Psalms 88:13 — Word Study
WLCוַאֲנִ֤י׀ אֵלֶ֣יךָ יְהוָ֣ה שִׁוַּ֑עְתִּי וּ֝בַבֹּ֗קֶר תְּֽפִלָּתִ֥י תְקַדְּמֶֽךָּ׃
BSAto knowyâdaʻ darknesschôshek wonderpeleʼ righteousnesstsᵉdâqâh landʼerets forgetfulnessnᵉshîyâh△
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַאֲנִ֤י׀ | and I | Conjunction, pronoun |
| אֵלֶ֣יךָ | to you | Preposition, suffix |
| יְהוָ֣ה | O Yahweh | Noun proper |
| שִׁוַּ֑עְתִּי | I cry for help | Verb, Piel, perfect first person common singular |
| וּ֝בַבֹּ֗קֶר | and in the morning | Conjunction, preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| תְּֽפִלָּתִ֥י | prayer my | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| תְקַדְּמֶֽךָּ׃ | it comes to meet you | Verb piel imperfect third person feminine singular, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | But to You, O LORD, I cry for help; in the morning my prayer comes before You. |
| KJV | But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee. |
| ASV | But unto thee, O Jehovah, have I cried; And in the morning shall my prayer come before thee. |
| YLT | And I, unto Thee, O Jehovah, I have cried, And in the morning doth my prayer come before Thee. |
| WEB | But to you, Yahweh, I have cried. In the morning, my prayer comes before you. |
| BBE | But to you did I send up my cry, O Lord; in the morning my prayer came before you. |
Where they part company is in תְקַדְּמֶֽךָּ — see How Translations Differ.
The verse has a main clause followed by several phrases that elaborate on the action and its timing.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectיָדַע
verbהוּא
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 88:13
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — A Cry for Helpgenerated
Psalm 88:13 is a heartfelt cry from the psalmist to the LORD, expressing desperation and a need for divine intervention. The verses surrounding this one reveal a deep sense of despair, as the psalmist questions God's presence and support during times of trouble. This psalm emphasizes the importance of prayer and the need for God's attention in moments of darkness and distress.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 5:3 | In the morning, O LORD, You hear my voice; at daybreak I lay my plea before You and wait in expectation. |
| 2 | Psalm 119:147–148 | I rise before dawn and cry for help; in Your word I have put my hope. |
| 3 | Mark 1:35 | Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and slipped out to a solitary place to pray. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 3 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — שִׁוַּ֑עְתִּי, shi.Va'.tigenerated
The verb שָׁוַע (shava`) is a Piel form meaning 'to cry out' or 'to shout for help'. It conveys urgency and desperation, often used in contexts where one seeks deliverance from trouble or distress.
In this verse, the psalmist expresses a personal plea, indicating a direct call to God for assistance. The perfect tense used here shows that the action of crying out has been completed, emphasizing the immediacy and intensity of the psalmist's need.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb of the verse is שִׁוַּ֑עְתִּי, I cry for help, which governs the structure of the sentence. This is followed by a prepositional phrase אֵלֶ֣יךָ, to You, indicating the direction of the cry.
The second part of the verse introduces another clause with the verb תְקַדְּמֶֽךָּ, comes to meet You, which emphasizes the psalmist's expectation that his prayer will be acknowledged by God.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the verb שִׁוַּ֑עְתִּי is rendered as ἐπιλελησμένῃ, which suggests a focus on being heard or remembered, indicating a slight shift in nuance from a direct cry to a plea for recognition.
This choice reflects the translators' understanding of the urgency in the psalmist's call for help and underscores the relational aspect of prayer.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 88:13 shows the psalmist crying out to the LORD for help, emphasizing the importance of prayer in times of distress. The verse highlights the urgency of seeking God's presence and support, particularly in the morning, a time often associated with new beginnings.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Crying out to the LORD signifies a deep need for help and intervention, expressing trust in God's ability to respond.
Morning represents a new beginning and hope, making it a fitting time for the psalmist to present his prayer to God.
The verse captures the essence of despair, as the psalmist feels the weight of his troubles and seeks relief through prayer.
The psalmist's earnest cry teaches us the importance of being open and honest in our prayers, especially during difficult times.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I experienced God's help in my life when I cried out to Him?
- How can I make my prayers more earnest and heartfelt, like the psalmist?
- What does it mean for me to bring my requests before God each morning?
- How can I support others who are in distress, encouraging them to seek God in their troubles?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 88:13 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleBut unto thee have I cried, O Lord,.... Formerly, and had been heard, answered, and relieved, and which was an encouragement to cry again to him in his distress; Christ was always heard, John 11:42,
Read John Gill on Psalms 88 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryBut unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee. But - notwithstanding these considerations, which would naturally create hope of relief, I cry in vain.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 88 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Biblei.e. Early, come to thee, before the ordinary time of morning prayer, or before the dawning of the day, or the rising of the sun. The sense is, Though I have hitherto got no answer to my prayers, yet I will not give over praying nor hoping for an answer.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 88 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 88:13 But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.Ver. 13. But unto thee have I cried] Oh, condescend to thy poor crying creature in extremity. In the morning]
Read John Trapp on Psalms 88 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(13) But unto Thee . . .—Better, But as for me, I, &c. The pronoun is emphatic. The speaker has not gone down to the land where all is silent and forgotten, and can therefore still cry to God, and send his prayer to meet (prevent, i.e. go to meet; see Psalms 17:13) the Divine Being who still has an interest in him. And this makes the expostulation of the next verses still stronger. Why, since the sufferer is still alive, is he forsaken, or seemingly forsaken, by the God of that covenant in which he still abides?
