Psalm 88 Story behind the Psalm
About the Story Behind Layer
The Story behind the Psalm shows how each part of the psalm fits together into a single coherent whole. Whereas most semantic analysis focuses on discrete parts of a text such as the meaning of a word or phrase, Story Behind the Psalm considers the meaning of larger units of discourse, including the entire psalm. (Click 'Expand' to the right for more information.)
Story Behind Visuals for Psalm 88
Summary Triangle
The story triangle below summarises the story of the whole psalm. We use the same colour scheme as in Participant Analysis. The star icon along the edge of the story-triangle indicates the point of the story in which the psalm itself (as a speech event) takes place. We also include a theme at the bottom of the story. The theme is the main message conveyed by the story-behind.
Background ideas
Following are the common-ground assumptionsCommon-ground assumptions include information shared by the speaker and hearers. In our analysis, we mainly use this category for Biblical/Ancient Near Eastern background. which are the most helpful for making sense of the psalm.
- Sheol is the Biblical denomination for the underworld, the realm of the dead, located under the Earth. (Amos 9:2; Ezek 31:17; Prov 5:5). People who are about to die consider themselves to be in or at the gates of Sheol (Ps 30:4; 2 Sam 22:6; Jonah 2:3), but YHWH can always redeem them from there (Hos 13:14; Jonah 2:3; Pss 30:4; 49:16).
- The "outcasts" (חָפְשִׁי) were a low social class, despised and excommunicated. Cf. The Meaning of חָפְשִׁי in Ps 88:6.
- The "slain" (חֲלָלִים) are those who die in a violent way, particularly in battle (1 Sam 17:52; 31:8, 2 Sam 1:19; 1 Kgs 11:15; Jer 51:4). They were a despised class in the Netherworld, since they were buried in mass graves (שׁׁכְבֵי קֶבֶר), if at all (cf. Ezek 32:20-23).
- Some common images for death and Sheol are: the Pit (בּוֹר), namely the tomb, entry point to Sheol (Ezek 26:20; Prov 1:12; Ps 30:4; Isa 38:18); darkness (Job 17:13; Ps 107:10); deep waters (Lam 3:54-55; Pss 18:5-6; 69:2-3; Jonah 2:4,6). Additionally, there are several psalms that share the motif of a judgment by water (Pss 18 [2 Sam 22]; 66; 69; 88; 124; 144 plus the psalm in Jonah 2).
- YHWH’s policies do not include interfering in Sheol. It is the "land of oblivion", the inhabitants of which are forgotten by YHWH (cf. v. 6b; Ps 31:13; Eccl 9:5), and therefore no voice is raised to praise the wonders of YHWH (see Pss 6:6; 30:10; 115:17; Isa 38:18-19). cf. also The Meaning of חָפְשִׁי in Ps 88:6.
Background situation
The background situation is the series of events leading up to the time in which the psalm is spoken. These are taken from the story triangle – whatever lies to the left of the star icon.
Expanded paraphrase
The expanded paraphrase seeks to capture the implicit information within the text and make it explicit for readers today. It is based on the CBC translation and uses italic text to provide the most salient background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences.
(For more information, click "Expanded Paraphrase Legend" below.)
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.
v. 2
YHWH, God of my salvation, I have been crying out day and night before you, because I am suffering and desperate and you answer those in covenant with you who pray to you.
v. 3
May my prayer find favor with you, you, who have your eyes and ears tuned towards all human beings, who listen to people's prayers and answer them! Incline your ear to my cry! You, who are aware of my miserable conditions, do something about it and save me!
v. 4
For I am weary of troubles and I have reached a point where my existence is unbearable; I am seriously ill and dying, and my life has reached Sheol. I am at the gates of Sheol, namely, about to die, and only you can redeem me from there!
v. 5
I am counted with those who go down to the Pit, namely, the Netherworld - everyone knows of my miserable condition. I have become like a man who has no strength. I used to be a strong, productive man contributing to society, but now I have lost my strength, so I am no longer valuable to society, which considers me as an unproductive individual.
