{"id":7871,"date":"2025-05-31T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-31T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/milagreshoje.com.br\/?p=7871"},"modified":"2025-05-30T18:41:23","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T21:41:23","slug":"psalm-88-a-deep-cry-amid-affliction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/milagreshoje.com.br\/en\/psalm-88-a-deep-cry-amid-affliction\/","title":{"rendered":"Psalm 88: A Deep Cry Amid Affliction"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Psalm 88<\/strong> is one of the most intense and somber poetic texts of the Bible. Right from the start, we are led to feel the psalmist\u2019s anguish and loneliness as he desperately cries out for help. This psalm is known for its brutal honesty and for lacking a joyful ending, unlike many other psalms that close with praise or hope. In this article, we will explore Psalm 88<\/strong> in depth, analyzing its meanings, historical context, interpretations, and teachings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 88 Complete<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u00b9 LORD God of my salvation, I cry out before You day and night.
\u00b2 May my prayer come before You; incline Your ear to my cry;
\u00b3 For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to the grave.
\u2074 I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am like a man without strength,
\u2075 Adrift among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom You remember no more, for they are cut off from Your hand.
\u2076 You have laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the depths.
\u2077 Your wrath lies heavy upon me; You have afflicted me with all Your waves. (Selah.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2078 You have taken my acquaintances far from me; You have made me an object of utter loathing to them. I am shut in and cannot escape.
\u2079 My eyes grow dim because of affliction. LORD, I have called on You every day; I have stretched out my hands to You.
\u00b9\u2070 Will You work wonders for the dead? Shall the dead rise up and praise You? (Selah.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b9\u00b9 Shall Your loving-kindness be declared in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon?
\u00b9\u00b2 Shall Your wonders be known in the darkness, or Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
\u00b9\u00b3 But I, LORD, cry out to You; in the morning my prayer comes before You.
\u00b9\u2074 LORD, why do You reject my soul? Why do You hide Your face from me?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00b9\u2075 I have been afflicted and ready to die from my youth; while I suffer Your terrors, I am distraught.
\u00b9\u2076 Your fierce wrath has swept over me; Your terrors have cut me off.
\u00b9\u2077 They surround me all day long like water; they completely encircle me.
\u00b9\u2078 You have taken loved one and friend far from me; my acquaintances are in darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Psalm 88 Complete and Explained<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 88:1<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLORD God of my salvation, I cry out before You day and night.\u201d<\/strong>
\nThe psalmist begins by recognizing God as his only source of salvation<\/strong> and shows that he never stops praying, crying out day and night in an unceasing search for an answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 88:2<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMay my prayer come before You; incline Your ear to my cry;\u201d<\/strong>
\nHere he asks that his prayer reach God\u2019s very presence and that He bend His ear as a sign of urgent attention to the plea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 88:3<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to the grave.\u201d<\/strong>
\nThe psalmist feels his soul weighed down with pain and believes he is on the brink of death, overwhelmed by anguish and despair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 88:4<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am like a man without strength,\u201d<\/strong>
\nHe considers himself among the dead, like someone weakened, with no vigor to resist the pain consuming him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 88:5<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAdrift among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom You remember no more, for they are cut off from Your hand.\u201d<\/strong>
\nThe psalmist feels forgotten by God, like those who have died and are no longer under divine care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 88:6<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou have laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the depths.\u201d<\/strong>
\nHe believes God has placed him at the deepest, darkest point of his existence\u2014an abyss with no light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 88:7<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour wrath lies heavy upon me; You have afflicted me with all Your waves. (Selah.)\u201d<\/strong>
\nHe feels that God\u2019s anger weighs on him like waves that continuously drown him, increasing his suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 88:8<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou have taken my acquaintances far from me; You have made me an object of utter loathing to them. I am shut in and cannot escape.\u201d<\/strong>
\nThe psalmist laments social abandonment: his acquaintances have departed, he has become rejected, and now he is trapped in a hopeless state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 88:9<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy eyes grow dim because of affliction. LORD, I have called on You every day; I have stretched out my hands to You.\u201d<\/strong>
\nEven weakened and frail, he does not stop praying and daily stretches his hands toward God, showing constant supplication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 88:10<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWill You work wonders for the dead? Shall the dead rise up and praise You? (Selah.)\u201d<\/strong>