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 88 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 13. Shall my prayer prevent thee.] It shall get before thee; I will not wait till the accustomed time to offer my morning sacrifice, I shall call on thee long before others come to offer their devotions.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 88 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges13–18. Death brings no hope. Will not God then listen to his prayer and grant him some relief in his extremity of suffering and solitude?
Read Cambridge on Psalms 88 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleBut unto thee have I cried, O Lord - I have earnestly prayed; I have sought thy gracious interposition. And in the morning - That is, each morning; every day. My first business in the morning shall be prayer.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 88 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
But to You, O LORD, I cry for help; in the morning my prayer comes before You.
But to you, Yahweh, I have cried. In the morning, my prayer comes before you.
But to You, O LORD, I cry for help; in the morning my prayer comes before You.
As for me, I cry out to you, O Lord; in the morning my prayer confronts you.
Tyndale line
But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.
But unto thee, O Jehovah, have I cried; And in the morning shall my prayer come before thee.
But unto thee, O LORD, have I cried, and in the morning shall my prayer come before thee.
But to thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer come before thee.
But vnto thee haue I cryed, O Lord, and early shall my prayer come before thee.
Strictly literal
But as for me, Jehovah, I cry unto thee, and in the morning my prayer cometh before thee.
And I, unto Thee, O Jehovah, I have cried, And in the morning doth my prayer come before Thee.
And I, to You, O YHWH, I have cried, || And in the morning my prayer comes before You.
(88:14) Yet I cry indeed aloud unto thee, O Lord; and in the morning shall my prayer come before thee.
But I cry to you, Yahweh; in the morning my prayer comes before you.
From the Latin
The north and the sea thou hast created. Thabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name:
Simplified
But I cry out to you for help; every morning I pray to you.
But to you did I send up my cry, O Lord; in the morning my prayer came before you.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text of Psalms 88:13 reads, "וַאֲנִ֤י׀ אֵלֶ֣יךָ יְהוָ֣ה שִׁוַּ֑עְתִּי וּ֝בַבֹּ֗קֶר תְּֽפִלָּתִ֥י תְקַדְּמֶֽךּ;" The Septuagint agrees with the Masoretic Text in six out of seven words, although the word order and articles differ due to the nature of Greek syntax. The Samaritan Pentateuch and the Dead Sea Scrolls do not provide a different reading for this verse, thus supporting the Masoretic Text's wording and meaning in this instance.
וַאֲנִ֤י׀ אֵלֶ֣יךָ יְהוָ֣ה שִׁוַּ֑עְתִּי וּ֝בַבֹּ֗קֶר תְּֽפִלָּתִ֥י תְקַדְּמֶֽךָּ׃
6 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 88:13
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
אֲנִי, transliterated as aniy, is a first-person singular pronoun meaning 'I' or 'me.' It is often used for emphasis and can also imply possession, as in 'mine' or 'myself.' The word is derived from a form that indicates self-reference, and it appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament.
אֲנִי, אָ֑נִי pron. 1s. comm. I
base
H589 אֲנִי, אָ֑נִי I
589 'aniy an-ee'
contracted from 595; I:--I, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, X
which, X who.
see HEBREW for 0595
אֲנִי (a.ni) — I.
I (first pers. sing. -usually used for emphasis)
HC/Pp1bs — Conjunction · pronounHC/Pp1bs
The Hebrew word אֶל (el) is primarily a preposition indicating motion towards or direction to a person or place. It can also imply entering a limit, presence at a location, or a hostile direction (against). Additionally, it may express concepts such as concerning, in addition to, or according to. The entries highlight its versatility in both physical and metaphorical contexts.
אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),
prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).of motion to or unto a person or place
Where the limit is actually entered, into
Of direction towards anything
Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against
Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to
Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of
Of rule or standard according to (rare)
Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion
Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to
base
H413 אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), . of motion to or unto a person or place
. Where the limit is actually entered, into
. Of direction towards anything
. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against
. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to
. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of
. Of rule or standard according to (rare)
. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion
. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to
413 'el ale
(but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el});
a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but
occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or
among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after,
against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and,
by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of,
over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether,
with(-in).
אֶל (el) — to(wards).
1) to, toward, unto (of motion)
2) into (limit is actually entered)
2a) in among
3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion)
4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character)
5) in addition to, to
6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of
7) according to (rule or standard)
8) at, by, against (of one's presence)
9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)
HR/Sp2ms — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp2ms
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'
יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)
יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb
יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D
the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy
יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh
base
H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel
3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'
from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish
national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.
see HEBREW for 01961
see HEBREW for 03050
see HEBREW for 03069
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.
