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Texts -- Psalms 88:5-18 (NET)

Context
88:5 adrift among the dead , like corpses lying in the grave , whom you remember no more , and who are cut off from your power . 88:6 You place me in the lowest regions of the pit , in the dark places , in the watery depths . 88:7 Your anger bears down on me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves . (Selah ) 88:8 You cause those who know me to keep their distance ; you make me an appalling sight to them. I am trapped and cannot get free . 88:9 My eyes grow weak because of oppression . I call out to you, O Lord , all day long; I spread out my hands in prayer to you. 88:10 Do you accomplish amazing things for the dead ? Do the departed spirits rise up and give you thanks ? (Selah ) 88:11 Is your loyal love proclaimed in the grave , or your faithfulness in the place of the dead ? 88:12 Are your amazing deeds experienced in the dark region, or your deliverance in the land of oblivion ? 88:13 As for me, I cry out to you, O Lord ; in the morning my prayer confronts you. 88:14 O Lord , why do you reject me , and pay no attention to me? 88:15 I am oppressed and have been on the verge of death since my youth . I have been subjected to your horrors and am numb with pain . 88:16 Your anger overwhelms me; your terrors destroy me. 88:17 They surround me like water all day long; they join forces and encircle me. 88:18 You cause my friends and neighbors to keep their distance ; those who know me leave me alone in the darkness .

Pericope

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Bible Dictionary

  • EZRAHITE

    [ebd] a title given to Ethan (1 Kings 4:31; Ps. 89, title) and Heman (Ps. 88, title). They were both sons of Zerah (1 Chr. 2:6).
    [isbe] EZRAHITE - ez'-ra-hit ('ezrachi; Asebon): Found in 1 Ki 4:31; Psalms 88; 89, titles; from which it appears that the word is a patronymic for Ethan and Heman. It may be derived from Zerah, instead of Ezrah, seeing that there ...

  • JOB, BOOK OF

    [ebd] A great diversity of opinion exists as to the authorship of this book. From internal evidence, such as the similarity of sentiment and language to those in the Psalms and Proverbs (see Ps. 88 and 89), the prevalence of the i...
    [isbe] JOB, BOOK OF - || I. INTRODUCTORY 1. Place in the Canon 2. Rank and Readers II. THE LITERARY FRAMEWORK 1. Setting of Time, Place and Scene 2. Characters and Personality 3. Form and Style III. THE COURSE OF THE STORY A) To Jo...

  • LEANNOTH

    [ebd] for answering; i.e., in singing, occurs in the title to Ps. 88. The title "Mahalath (q.v.) Leannoth" may be rendered "concerning sickness, to be sung" i.e., perhaps, to be sung in sickness.
    [isbe] LEANNOTH - le-an'-oth (Ps 88, title). See PSALMS.

  • PSALMS, BOOK OF

    [isbe] PSALMS, BOOK OF - samz, (tehillim, "praises," cepher tehillim, "book of praises"; Psalmoi, Psalterion): I. INTRODUCTORY TOPICS 1. Title 2. Place in the Canon 3. Number of Psalms 4. Titles in the Hebrew Text II. AUTHORSHIP AN...

  • Heman

    [nave] HEMAN 1. A man noted for wisdom, to whom Solomon is compared, 1 Kin. 4:31; 1 Chr. 2:6. 2. "The singer,'' a chief Levite, and musician, 1 Chr. 6:33; 15:17, 19; 16:41. The king's seer, 1 Chr. 25:5. His sons and daughters te...

  • Korah

    [nave] KORAH 1. A son of Esau, Gen. 36:5, 14, 18. 2. A Korhite Levite, Ex. 6:18, 21, 24; jealous of Moses, leads two hundred and fifty princes in an insurrection, and is swallowed up in the earth, Num. 16; 26:9, 10; Deut. 11:6; Ps...

  • MAHALATH

    [isbe] MAHALATH - ma'-ha-lath (machalath): (1) In Gen 28:9 the name of a wife of Esau, daughter of Ishmael, and sister of Nebaioth, called in 36:3, BASEMATH (which see). The Samaritan Pentateuch, however, throughout Genesis 36 reta...

