Psalm 88/Text/Structure
From Psalms: Layer by Layer
Structure Overlay Below, the text has been overlaid with our summary structural analysis. For details on the structure, see the Structure At-a-Glance here.
| Speaker | Structure At-a-Glance | Text (Hebrew) | Verse | Text (CBC) The Close-but-clear translation (CBC) exists to provide a window into the Hebrew text according to how we understand its syntax and word-to-phrase-level semantics. It is not intended to be used as a stand-alone translation or base text, but as a supplement to Layer-by-Layer materials to help users make full use of these resources. | These labels characterize the primary expressed emotion of the psalmist in each section. | Addressee | ||
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| שִׁ֥יר מִזְמ֗וֹר לִבְנֵ֫י קֹ֥רַח | 1a | A song. A psalm. By the sons of Korah. | ||||||
| Psalmist | Afflicted and Fearing Death  |
לַמְנַצֵּ֣חַ עַל־מָחֲלַ֣ת לְעַנּ֑וֹת | 1b | For the director. About illness, for self-affliction. | desperate & hopeful |
YHWH | ||
| מַ֝שְׂכִּ֗יל לְהֵימָ֥ן הָאֶזְרָחִֽי׃ | 1c | A maskil. By Heman the Ezrahite. | ||||||
| יְ֭הוָה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יְשׁוּעָתִ֑י | 2a | YHWH, God of my salvation, | ||||||
| יוֹם־צָעַ֖קְתִּי בַלַּ֣יְלָה נֶגְדֶּֽךָ׃ | 2b | I have been crying out day and night before you. | ||||||
| תָּב֣וֹא לְ֭פָנֶיךָ תְּפִלָּתִ֑י | 3a | May my prayer find favor with you! | ||||||
| הַטֵּֽה־אָ֝זְנְךָ֗ לְרִנָּתִֽי׃ | 3b | Incline your ear to my cry! | ||||||
| כִּֽי־שָֽׂבְעָ֣ה בְרָע֣וֹת נַפְשִׁ֑י | 4a | For I am weary of troubles, | ||||||
| וְחַיַּ֗י לִשְׁא֥וֹל הִגִּֽיעוּ׃ | 4b | And my life has reached Sheol. | ||||||
| נֶ֭חְשַׁבְתִּי עִם־י֣וֹרְדֵי ב֑וֹר | 5a | I am counted with those who go down to the Pit. | ||||||
| הָ֝יִ֗יתִי כְּגֶ֣בֶר אֵֽין־אֱיָֽל׃ | 5b | I have become just like a man who has no strength. | ||||||
| בַּמֵּתִ֗ים חָ֫פְשִׁ֥י | 6a | [I am] an outcast among the dead, | humiliated
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| כְּמ֤וֹ חֲלָלִ֨ים ׀ שֹׁ֥כְבֵי קֶ֗בֶר | 6b | just like the slain ones who are lying in the tomb, | ||||||
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹ֣א זְכַרְתָּ֣ם ע֑וֹד | 6c | whom you do not remember anymore, | ||||||
| וְ֝הֵ֗מָּה מִיָּדְךָ֥ נִגְזָֽרוּ׃ | 6d | and [who] have been cut off from your care. | ||||||
| שַׁ֭תַּנִי בְּב֣וֹר תַּחְתִּיּ֑וֹת | 7a | You have put me in the lowest pit, | angry
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| בְּ֝מַחֲשַׁכִּ֗ים בִּמְצֹלֽוֹת׃ | 7b | in dark places, in watery depths. | ||||||
| עָ֭לַי סָמְכָ֣ה חֲמָתֶ֑ךָ | 8a | Your outbursts of wrath have been lying heavily on me, | ||||||
| וְכָל־מִ֝שְׁבָּרֶ֗יךָ עִנִּ֥יתָ סֶּֽלָה׃ | 8b | and you have been afflicting me with all your waves. Selah. | ||||||
