Psalms 88

A prayer of the Prophet, representing the temptations, and the manifold troubles, which he suffered: teaching all believers, how to turn to God in adversity, and to wait for comfort him.

1. An Hymn, [This Psalm is the most sad and dole fullest in all the book, from the beginning to the end] A Psalm for the children of Korah, [see the Annot. Psalm 48.on verse 1.] for the chief song-master, upon Machalath Leannoth: [See of the word Machalath, Psalms 53:1. it doth properly signify weakness; but here it is the name of a musical instrument; or the beginning of a certain song in use among them:] An instruction [i.e. a Psalm made for to instruct and shew the people of God, how they ought to call upon God, when they are fallen into Great troubles and afflictions] of Heman the Ezrahite: [Heman is recorded amongst the most skilful Musicians, and Wise men, 1 Kings 4:31. and 1 Chron.6.33. and 15.17,19., and 16.24.]

2. O LORD God of my salvation! [i.e. that hast saved and kept me hitherto, and will preserve me likewise henceforward, as I do stedfastly hope and assure my self] by day, by night do I call before thee: [Hebr. By day do I call (and) by night before thee.]

3. Let my prayer come before thy face [i.e. before thy presence] encline thine ears to my crying.

4. For my soul is full of adversities, [Heb. Of evils; and to be full, or satisfied of adversities, is as much as to say, to be overcharged with them. See the Annot. Job 7.on verse 4.] and my life reacheth to the grave, [Heb.Scheol See Gen.37.on verse 35.i.e. there is scarce any difference at all betwixt me and death; Psalm 107.v.18. the grave is called the gate of death.]

5. I am counted with those that descend into the pit: I am become like a man that is powerless: (or of no strength:)

6. Separated among the dead, [Heb. Freed, i.e. severed viz. From the living, even as the leprous were wont, according to the Law of God, Levit.13.46. to be separated from cohabiting with other men; See 2 King.15.5.] like unto the slain which lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: [viz. For to bring them into this life again: Job 7:7. and 10.21.] and they are cut off from thine hand.

7. Thou hast laid me into the uttermost pit: [Heb. Into a pit of lownesses or depths, or of the nethermost places] into darknesses, into depths.

8. Thy fierceness lieth upon me: [Heb. Leaneth, etc.] Thou hast pressed (me) down with all thy billows; [spoken by a similitude, taken from the waves or billows of the Sea, whereby one is overwhelmed: See the like expression above, Psalm.42.8. and 2 Sam.22.5.] Sela!

9. Mine acquaintance hast thou put away far from me, thou hast set me to them for a great abomination; [Heb. To abomination, or loathsomenesses] I am shut up and cannot get out. [i.e. I cannot recover, or get out of the troubles wherewith I am environed.]

10. Mine eye mourneth for pressures sake: LORD, I cry unto thee all the day; [Or, daily, every day] I stretch out mine hand unto thee. [Heb. My palms.]

11. Shalt thou do wonders on the dead? [viz. So as that they lying in the grave, shall have sence yet and ability to praise the Lord, as they would do, if they were alive yet? He will say, Make haste Lord to deliver me, else my life will soon be at an end] or shall the dead rise up? [viz. To this temporal life which they enjoyed before in this world: See Psalm 6.on v.6.] shall they praise thee? Sela.

12. Shall thy kindness be rehearsed in the grave? Thy faithfulness in the destruction? [the Hebrew word Abaddon, properly signifying perdition, or destruction; whence it is sometimes taken for the place of destruction: and other while for the grave or tomb: See Job 26:6. and 28.v.22.]

13. Shall thy wonders, [Heb. Thy wonders,] be made known in the darkness? [i.e. in the state and place of death, called the land of darkness, and the shadow of death, Job 10:21,22.] and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? [thus he calleth the earth or the grave where the dead are laid, in regard that they, forasmuch as concerns the state of the body, have no sence at all left of the things of this present world; or likewise in regard that those which are laid under ground be soon forgotten; See Job 10:22. and 21.21. and Psalms 37:13. Eccles.8.10. and 9.5.]

14. But I LORD, cry unto thee: and my prayer comes before thee in the Morning.

15. LORD, why do you reject (or cast off) my soul? [See the Annot. Job 19:7.] (and) bidest thy countenance from me?

16. From the youth am I oppressed, [Others, from the shaking or wrestling wherewith thou hast shaken and wrestled with me, am I oppressed, etc.] and ready to die; [or, dying, viz. By reason of my continual misery. See Numb.17.12,13.] I bear thy frightenings, [viz. Those which thou hast sent upon me.] I am perplexed; [or doubtful, wavering almost ready to despair, not knowing what to think of my condition: or, I am in perplexed afflictions, for fear of more evil, that may be ready to come upon me.]

17. Thy hot wrathfulnesses go over me: [Heb. Thy burnings] thy affrightments, [viz. Whereby thou frightest or terrifies me.] make me perish: [or oppress me.]

18. All the day, they [viz. Thy wrath and terrors] compass me about like water: they surround me together.

19. Thou hast put friend and companion far from me: mine acquaintance are in darkness, [i.e. they hide themselves from me, and go as it were in obscurity, so that I see none of them, and they will neither see nor know me any further. See Job 19:13,14.]