  • Music

    [nave] MUSIC Teachers of, 1 Chr. 15:22; 25:7, 8; 2 Chr. 23:13. Physical effect of, on people, 1 Sam. 16:15, 16, 23. Discoursed during the offering of sacrifices, 2 Chr. 29:27, 28. Precentor, Neh. 12:42. Chief musician, Neh. 12:...

  • Afflictions and Adversities

    [nave] AFFLICTIONS AND ADVERSITIES. List of Sub-Topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-Topics; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Benefits of; Benefits of, Illustrated; Consolation in; Deliverance from; Design of; Despondency in; Dispe...

  • Mahalath Leannoth Maschil

    [ebd] This word leannoth seems to point to some kind of instrument unknown (Ps. 88, title). The whole phrase has by others been rendered, "On the sickness of affliction: a lesson;" or, "Concerning afflictive sickness: a didactic p...

  • Psalms

    [ebd] The psalms are the production of various authors. "Only a portion of the Book of Psalms claims David as its author. Other inspired poets in successive generations added now one now another contribution to the sacred collecti...

  • Music, Instrumental

    [ebd] Among instruments of music used by the Hebrews a principal place is given to stringed instruments. These were, (1.) The kinnor, the "harp." (2.) The nebel, "a skin bottle," rendered "psaltery." (3.) The sabbeka, or "sackbut,...

  • SONG

    [isbe] SONG - (shir, shirah): Besides the great collection of sacred songs contained in the Psalter, as well as the lyric outbursts, marked by strong religious feeling, on great national occasions, it is natural to believe, and we ...

  • Death

    [isbe] DEATH - (maweth; thanatos): PHYSIOLOGICAL AND FIGURATIVE VIEW The word "Death" is used in the sense of (1) the process of dying (Gen 21:16); (2) the period of decease (Gen 27:7); (3) as a possible synonym for poison (2 Ki 4:...
    [nave] DEATH. Called in some versions &ld;Giving Up the Ghost,&rd; Gen. 25:8; 35:29; Lam. 1:19; Acts 5:10. King of Terrors Job 18:14. A Change Job 14:14. Going to your Fathers Gen. 15:15; 25:8; 35:29. Putting Off This Tabe...

  • DECEASE, IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND APOCYPHRA

    [isbe] DECEASE, IN THE OLD TESTAMENT AND APOCYPHRA - de-ses' (rapha', plural repha'im, "ghosts," "shades," is translated by "dead," "dead body," and "deceased" in both the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and Ame...

  • Prayer

    [ebd] is converse with God; the intercourse of the soul with God, not in contemplation or meditation, but in direct address to him. Prayer may be oral or mental, occasional or constant, ejaculatory or formal. It is a "beseeching t...
    [nave] PRAYER. Index of Sub-topics Miscellany of Minor Sub-Topics; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Answer to, Promised; Answered, Instances of Answered; Confession in; Importunity in, Instances of Importunity in; Intercessor...

  • SHEOL

    [isbe] SHEOL - she'-ol (she'ol): 1. The Name 2. The Abode of the Dead (1) Not a State of Unconsciousness (2) Not Removed from God's Jurisdiction (3) Relation to Immortality 3. Post-canonical Period 1. The Name: This word is often t...

  • Hades

    [nave] HADES 1. The unseen world, translated hell in A.V., Matt. 11:23; 16:18; Luke 10:15; 16:23; Acts 2:27, 31; Rev. 1:18; 6:8; 20:13, 14. See: Hell; Sheol. Realm, or State, of the Dead usually expressed in Hebrew by Sheol and ...

  • Dead

    [nave] DEAD Raised to life, instances of: Son of the widow of Zarephath, 1 Kin. 17:17-23; Shunammite's son, 2 Kin. 4:32-37; young man laid in Elisha's sepulchre, 2 Kin. 13:21; widow's son, Luke 7:12-15; Jairus' daughter, Luke 8:49-...

