The Bible — World English Bible
Psalm 88
In brief
Psalm 88 is a song of the sons of Korah, credited to Heman the Ezrahite. It is the darkest psalm in the collection: no praise and no promise, and it ends in darkness. Yet it is a prayer. Heman cries out day and night to the LORD, the God of his salvation, and describes suffering close to death, loneliness and the sense that God has withdrawn. His faith hangs by a thread, but he keeps calling and prays in the morning. This psalm gives words to those who suffer for a long time without an answer.
The chapter in 4 parts
1Yahweh, the God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before you.
2Let my prayer enter into your presence. Turn your ear to my cry.
3For my soul is full of troubles. My life draws near to Sheol.
4I am counted among those who go down into the pit. I am like a man who has no help,
5set apart among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more. They are cut off from your hand.
6You have laid me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths.
7Your wrath lies heavily on me. You have afflicted me with all your waves.
8You have taken my friends from me. You have made me an abomination to them. I am confined, and I can’t escape.
9My eyes are dim from grief. I have called on you daily, Yahweh. I have spread out my hands to you.
10Do you show wonders to the dead? Do the departed spirits rise up and praise you?
11Is your loving kindness declared in the grave? Or your faithfulness in Destruction?
12Are your wonders made known in the dark? Or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13But to you, Yahweh, I have cried. In the morning, my prayer comes before you.
14Yahweh, why do you reject my soul? Why do you hide your face from me?
15I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up. While I suffer your terrors, I am distracted.
16Your fierce wrath has gone over me. Your terrors have cut me off.
17They came around me like water all day long. They completely engulfed me.
18You have put lover and friend far from me, and my friends into darkness.
Key verses
Yahweh, the God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before you.
Even at his lowest, Heman addresses the God of my salvation. This is the only glimmer in the psalm: he still believes in the one he is speaking to.
For my soul is full of troubles. My life draws near to Sheol.
The psalm hides nothing of the distress: the soul is full of troubles and life draws near to Sheol. The Bible thus gives us the right to speak of our suffering without disguising it.
Do you show wonders to the dead? Do the departed spirits rise up and praise you?
Heman questions God: do the dead rise up to praise him? The question expresses the dread of death, before the resurrection is revealed more clearly in the New Testament.
But to you, Yahweh, I have cried. In the morning, my prayer comes before you.
Despite the lack of an answer, he prays in the morning. Persevering in prayer, even without comfort, is the psalm's only answer.
Bible verses to meditate on
Test your knowledge
Frequently asked questions about Psalm 88
What does Psalm 88 mean?
Psalm 88 is the prayer of a man crushed by suffering that has no answer. It ends without consolation, which makes it unique. Its message is that faith can also be expressed in complaint: Heman keeps calling on God, even when he no longer feels his presence.
Why does Psalm 88 end without hope?
Commentators have no single explanation. For some, the Bible deliberately leaves this psalm without a way out to show that we can pray without getting an answer. Others note that Heman addresses God to the very end, which is already an act of faith. The text itself does not settle the question.
How can I pray with Psalm 88?
Use it when your own words run out. Read it aloud, without trying to conclude on a positive note. Tell God what you feel, as Heman does. If you are going through depression, talk about it with a trusted person and a professional too, because prayer does not rule out human help.
Who is Heman the Ezrahite?
Heman is named in the title of the psalm, along with the sons of Korah, Levites in charge of the music of worship. He is known for his wisdom in 1 Kings 5:11. The text does not say what trial he was going through, which lets many readers recognize themselves in it.
Articles quoting Psalm 88
World English Bible translation — public domain.