Corpus Psalterium · Vol. IV
Psalm LXXXVIII (88)
Cantillated — Unresolved Lament
Paul Whitehorn
Study the Word
Psalm 88 in Hebrew and English, and the words as they are sung.
A Song. A Psalm by the sons of Korah. For the Chief Musician. To the tune of “The Suffering of Affliction.” A contemplation by Heman, the Ezrahite.
שִׁ֥יר מִזְמ֗וֹר לִבְנֵ֫י קֹ֥רַח לַמְנַצֵּ֣חַ עַל־מָחֲלַ֣ת לְעַנּ֑וֹת מַ֝שְׂכִּ֗יל לְהֵימָ֥ן הָאֶזְרָחִֽי׃
Yahweh, the God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before you.
יְ֭הוָה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יְשׁוּעָתִ֑י יוֹם־צָעַ֖קְתִּי בַלַּ֣יְלָה נֶגְדֶּֽךָ׃
Let my prayer enter into your presence. Turn your ear to my cry.
תָּב֣וֹא לְ֭פָנֶיךָ תְּפִלָּתִ֑י הַטֵּֽה־אָ֝זְנְךָ֗ לְרִנָּתִֽי׃
For my soul is full of troubles. My life draws near to Sheol.
כִּֽי־שָֽׂבְעָ֣ה בְרָע֣וֹת נַפְשִׁ֑י וְחַיַּ֗י לִשְׁא֥וֹל הִגִּֽיעוּ׃
I am counted among those who go down into the pit. I am like a man who has no help,
נֶ֭חְשַׁבְתִּי עִם־י֣וֹרְדֵי ב֑וֹר הָ֝יִ֗יתִי כְּגֶ֣בֶר אֵֽין־אֱיָֽל׃
set apart among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more. They are cut off from your hand.
בַּמֵּתִ֗ים חָ֫פְשִׁ֥י כְּמ֤וֹ חֲלָלִ֨ים ׀ שֹׁ֥כְבֵי קֶ֗בֶר אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹ֣א זְכַרְתָּ֣ם ע֑וֹד וְ֝הֵ֗מָּה מִיָּדְךָ֥ נִגְזָֽרוּ׃
You have laid me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths.
שַׁ֭תַּנִי בְּב֣וֹר תַּחְתִּיּ֑וֹת בְּ֝מַחֲשַׁכִּ֗ים בִּמְצֹלֽוֹת׃
Your wrath lies heavily on me. You have afflicted me with all your waves. Selah.
עָ֭לַי סָמְכָ֣ה חֲמָתֶ֑ךָ וְכָל־מִ֝שְׁבָּרֶ֗יךָ עִנִּ֥יתָ סֶּֽלָה׃
You have taken my friends from me. You have made me an abomination to them. I am confined, and I can’t escape.
הִרְחַ֥קְתָּ מְיֻדָּעַ֗י מִ֫מֶּ֥נִּי שַׁתַּ֣נִי תוֹעֵב֣וֹת לָ֑מוֹ כָּ֝לֻ֗א וְלֹ֣א אֵצֵֽא׃
My eyes are dim from grief. I have called on you daily, Yahweh. I have spread out my hands to you.
עֵינִ֥י דָאֲבָ֗ה מִנִּ֫י עֹ֥נִי קְרָאתִ֣יךָ יְהוָ֣ה בְּכָל־י֑וֹם שִׁטַּ֖חְתִּי אֵלֶ֣יךָ כַפָּֽי׃
Do you show wonders to the dead? Do the departed spirits rise up and praise you? Selah.
הֲלַמֵּתִ֥ים תַּעֲשֶׂה־פֶּ֑לֶא אִם־רְ֝פָאִ֗ים יָק֤וּמוּ ׀ יוֹד֬וּךָ סֶּֽלָה׃
Is your loving kindness declared in the grave? Or your faithfulness in Destruction?
הַיְסֻפַּ֣ר בַּקֶּ֣בֶר חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ אֱ֝מֽוּנָתְךָ֗ בָּאֲבַדּֽוֹן׃
Are your wonders made known in the dark? Or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
הֲיִוָּדַ֣ע בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְ פִּלְאֶ֑ךָ וְ֝צִדְקָתְךָ֗ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ נְשִׁיָּֽה׃
But to you, Yahweh, I have cried. In the morning, my prayer comes before you.
וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ אֵלֶ֣יךָ יְהוָ֣ה שִׁוַּ֑עְתִּי וּ֝בַבֹּ֗קֶר תְּֽפִלָּתִ֥י תְקַדְּמֶֽךָּ׃
Yahweh, why do you reject my soul? Why do you hide your face from me?
לָמָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה תִּזְנַ֣ח נַפְשִׁ֑י תַּסְתִּ֖יר פָּנֶ֣יךָ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃
I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up. While I suffer your terrors, I am distracted.
עָ֘נִ֤י אֲנִ֣י וְגֹוֵ֣עַ מִנֹּ֑עַר נָשָׂ֖אתִי אֵמֶ֣יךָ אָפֽוּנָה׃
Your fierce wrath has gone over me. Your terrors have cut me off.
עָ֭לַי עָבְר֣וּ חֲרוֹנֶ֑יךָ בִּ֝עוּתֶ֗יךָ צִמְּתוּתֻֽנִי׃
They came around me like water all day long. They completely engulfed me.
סַבּ֣וּנִי כַ֭מַּיִם כָּל־הַיּ֑וֹם הִקִּ֖יפוּ עָלַ֣י יָֽחַד׃
You have put lover and friend far from me, and my friends into darkness.
הִרְחַ֣קְתָּ מִ֭מֶּנִּי אֹהֵ֣ב וָרֵ֑עַ מְֽיֻדָּעַ֥י מַחְשָֽׁךְ׃
Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain), from the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. English: World English Bible (public domain). Verse numbers follow the English Bible; the Hebrew numbering is shown beneath where it differs.
O LORD
God of my salvation
By day I cry
At night before You
Let my prayer
come before You
Incline Your ear
My soul is filled
with troubles
My life draws near
to Sheol
Counted with those
going down
Like a man
without strength
Among the dead
I am released
Like the slain
in the grave
Whom You remember
no more
Cut off
In the pit
in the depths
In the dark
far below
Your wrath
rests on me
All Your waves
have pressed me down
You have put me far
from my companions
You have made me
a horror to them
Shut in
I cannot go out
My eye
fades in affliction
Every day
I call to You
I spread out
my hands
Do You work wonders
for the dead
Do the departed
rise and praise
In the grave
is Your love told
In the dark
is Your truth known
In the pit
are Your wonders
In the land
forgotten
Are Your wonders
known in darkness
Your righteousness
in the land forgotten
But I
cry to You LORD
At morning
my prayer comes before You
Why LORD
do You reject me
Why hide
Your face from me
Afflicted
from my youth
I suffer
Your wrath
has passed over me
Your terrors
have cut me off
They surround me
like waters
They close in
all around
In the darkness
all around
No escape
no relief
You have taken
all I know
Darkness
alone remains
Darkness
alone remains
Darkness
my end
Lyrics by Paul Whitehorn: a singable English rendering of the Hebrew, as sung on this recording.
Corpus Psalterium sets each psalm to music by its Hebrew grammar. Didactic psalms teach; Cantillated psalms are spoken, sung or performed before God. Hear all 150 psalms free.