Jehovah = "the existing One"
1) the proper name of the one true God
1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.
Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.
Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
HNpt — Noun properHNpt
שָׁוַע (shava`) is a Hebrew verb meaning to cry out, particularly for help. It is a primitive root that conveys the idea of calling for freedom from trouble, used in a causative and reflexive sense. The entries consistently indicate its use in the Piel form to express a loud cry or shout.
[שָׁוַע] vb. Pi. cry out for help
base
H7768 שָׁוַע pi. cry out for help
7768 shava` shaw-vah'
a primitive root; properly, to be free; but used only
causatively and reflexively, to halloo (for help, i.e. freedom
from some trouble):--cry (aloud, out), shout.
שָׁוַע (sha.va) — to cry.
(Piel) to cry out (for help), shout
HVpp1cs — Verb · Piel · perfect first person common singularHVpp1cs
With the sense of that which brings aid, support, or deliverance, "help" (noun and vb.) represents a large variety of words in Hebrew and Greek (noun 7, verb 16). A principal Hebrew word is `azar, "to help," with the corresponding nouns `ezer, `ezrah; a chief Greek word is boetheo (Mt 15:25; Mr 9:22,24, etc.). True help is to be sought for in Yahweh, in whom, in the Old Testament, the believer is constantly exhorted to trust, with the renouncing of all other confidences (Ps 20:2; 33:20; 42:5; 46:1; 115:9,10,11; 121:2; Isa 41:10,13,14, etc.). In Ro 8:26 it is said, "the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity," the verb here…
בֹּ֫קֶר (boqer) means 'morning' and is derived from the root word for 'dawn.' It encompasses the time of day when light begins to appear, marking the end of night and the start of a new day. The term can also refer to the next day or morning after a specific point in time. It is associated with brightness and joy following periods of distress.
בֹּ֫קֶר 214 n.m. morning
morning (of point of time, time at which, never during which, Eng. morning = forenoon
morrow, next day
base
H1242 בֹּ֫קֶר morning . morning (of point of time, time at which, never during which, Eng. morning = forenoon
. morrow, next day
1242 boqer bo'-ker
from 1239; properly, dawn (as the break of day); generally,
morning:--(+) day, early, morning, morrow.
see HEBREW for 01239
בֹּ֫קֶר (bo.qer) — morning.
1) morning, break of day
1a) morning
1a1) of end of night
1a2) of coming of daylight
1a3) of coming of sunrise
1a4) of beginning of day
1a5) of bright joy after night of distress (fig.)
1b) morrow, next day, next morning
HC/Rd/Ncmsa — Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHC/Rd/Ncmsa
mor'-ning: There are several Hebrew and Greek words which are rendered "morning," the most common in Hebrew being boqer, which occurs 180 times. It properly means "the breaking forth of the light," "the dawn," as in Ge 19:27; Jud 19:8,25,27. Another word with the same meaning is shachar (Ge 19:15; Ne 4:21; Isa 58:8). mishchar ("womb of the morning," Ps 110:3) is a poetical term derived from. the same root. See HIND OF THE MORNING. noghah, naghha' (Da 6:19 (Hebrew 20)), mean "brightness." hashkem, comes from…
- The second part of the day at the creation
Ge 1:5,8,13,19,23,31
- The first part of the natural day
- Ordained by God
- Began with first dawn
תְּפִלָּה (tefillah) means 'prayer' and is derived from the root meaning intercession or supplication. It encompasses various forms of prayer, including hymns and requests for divine attention. The term appears in contexts such as the titles of Psalms, emphasizing its liturgical significance.
תְּפִלָּה 77 n.f. prayer
base
H8605 תְּפִלָּה prayer
8605 tphillah tef-il-law'
from 6419; intercession, supplication; by implication, a
hymn:--prayer.
see HEBREW for 06419
תְּפִלָּה (te.phil.lah) — prayer.
1) prayer
1a) prayer
1b) pray a prayer
1c) house of prayer
1d) hear prayer
1e) in Ps titles (of poetic or liturgical prayer)
HNcfsc/Sp1bs — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp1bs
קָדַם (qadam) is a verb meaning to meet or come in front of someone or something. It covers actions such as anticipating, leading, and confronting, with nuances in its Piel and Hiphil forms. The entries emphasize its use in contexts of meeting or preceding, but do not provide specific verse references.
[קָדַם] vb. Pi. denom. come or be in front, meet
base
H6923 [קָדַם] vb. Pi. denom. come or be in front, meet
6923 qadam kaw-dam'
a primitive root; to project (one self), i.e. precede; hence,
to anticipate, hasten, meet (usually for help):--come (go,
(flee)) before, + disappoint, meet, prevent.
קָדַם (qa.dam) — to meet.
1) to meet, come or be in front, confront, go before
1a) (Piel)
1a1) to meet, confront, come to meet, receive
1a2) to go before, go in front, be in front
1a3) to lead, be beforehand, anticipate, forestall
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to come in front
1b2) to confront, anticipate
HVpi3fs/Sp2ms — Verb piel imperfect third person feminine singular · suffixHVpi3fs/Sp2ms