Psalms 88:6 — Word Study
WLCשַׁ֭תַּנִי בְּב֣וֹר תַּחְתִּיּ֑וֹת בְּ֝מַחֲשַׁכִּ֗ים בִּמְצֹלֽוֹת׃
BSAto diemûwth freechophshîy likekᵉmôw slainchâlâl to lie downshâkab graveqeber whichʼăsher notlôʼ to rememberzâkar stillʻôwd they(masc.)hêm handyâd to cutgâzar
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| שַׁ֭תַּנִי | you have put me | Verb qal perfect second person masculine singular, suffix |
| בְּב֣וֹר | in a pit of | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| תַּחְתִּיּ֑וֹת | lowest parts | |
| בְּ֝מַחֲשַׁכִּ֗ים | in [the] dark places | Preposition, noun common masculine plural absolute |
| בִּמְצֹלֽוֹת׃ | in [the] depths | Preposition, noun common feminine plural absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | You have laid me in the lowest Pit, in the darkest of the depths. |
| KJV | Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. |
| ASV | Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in the deeps. |
| YLT | Thou hast put me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in depths. |
| WEB | You have laid me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths. |
| BBE | You have put me in the lowest deep, even in dark places. |
Where they part company is בְּב֣וֹר — see How Translations Differ.
One main verb with two phrases describing the location and nature of the pit, creating a vivid expression of despair.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
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 88:6
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 Lament of Despairgenerated
Psalm 88:6 expresses the psalmist's deep anguish, feeling abandoned and trapped in a dark pit. This verse is part of a larger lament where the psalmist describes being forsaken among the dead and overwhelmed by God's wrath, as seen in the surrounding verses. The imagery of darkness and depth reflects a profound sense of hopelessness and isolation, which resonates throughout the psalm.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 40:2 | He lifted me up from the pit of despair, out of the miry clay; He set my feet upon a rock, and made my footsteps firm. |
| 2 | Psalm 86:13 | For great is Your loving devotion to me; You have delivered me from the depths of Sheol. |
| 3 | Deuteronomy 32:22 | For a fire has been kindled by My anger, and it burns to the depths of Sheol; it consumes the earth and its produce, and scorches the foundations of the mountains. |
| 4 | Psalm 143:3 | For the enemy has pursued my soul, crushing my life to the ground, making me dwell in darkness like those long since dead. |
| 5 | Proverbs 4:19 | But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — שַׁ֭תַּנִי, Sha.ta.nigenerated
The Hebrew word שַׁ֭תַּנִי (sha.ta.ni) is derived from the root מוּת (muwth), meaning 'to put' or 'to set.' It is a perfect form, indicating a completed action, specifically in the second person masculine singular, addressing God directly. This word conveys the act of being placed in a specific condition or location, emphasizing the psalmist's feeling of being set in a place of despair.
In this context, the verb signifies a deliberate action by God, highlighting the psalmist's sense of abandonment and confinement. The use of this word in the verse underscores the emotional weight of the psalmist's lament, as he feels trapped in a pit of darkness.
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 finite verb שַׁ֭תַּנִי governs the whole verse, indicating the action of being placed. The structure is straightforward, with a prepositional phrase following to describe the location of the action, emphasizing the depth and darkness of the pit.
The phrase בְּב֣וֹר (be.Vor) introduces the pit, followed by תַּחְתִּיּ֑וֹת (tach.ti.Yot), specifying it as the lowest parts. The additional phrases בְּ֝מַחֲשַׁכִּ֗ים and בִּמְצֹלֽוֹת further elaborate on the nature of the depths, creating a vivid image of the psalmist's despair.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates שַׁ֭תַּנִי as νεκροῖς (nekrois), meaning 'among the dead.' This choice indicates a shift in emphasis from being placed in a pit to being associated with death, highlighting the psalmist's feelings of abandonment and despair.
The other words in the Septuagint align closely with the Hebrew, maintaining the imagery of darkness and depth, suggesting a consistent understanding of the psalmist's plight.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 88:6 describes the psalmist feeling trapped in a dark pit, expressing deep sorrow and abandonment. This verse is part of a lament where the psalmist feels forsaken and overwhelmed, emphasizing a profound sense of despair.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The 'lowest Pit' refers to a place of deep despair and confinement, symbolizing feelings of abandonment and hopelessness.
This verse encapsulates the theme of despair in Psalm 88, where the psalmist expresses feelings of isolation and being forsaken by God.
Darkness represents not only a physical absence of light but also a metaphorical absence of hope and understanding, reflecting the psalmist's emotional state.