| הִרְחַ֥קְתָּ מְיֻדָּעַ֗י מִ֫מֶּ֥נִּי | 9a | you have caused my acquaintances to shun me. | ||||||
| שַׁתַּ֣נִי תוֹעֵב֣וֹת לָ֑מוֹ | 9b | You have made me repulsive to them. | ||||||
| כָּ֝לֻ֗א וְלֹ֣א אֵצֵֽא׃ | 9c | [You have made me] shut in, so that I cannot get out. | ||||||
| עֵינִ֥י דָאֲבָ֗ה מִנִּ֫י עֹ֥נִי | 10a | My eyes have languished from misery. | ||||||
| קְרָאתִ֣יךָ יְהוָ֣ה בְּכָל־י֑וֹם | 10b | I have been calling to you, YHWH, every day. | ||||||
| שִׁטַּ֖חְתִּי אֵלֶ֣יךָ כַפָּֽי׃ | 10c | I have been spreading out my hands to you. | ||||||
Facing Death  |
הֲלַמֵּתִ֥ים תַּעֲשֶׂה־פֶּ֑לֶא | 11a | Do you perform wonders for the dead? | determined
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| אִם־רְ֝פָאִ֗ים יָק֤וּמוּ ׀ יוֹד֬וּךָ סֶּֽלָה׃ | 11b | Do the departed spirits rise up to praise you? Selah. | ||||||
| הַיְסֻפַּ֣ר בַּקֶּ֣בֶר חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ | 12a | Is your faithful love recounted in the tomb? | ||||||
| אֱ֝מֽוּנָתְךָ֗ בָּאֲבַדּֽוֹן׃ | 12b | [Is] your faithfulness [recounted] in the place of destruction? | ||||||
| הֲיִוָּדַ֣ע בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְ פִּלְאֶ֑ךָ | 13a | Can your wonders be known in the dark region? | ||||||
| וְ֝צִדְקָתְךָ֗ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ נְשִׁיָּֽה׃ | 13b | And [can] your righteousness [be known] in the land of oblivion? | ||||||
Afflicted and Continuing to Pray  |
וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ אֵלֶ֣יךָ יְהוָ֣ה שִׁוַּ֑עְתִּי | 14a | But I have been crying out to you for help, YHWH, | hopeful & terrified
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| וּ֝בַבֹּ֗קֶר תְּֽפִלָּתִ֥י תְקַדְּמֶֽךָּ׃ | 14b | and my prayer will keep welcoming you in the morning. | ||||||
| לָמָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה תִּזְנַ֣ח נַפְשִׁ֑י | 15a | Why, YHWH, do you keep rejecting me? | ||||||
| תַּסְתִּ֖יר פָּנֶ֣יךָ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ | 15b | [Why] do you keep hiding your face from me? | ||||||
| עָ֘נִ֤י אֲנִ֣י וְגֹוֵ֣עַ מִנֹּ֑עַר | 16a | I [have been] afflicted and close to death from [my] youth, | ||||||
| נָשָׂ֖אתִי אֵמֶ֣יךָ *אֶפּוֹרָה*׃ | 16b | I’ve been suffering your terrifying assaults, and keep being torn apart. | ||||||
| עָ֭לַי עָבְר֣וּ חֲרוֹנֶ֑יךָ | 17a | Your outbursts of wrath have been sweeping over me; | ||||||
| בִּ֝עוּתֶ֗יךָ *צִמְּתוּנִי*׃ | 17b | Your terrifying assaults have been destroying me. | ||||||
| סַבּ֣וּנִי כַ֭מַּיִם כָּל־הַיּ֑וֹם | 18a | They have been surrounding me like water constantly; | ||||||
| הִקִּ֖יפוּ עָלַ֣י יָֽחַד׃ | 18b | They have been closing in on me together. | ||||||
| הִרְחַ֣קְתָּ מִ֭מֶּנִּי אֹהֵ֣ב וָרֵ֑עַ | 19a | You have caused all my friends and companions to shun me; | ||||||
| מְֽיֻדָּעַ֥י *מֵחֹשֶׁךְ*׃ | 19b | You have caused my acquaintances to shun my distress. |