to visually represent and remember the content.

v. 1 A song. A psalm. By the sons of Korah. For the director. About illness, for self-affliction. A maskil. By Heman the Ezrahite.	Superscription
v. 2 YHWH, God of my salvation, I have been crying out day and night before you.	Afflicted and Fearing Death	I've been praying, YHWH, because I am about to die.		desperate & hopeful
v. 3 May my prayer find favor with you! Incline your ear to my cry!
v. 4 For I am weary of troubles, And my life has reached Sheol.
v. 5 I am counted with those who go down to the Pit. I have become just like a man who has no strength.
v. 6 [I am] an outcast among the dead, just like the slain ones who are lying in the tomb, whom you do not remember anymore, and [who] have been cut off from your care.		I am like the dead already, an outcast, forgotten by you.		humiliated
v. 7 You have put me in the lowest pit, in dark places, in watery depths.		You are the one afflicting me and causing me to be shunned, even while I have been praying, YHWH. What did I do to deserve this?		angry
v. 8 Your outbursts of wrath have been lying heavily on me, and you have been afflicting me with all your waves. Selah.
v. 9 you have caused my acquaintances to shun me. You have made me repulsive to them. [You have made me] shut in, so that I cannot get out.
v. 10 My eyes have languished from misery. I have been calling to you, YHWH, every day. I have been spreading out my hands to you.
v. 11 Do you perform wonders for the dead? Do the departed spirits rise up to praise you? Selah.	Facing Death	Do you and your faithful love reach to the dead, the forgotten? Do they praise you and recount your faithful love?		determined
v. 12 Is your faithful love recounted in the tomb? [Is] your faithfulness [recounted] in the place of destruction?
v. 13 Can your wonders be known in the dark region? And [can] your righteousness [be known] in the land of oblivion?
v. 14 But I have been crying out to you for help, YHWH, and my prayer will keep welcoming you in the morning.	Afflicted and Continuing to Pray	I will keep praying, YHWH, even though you are ignoring me, YHWH, and you continue to afflict me and cause my friends to shun me.		hopeful & terrified
v. 15 Why, YHWH, do you keep rejecting me? [Why] do you keep hiding your face from me?
v. 16 I [have been] afflicted and close to death from [my] youth, I’ve been suffering your terrifying assaults, and keep being torn apart.
v. 17 Your outbursts of wrath have been sweeping over me; Your terrifying assaults have been destroying me.
v. 18 They have been surrounding me like water constantly; They have been closing in on me together.
v. 19 You have caused all my friends and companions to shun me; You have caused my acquaintances to shun my distress.

Afflicted and Fearing Death (vv. 2–10)

Throughout this first section, the psalmist has been praying, as he faces his greatest fear of all: death and being completely cut off from YHWH, forgotten by him in the land of the forgotten. The description in v. 5 is of one who is actually the lowest among the dead, an outcast among the dead! The slain were the lowest of the low, such as those who received no burial honors, those utterly cut off from YHWH and not even remembered by him anymore.

Facing Death (vv. 11–13)

In vv. 11-13, this fear is faced directly. There is a series of rhetorical questions that highlight the distance between—on the one hand—his wonders, love and faithfulness and—on the other—the world of the dead. This simultaneously gives vent to what the psalmist fears as well as presenting the rationale for why YHWH should act. It is not the psalmist alone who wants to be in relationship with YHWH. YHWH himself longs for his character—his goodness, faithful love and wonders—to be praised by his people.

Afflicted and Continuing to Pray (vv. 14–19)

Verse 14 starts with “but I.” Very often in Hebrew poetry there is a “but” followed by someone’s name or a pronoun. This often marks a significant transition, and here it represents a profound psychological shift away from everything having to do with death and, instead, to an unceasing determination to continue calling upon YHWH. As long as he calls out, the relationship continues. If he is correct about YHWH’s character of faithfulness, then all this is required is that he, the psalmist, also remain faithful in calling out.