Will You work wonders for the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise You? Psalm 88:10
A Prayer for Deliverance from Death
Psalm 88 begins as a psalm of lament but never comes to the resolution of trust and praise like other psalms, especially those of David. Thus, Ps. 88 can be considered a psalm of complaint. The title ascribes the psalm to the sons of Korah more specifically to Heman the Ezrahite. Heman is identified in 1 Kin. 4:31 as a gifted wise man, and in 1 Chr. 15:16 as one of the musically gifted Levites who ministered in worship during the time of David. The term Ezrahite may mean “native born.” The name of the tune perhaps means “A Dance of Affliction.”
This psalm captures the grief of the suffering saint of every era. The psalmist shares his anguish and records his prayer. Despite his prayers, he has suffered and felt despair all his life. This anguished cry for help to God, who does not seem to hear, mirrors the experience of many believers.
88:1, 2 Even in the midst of despair, Heman confesses his faith in God’s saving goodness – O Lord, God of my salvation. Cried out… my cry: This language of desperate weeping is not unusual in the psalms of lament. The Hebrew word for cried indicates a loud scream. The psalmist’s appeal for God to listen – incline Your ear – has the same wording as in 86:1.
O Lord, God of my salvation, I have cried out day and night before You. 2 Let my prayer come before You; Incline Your ear to my cry
88:3-5 Grave here is the familiar word Sheol, which is often linked with the term pit as a symbol of death. Heman feels so near to death that he describes himself as adrift among the dead.
3 For my soul is full of troubles, And my life draws near to the grave. 4 I am counted with those who go down to the pit; I am like a man who has no strength, 5 Adrift among the dead, Like the slain who lie in the grave, Whom You remember no more, And who are cut off from Your hand.
88:6-8 Heman feels as though he were in the lowest pit and the deepest darkness. His most vexing problem, however, is his belief that God has brought this trouble on him. Put away… from me: Not only does he feel troubled by God; he is also alone, separated from all of his friends.
6 You have laid me in the lowest pit, In darkness, in the depths. 7 Your wrath lies heavy upon me, And You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah 8 You have put away my acquaintances far from me; You have made me an abomination to them; I am shut up, and I cannot get out;
88:9 Verses 9 and 13 are a reprise of v. 1. Heman continues to pray. Even though his eyes are strained and bloodshot from constant weeping, he continues to call out to the Lord for salvation.
9 My eye wastes away because of affliction. Lord, I have called daily upon You; I have stretched out my hands to You.
88:10-12 The context of these verses is the worshiping community in Jerusalem. If God allows Heman to die, Heman’s voice will never again be heard in the temple giving praise to God. The word translated place of destruction is also found in Job 26:6; 28:22; Prov. 15:11; 27:20.
10 Will You work wonders for the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise You? Selah 11 Shall Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave? Or Your faithfulness in the place of destruction? 12 Shall Your wonders be known in the dark? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But to You I have cried out, O Lord, And in the morning my prayer comes before You. 14 Lord, why do You cast off my soul? Why do You hide Your face from me? 15 I have been afflicted and ready to die from my youth; I suffer Your terrors; I am distraught. 16 Your fierce wrath has gone over me; Your terrors have cut me off.
88:17, 18 In this psalm, Heman renews his complaints from earlier sections. However, he does not come to any resolution. As a person adrift at sea is aware only of the engulfing water, so Heman knows only the terrors of his life, which he believes come from the Lord. Loved one: In v. 8, Heman describes himself as removed from his friends; now he says his friends are removed from him. At the close of the psalm, Heman still feels alone, even though the psalms consistently describe a Lord that hears and answers those who call on Him.
17 They came around me all day long like water; They engulfed me altogether. 18 Loved one and friend You have put far from me, And my acquaintances into darkness.
** When in trouble, it is better to lament than to cover it up. It is also better to address to God who cares and has the ability to deliver than to men. This psalm makes us see the darkness and pain some of our own may be going through. We, ourselves, might experience it at some point in our lives. When we do, I don’t think the Lord will mind us crying out to Him like this psalm. Christ did on the cross. Suffering is not something we should not easily judge or trivialize. We mustn’t distance ourselves from the sufferer. On the contrary, we must imitate our Lord and incline our ears to their cry for help.
88 1 A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. To the Chief Musician. Set to ‘Mahalath Leannoth.’ A Contemplation of Heman the Ezrahite. O Lord, God of my salvation, I have cried out day and night before You. 2 Let my prayer come before You; Incline Your ear to my cry. 3 For my soul is full of troubles, And my life draws near to the grave. 4 I am counted with those who go down to the pit; I am like a man who has no strength, 5 Adrift among the dead, Like the slain who lie in the grave, Whom You remember no more, And who are cut off from Your hand. 6 You have laid me in the lowest pit, In darkness, in the depths. 7 Your wrath lies heavy upon me, And You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah 8 You have put away my acquaintances far from me; You have made me an abomination to them; I am shut up, and I cannot get out; 9 My eye wastes away because of affliction. Lord, I have called daily upon You; I have stretched out my hands to You.
10 Will You work wonders for the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise You? Selah 11 Shall Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave? Or Your faithfulness in the place of destruction? 12 Shall Your wonders be known in the dark? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? 13 But to You I have cried out, O Lord, And in the morning my prayer comes before You. 14 Lord, why do You cast off my soul? Why do You hide Your face from me? 15 I have been afflicted and ready to die from my youth; I suffer Your terrors; I am distraught. 16 Your fierce wrath has gone over me; Your terrors have cut me off. 17 They came around me all day long like water; They engulfed me altogether. 18 Loved one and friend You have put far from me, And my acquaintances into darkness.