\nThe psalmist questions the purpose of death, asking whether the dead can witness God\u2019s miracles or rise to praise Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 88:11<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShall Your loving-kindness be declared in the grave, Your faithfulness in Abaddon?\u201d<\/strong>
\nHe asks whether God\u2019s goodness and faithfulness can be proclaimed from beyond, reinforcing his desire to live and testify to such virtues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 88:12<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShall Your wonders be known in the darkness, or Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?\u201d<\/strong>
\nThe psalmist continues arguing that, in death, there is no remembrance or proclamation of God\u2019s works and justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 88:13<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut I, LORD, cry out to You; in the morning my prayer comes before You.\u201d<\/strong>
\nDespite all the pain, he keeps praying and hopes that God will hear his pleas at dawn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 88:14<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLORD, why do You reject my soul? Why do You hide Your face from me?\u201d<\/strong>
\nHe expresses a deep feeling of rejection and spiritual abandonment, asking why God seems distant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 88:15<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have been afflicted and ready to die from my youth; while I suffer Your terrors, I am distraught.\u201d<\/strong>
\nThe psalmist reveals that his suffering did not start now: since youth he has lived in distress, and now he is utterly disturbed by divine terrors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 88:16<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour fierce wrath has swept over me; Your terrors have cut me off.\u201d<\/strong>
\nHe describes suffering as something that slices and tears him apart, as though God\u2019s terrors pass over him violently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 88:17<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey surround me all day long like water; they completely encircle me.\u201d<\/strong>
\nHe feels utterly surrounded, besieged by suffering and terrors, like relentless waters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 88:18<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou have taken loved one and friend far from me; my acquaintances are in darkness.\u201d<\/strong>
\nThe psalmist closes by reaffirming abandonment: loved ones and companions have vanished, and acquaintances are now distant, shrouded in darkness, leaving him alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Psalm 88?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 88<\/strong> is a psalm of lament, written to express deep, seemingly unsolvable suffering. It belongs to the collection of the \u201cSons of Korah,\u201d a group of musicians and poets associated with the temple in Jerusalem. Authorship is attributed to Heman the Ezrahite. This psalm is peculiar because it maintains a dark tone from beginning to end, with no relief from pain through a hopeful conclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Structure and Themes of Psalm 88<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Psalmist\u2019s Cry<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

From the first verses, Psalm 88<\/strong> shows a man in despair, crying to God day and night. He feels his soul filled with troubles and believes he is near death. This profound lament reveals not only physical or emotional pain, but a sense of spiritual abandonment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Experience of Isolation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another central theme of Psalm 88<\/strong> is isolation. The psalmist states that friends and acquaintances have withdrawn, and he is surrounded only by darkness. This feeling of loneliness intensifies the suffering experienced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Absence of an Answer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Unlike other psalms, where the psalmist ends with praise or renewed confidence in God, Psalm 88<\/strong> offers no answer or solution. It ends as somberly as it begins, leaving the reader immersed in the author\u2019s pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Historical Context of Psalm 88<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Who Was Heman the Ezrahite?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Heman was one of the chief musicians of the temple, known for his wisdom and talent. He belonged to a lineage of Levitical musicians responsible for songs and praises in the temple. The fact that Heman composed such a suffering-laden text shows that even those very close to religious practice were subject to profound personal crises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Role of Lament Psalms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In Jewish tradition, lament psalms like Psalm 88<\/strong> played an important role: they were sincere prayers from those who acknowledged pain and suffering before God. These texts allowed difficult emotions to be expressed without fear, showing that true faith includes even moments of doubt and pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spiritual Lessons from Psalm 88<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Honesty in Prayer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Psalm 88<\/strong> teaches us that there is no need to mask pain before God. He welcomes our cries even when we have no words of gratitude or hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Value of Lament<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This psalm legitimizes lament as part of spiritual life. It shows that suffering does not invalidate faith; on the contrary, it is part of the relationship with God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Persistence in Seeking God<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Even without answers, the psalmist continues to cry out. This reveals a persistent faith that does not depend on immediate results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Curiosities About Psalm 88<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n