  • Friendship

    [nave] FRIENDSHIP. Deut. 13:6-9; Job 6:14, 15; Job 16:2, 20; Job 19:13-22; Psa. 35:13, 14; Psa. 41:9; Psa. 55:12-14; Psa. 88:8, 18; Prov. 11:13; Prov. 17:9, 17; Prov. 18:24; Prov. 22:24-27; Prov. 25:17, 19; Prov. 27:6, 9, 10, 14, ...
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Arts

Hymns

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  • [Psa 88:9] Father, I Stretch My Hands To Thee
  • [Psa 88:10] Shall Man, O God Of Light And Life

Sermon Illustrations

1 Peter 3:18-20

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • Some commentators have seen Hannah's prayer as a non-essential song of praise included in the text for sentimental reasons, but this magnificent prayer provides the key to interpreting the rest of 1 and 2 Samuel. In this pray...
  • "Chapter 26 is one of the grandest recitals in the whole book. It is excelled only by the Lord's speeches, as is fitting. It sounds well in Job's mouth, and ends the dialogue, like the first movement of a symphony, with great...
  • The texts of the individual psalms do not usually indicate who wrote them.1However some of the titles of the individual psalms do contain information about the writers.2This is the only really reliable information we have as ...
  • I. Book 1: chs. 1-41II. Book 2: chs. 42-72III. Book 3: chs. 73-89IV. Book 4: chs. 90-106V. Book 5: chs. 107-150...
  • In this psalm David urged those who sin against the Lord to seek His pardon with the encouragement that He is gracious with the penitent. He will, however, chasten the unrepentant.Students of this penitential psalm have often...
  • A man or men named Asaph wrote 17 of the psalms in this book (Pss. 73-83). Other writers were the sons of Korah (Pss. 84-85, 87), David (Ps. 86), Heman (Ps. 88), and Ethan (Ps. 89). Asaph, Heman, and Ethan were musicians from...
  • 88:1-2 These verses are an introduction to what follows. The psalmist announced that he prayed unceasingly to the God from whom he hoped to receive deliverance. He pleaded with God to entertain his request and act upon it by ...
  • For the third time Heman cried out to God for help (cf. vv. 1-2, 13). He asked for an explanation for his suffering (v. 14). Then he described his sufferings further (vv. 15-18). Still he kept turning to God in prayer waiting...
  • 89:38-45 Next Ethan recounted what God had permitted to overtake David. He was now weak and defeated rather than being strong and successful. God had apparently cut David off and gone back on His promises. The fall of Jerusal...
  • Allen, Ronald B. "Evidence from Psalm 89."In A Case for Premillennialism: A New Consensus, pp. 55-77. Edited by Donald K. Campbell and Jeffrey L. Townsend. Chicago: Moody Press, 1992._____. Lord of Song. Portland: Multnomah P...
  • Verses 2-7 are full of figures of speech that picture old age and death.7912:2-3 Solomon likened the evil days first to an approaching rainstorm (v. 2) that is fearful and uncertain (cf. 11:7-8). The Hebrews regarded any decl...
  • 3:1 Jeremiah claimed to have seen much affliction because Yahweh had struck Jerusalem in His anger (cf. Job 9:34; 21:9; Ps. 89:32; Isa. 10:5)."The two preceding poems ended with sorrowful complaint. This third poem begins wit...
  • The following section of the lament falls into two parts marked by Jeremiah's use of the plural (vv. 41-47) and singular personal pronouns (vv. 48-66). In the first part he called on the Judahites to confess their sins to God...
  • The following prayer is mainly thanksgiving for deliverance from drowning. It is not thanksgiving for deliverance from the fish. Jonah prayed it while he was in the fish. Evidently he concluded after some time in the fish's s...
  • "The opening verses of Nahum form a prologue dominated by the revelation of God's eternal power and divine nature in creation (cf. Rom 1:20). As in Romans 1:18-32, this revelation is characterized preeminently by God's justic...
  • Habakkuk's prayer is hymnic in form, like many of the psalms (cf. Ps. 16; 30; 45; 88; 102; 142), and it apparently stood apart from the rest of the book at one time, as this title verse suggests. "Shigionoth"may be the title ...
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