The imagery of a pit conveys confinement and entrapment, illustrating the depth of the psalmist's suffering and feelings of being trapped in despair.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I felt trapped or abandoned in my own life, similar to the psalmist's experience?
- How can I find hope in moments of darkness and despair?
- What does it mean to me that the psalmist expresses such raw emotion in this lament?
- How can I support others who may be feeling lost or in a 'pit' of despair?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Fathers, like Augustine of Hippo, have commented on this verse, interpreting it as a profound expression of despair and abandonment.
"They laid Me in the lowest pit" [Psalms 88:6], that is, the deepest pit. For so it is in the Greek.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 88 →
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 88:6 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThou hast laid me in the lowest pit,.... The Targum interprets it of "captivity which was like unto the lowest pit;'' and so Jarchi and Kimchi.
Read John Gill on Psalms 88 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness - rather, "in dark places," as in Psalms 74:20; Psalms 143:3; Lamentations 3:6.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 88 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleEither, first, in the grave; the same thing being expressed in divers words; or, secondly, in hopeless and remediless calamities.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 88 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 88:6 Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.Ver. 6. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit] In cisterna infimorum, in the deepest dungeon, in lutoso lacu, such as Jeremiah was cast into, Jeremiah 37:15-16 In the deeps] In voraginibus, out of which none escapes, nothing can be buoyed up, as they call it.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 88 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges6. Thou hast laid me] God is treating him as though he were actually dead. The same word is used in the same connexion in Psalms 49:14. in the lowest pit] The nether world in the depths of the earth. Cp. Psalms 86:13; Psalms 63:9; Lamentations 3:55. The Targum explains it allegorically of the Exile. “Thou hast placed me in exile which is like the nether pit.” in darkness] R.V. in dark places. So Sheol is described in Psalms 143:3; Lamentations 3:6. Cp. Job 10:21-22. in the deeps] A word generally used of the depths of the sea: here metaphorically of the depths of misery (Psalms 69:15; cp. Lamentations 3:54), or as another synonym for Sheol, which was supposed to be situated below the sea.…
Read Cambridge on Psalms 88 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThou hast laid me in the lowest pit - That is, I am as if I were thus laid; the deep grave seems now to lie so certainly before me, that it may be spoken of as if it were already my abode.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 88 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible6. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit—In Psalms 88:4-5, he was already in the pit and in sheol. Here, in the “lowest” or deepest pit. In darkness— The pit is so deep that the daylight is shut out.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon 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
You have laid me in the lowest Pit, in the darkest of the depths.
You have laid me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths.
You have laid me in the lowest Pit, in the darkest of the depths.
You place me in the lowest regions of the pit, in the dark places, in the watery depths.
Tyndale line
Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.
Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in the deeps.
Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in dark places, in the deeps.
Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.
Thou hast layde me in the lowest pit, in darkenes, and in the deepe.
Strictly literal
Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in dark places, in the deeps.
Thou hast put me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in depths.
You have put me in the lowest pit, || In dark places, in depths.
(88:7) Thou hast laid me in the pit of the lower world, in darkness, in the depths.
You place me in the lowest part of the pit, in the dark and deep places.
From the Latin
The heavens shall confess thy wonders, O Lord: and thy truth in the church of the saints.
Simplified
You have placed me in a deep pit, in the depths of darkness.
You have put me in the lowest deep, even in dark places.
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 and the Septuagint agree closely in this verse, with all five words matched. The Septuagint follows the Hebrew closely, though its wording reflects its own syntactical structure.
שַׁ֭תַּנִי בְּב֣וֹר תַּחְתִּיּ֑וֹת בְּ֝מַחֲשַׁכִּ֗ים בִּמְצֹלֽוֹת׃
5 of the 5 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 88:6
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.
The Hebrew word שִׁית (shiyth) is a primitive root meaning to put or set, with a wide range of applications including appointing, laying, and constituting. It can also imply taking a stand or being imposed upon. The entries consistently emphasize its versatility in contexts of action and intention.
שִׁית vb. put, set
Qal
put, lay
set, station
set one's mind to, give heed, attention
set, fix
constitute, make one something
internally trans., = take one's stand
Hoph. if a ransom be imposed
base
H7896 שִׁית put, set .. put, lay
. . set, station
. set one's mind to, give heed, attention
. set, fix
. constitute, make one something
. internally trans., = take one's stand
. if a ransom be imposed
7896 shiyth sheeth
a primitive root; to place (in a very wide
application):--apply, appoint, array, bring, consider, lay
(up), let alone, X look, make, mark, put (on), + regard, set,
shew, be stayed, X take.
שִׁית (shit) — to set: make.