v. 6
[I am] an outcast despised and excommunicated among the dead, just like the slain who died in battle, despised as well in the Netherworld, since they were buried in mass graves and who are lying in the tomb, whom you do not remember anymore since the dead are forgotten by you, and [who] have been cut off from your care and have no channel of communication with you. In the same way, you have forgotten and forsaken me, and I have no hope.
v. 7
You are ultimately responsible for my conditions, as you have put me in the lowest pit, in dark places, in watery depths of Sheol, like Jeremiah, who was sent down into the pit. Did I anger you, like Jeremiah angered the king? Are you punishing me for something I did?
v. 8
Your outbursts of wrath have been lying heavily on me, like a priest putting his hands on a sacrifice or on a scapegoat bearing the sins of all the people. Am I being treated as a scapegoat like this, since I am innocent? And you have been afflicting me with all your waves as a means of testing me. Did I anger you, like Jonah, who ran from you? Are you afflicting me, so that I should turn back to you? But I am here calling out to you, like he did before you delivered him from the depths!
v. 9
You have caused my acquaintances to shun me, like you did to Job. I am lonely and nobody wants to be near me. You have made me repulsive to them, considered unclean, to be avoided and as good as dead. [You have made me] shut in, so that I cannot get out. Like lepers who are excommunicated and quarantined, I am confined to one place and locked in like Jeremiah, because I am undesirable to everyone.
v. 10
My eyes have languished from misery, lacking strength, since I have been waiting for too long for you to answer. I have been calling to you, YHWH, every day, because I believe that by praying to you, you may save me, like you did Jonah, Job and Jeremiah. I have been spreading out my hands to you, demonstrating that my hands are empty and opening myself in helplessness. I am helpless!
v. 11
Do you perform wonders for the dead? No, you do not! There is no coming back from Sheol. Therefore, it is your last chance to save me. Do the departed spirits rise up to praise you? No, they do not! Only the living praise you. So remember, I am more useful to you alive than dead. When you save, you are praised for that. What a preferable outcome than my death!
v. 12
Is your faithful love recounted in the tomb? No, it is not! [Is] your faithfulness [recounted] in the place of destruction? No, it is not! Because there are no wondrous acts of truthfulness carried out in the realm of the dead and no one to confess them in that world, to bring you praise. You can show your faithful love to me now by saving me, but only as long as I am alive. If you do that, I will tell the whole world of it.
v. 13
Can your wonders be known in the dark region? No, they cannot! And [can] your righteousness [be known] in the land of oblivion, namely, Sheol, the inhabitants of which are forgotten by you? No, it cannot! Because there are no wonders to acknowledge there, and therefore no one in that place can be aware of any. Therefore, if you perform a wonder for me by saving me, I will tell the whole world of it so that your righteousness is known.
v. 14
But I have been crying out to you for help, YHWH, because only you can save those who believe in you, and you will be consequently praised, and my prayer will keep welcoming you in the morning, since daybreak is the time when you appear to deliver and since I have not given up yet!
v. 15
Why, YHWH, do you keep rejecting me? [Why] do you keep hiding your face from me, ignoring me and withdrawing your favors from me? Are you angry at me and punishing me? I am innocent, am I not?
v. 16
I have been afflicted and close to death from [my] youth. I have forgotten what well-being feels like and have been feeling hopeless and lonely for so many years. I’ve been suffering your terrifying assaults. I am terrified and tired of living under constant terror, and keep being torn apart, consequently, totally without strength.
v. 17
Your outbursts of wrath have been sweeping over me. Like Job, I do not know why you are furious with me. Have I unknowingly sinned against you? Or are you testing me like you tested Job? your terrifying assaults, acting as my enemies, have been destroying me. You appointed them to afflict me the same way you let Satan afflict Job.
v. 18
They have been surrounding me like water constantly just like you did to Jonah—Do you want me to turn back from something like him?—and they have been closing in on me together, like enemies do. I have no way out. Is this the end? I am totally dependent on your deliverance.
v. 19
You have caused all my friends and companions to shun me; [you have caused] my acquaintances [to shun my] distress, like you did to Job. I am lonely and everyone avoids my presence, because they think my distress is contagious. Will I die as an outcast or will you finally answer me?
Story Triangles
Propositions and Assumptions table
