1 [[A Song H7892 or Psalm H4210 for the sons H1121 of Korah, H7141 to the chief Musician H5329 upon Mahalath H4257 Leannoth, H6031 Maschil H4905 of Heman H1968 the Ezrahite.]] H250 O LORD H3068 God H430 of my salvation, H3444 I have cried H6817 day H3117 and night H3915 before thee:
And G1161 shall G1557 not G3364 God G2316 avenge G1557 his own G846 elect, G1588 G4160 which G3588 cry G994 day G2250 and G2532 night G3571 unto G4314 him, G846 though G2532 he bear long G3114 with G1909 them? G846
Hide H5641 not thy face H6440 far from me; put H5186 not thy servant H5650 away H5186 in anger: H639 thou hast been my help; H5833 leave H5203 me not, neither forsake H5800 me, O God H430 of my salvation. H3468
But G1161 after G3753 that the kindness G5544 and G2532 love G5363 of God G2316 our G2257 Saviour G4990 toward man G5363 appeared, G2014 Not G3756 by G1537 works G2041 of G1722 righteousness G1343 which G3739 we G2249 have done, G4160 but G235 according to G2596 his G846 mercy G1656 he saved G4982 us, G2248 by G1223 the washing G3067 of regeneration, G3824 and G2532 renewing G342 of the Holy G40 Ghost; G4151 Which G3739 he shed G1632 on G1909 us G2248 abundantly G4146 through G1223 Jesus G2424 Christ G5547 our G2257 Saviour; G4990 That G2443 being justified by G1344 his G1565 grace, G5485 we should be made G1096 heirs G2818 according to G2596 the hope G1680 of eternal G166 life. G2222
Be merciful H2603 unto me, O Lord: H136 for I cry H7121 unto thee daily. H3117
For he was wiser H2449 than all men; H120 than Ethan H387 the Ezrahite, H250 and Heman, H1968 and Chalcol, H3633 and Darda, H1862 the sons H1121 of Mahol: H4235 and his fame H8034 was in all nations H1471 round about. H5439
Not G3361 purloining, G3557 but G235 shewing G1731 all G3956 good G18 fidelity; G4102 that G2443 they may adorn G2885 the doctrine G1319 of God G2316 our G2257 Saviour G4990 in G1722 all things. G3956
And G2532 she G3778 was a widow G5503 of about G5613 fourscore G3589 and four G5064 years, G2094 which G3739 departed G868 not G3756 from G575 the temple, G2411 but served G3000 God with fastings G3521 and G2532 prayers G1162 night G3571 and G2532 day. G2250
I have set H6485 watchmen H8104 upon thy walls, H2346 O Jerusalem, H3389 which shall never H8548 hold their peace H2814 day H3117 nor night: H3915 ye that make mention H2142 of the LORD, H3068 keep not silence, H1824
Blessed H1288 be the Lord, H136 who daily H3117 H3117 loadeth H6006 us with benefits, even the God H410 of our salvation. H3444 Selah. H5542
[[A Psalm of David.]] H1732 The LORD H3068 is my light H216 and my salvation; H3468 whom shall I fear? H3372 the LORD H3068 is the strength H4581 of my life; H2416 of whom shall I be afraid? H6342
He shall receive H5375 the blessing H1293 from the LORD, H3068 and righteousness H6666 from the God H430 of his salvation. H3468
Let thine ear H241 now be attentive, H7183 and thine eyes H5869 open, H6605 that thou mayest hear H8085 the prayer H8605 of thy servant, H5650 which I pray H6419 before H6440 thee now, H3117 day H3119 and night, H3915 for the children H1121 of Israel H3478 thy servants, H5650 and confess H3034 the sins H2403 of the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 which we have sinned H2398 against thee: both I and my father's H1 house H1004 have sinned. H2398
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 88
Commentary on Psalms 88 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 88
This psalm is a lamentation, one of the most melancholy of all the psalms; and it does not conclude, as usually the melancholy psalms do, with the least intimation of comfort or joy, but, from first to last, it is mourning and woe. It is not upon a public account that the psalmist here complains (here is no mention of the afflictions of the church), but only upon a personal account, especially trouble of mind, and the grief impressed upon his spirits both by his outward afflictions and by the remembrance of his sins and the fear of God's wrath. It is reckoned among the penitential psalms, and it is well when our fears are thus turned into the right channel, and we take occasion from our worldly grievances to sorrow after a godly sort. In this psalm we have,
Those who are in trouble of mind may sing this psalm feelingly; those that are not ought to sing it thankfully, blessing God that it is not their case.
A song or psalm for the sons of Korah, to the chief musician upon Mahalath Leannoth, Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite.
Psa 88:1-9
It should seem, by the titles of this and the following psalm, that Heman was the penman of the one and Ethan of the other. There were two, of these names, who were sons of Zerah the son of Judah, 1 Chr. 2:4, 6. There were two others famed for wisdom, 1 Ki. 4:31, where, to magnify Solomon's wisdom, he is said to be wiser than Heman and Ethan. Whether the Heman and Ethan who were Levites and precentors in the songs of Zion were the same we are not sure, nor which of these, nor whether any of these, were the penmen of these psalms. There was a Heman that was one of the chief singers, who is called the king's seer, or prophet, in the words of God (1 Chr. 25:5); it is probable that this also was a seer, and yet could see no comfort for himself, an instructor and comforter of others, and yet himself putting comfort away from him. The very first words of the psalm are the only words of comfort and support in all the psalm. There is nothing about him but clouds and darkness; but, before he begins his complaint, he calls God the God of his salvation, which intimates both that he looked for salvation, bad as things were, and that he looked up to God for the salvation and depended upon him to be the author of it. Now here we have the psalmist,
Psa 88:10-18
In these verses,