: make/establish
1) to put, set
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to put, lay (hand upon)
1a2) to set, station, appoint, fix, set mind to
1a3) to constitute, make (one something), make like, perform
1a4) to take one's stand
1a5) to lay waste
1b) (Hophal) to be imposed, be set upon
שִׁית (shit) — to set: put.
: put/bring
1) to put, set
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to put, lay (hand upon)
1a2) to set, station, appoint, fix, set mind to
1a3) to constitute, make (one something), make like, perform
1a4) to take one's stand
1a5) to lay waste
1b) (Hophal) to be imposed, be set upon
שִׁית (shit) — to set: appoint.
: appoint
1) to put, set
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to put, lay (hand upon)
1a2) to set, station, appoint, fix, set mind to
1a3) to constitute, make (one something), make like, perform
1a4) to take one's stand
1a5) to lay waste
1b) (Hophal) to be imposed, be set upon
שִׁית (shit) — to set: accuse.
HVqp2ms/Sp1bs — Verb qal perfect second person masculine singular · suffixHVqp2ms/Sp1bs
בּוֹר (bor) refers to a pit, well, or cistern, often used for water storage or as a dungeon. It can also denote a grave pit. The term appears in various contexts, including the specific location known as the cistern of Sirah, mentioned in 2 Samuel 3:26. The entries consistently emphasize its function as a hole or pit.
בּוֹר n.m. pit, cistern, well
cistern, containing water, made by digging
later appar. well
pit
dungeon
(poet. & late; never c. art.) pit of the grave
base
בּוֹר הַסִּרָה n.pr.loc. 2 S 3:26 (cistern of Sirah)
ref
H953a בּוֹר pit, cistern, well H953b בּוֹר הַסִּרָה (cistern of Sirah)
953 bowr bore
from 952 (in the sense of 877); a pit hole (especially one
used as a cistern or a prison):--cistern, dungeon, fountain,
pit, well.
see HEBREW for 0952
see HEBREW for 0877
בּוֹר (bor) — pit.
pit, well, cistern, dungeon, pit of the grave
בּוֹר (bor) — Cistern.
Cistern of Sirah
HR/Ncmsc — Preposition · noun common masculine singular constructHR/Ncmsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
תַּחְתִּי (tachtiy) means 'lower' or 'lowest,' referring to positions or places. It can be used as an adjective or a noun, indicating the depths or lower parts, such as a pit or womb. The word is derived from a root meaning 'low' and is noted in various contexts in the Old Testament.
תַּחְתִּי adj. and subst. lower, lowest (places)
base
H8482 תַּחְתִּי lower, lowest (places)
8482 tachtiy takh-tee'
from 8478; lowermost; as noun (feminine plural) the depths
(figuratively, a pit, the womb):--low (parts, -er, -er
parts, - est), nether (part).
see HEBREW for 08478
תַּחְתִּי (tach.ti) — lower.
1) low, lower, lowest
1a) lowest (as adj)
1b) the lower parts (subst)
HAafpa — HAafpa
מַחְשָׁךְ (machshak) refers to a dark place or darkness, often used poetically. It is derived from the root meaning darkness and can imply secrecy or a hiding place, including metaphorical uses like the grave. The Aramaic equivalent is חֲשׁוֹךְ (cha.shokh), also meaning darkness.
מַחְשָׁךְ n.m. dark place (poet.)
base
H4285 מַחְשָׁךְ dark place (poet.)
4285 machshak makh-shawk'
from 2821; darkness; concretely, a dark place:--dark(-ness,
place).
see HEBREW for 02821
מַחְשָׁךְ (mach.shakh) — darkness.
1) darkness, dark place, secrecy
1a) hiding-place
1b) dark region
1c) grave
Aramaic equivalent: cha.shokh (חֲשׁוֹךְ "darkness" H2816)
HR/Ncmpa — Preposition · noun common masculine plural absoluteHR/Ncmpa
מְצוֹלָה (metsolah) refers to a deep place, particularly in relation to water or mud, encompassing meanings like depth and the deep sea. It is derived from a root associated with depth (H6683). The entries consistently emphasize its application to deep areas, without notable disagreement among the lexicons.
[מְצוֹלָה], מְצוּלָה n.f. depth, deep
base
H4688 מְצוֹלָה, מְצוּלָה depth, deep
4688 mtsowlah mets-o-law'
or mtsolah {mets-o-law'}; also mtsuwlah {mets-oo-law'}; or
mtsulah {mets-oo-law'}; from the same as 6683; a deep place
(of water or mud):--bottom, deep, depth.
see HEBREW for 06683
מְצוֹלָה (me.tso.lah) — depth.
depth, the deep, the deep sea
HR/Ncfpa — Preposition · noun common feminine plural absoluteHR/Ncfpa