Psalms 88:1
in Psalms 88O LORD, the God of my salvation, day and night I cry out before You.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
O Jehovah, the God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee.
KJV
O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:
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This verse in Psalms 88
Commentary
2 notes on this verseO Lord God of my salvation. This is a hopeful title by which to address the Lord, and it has about it the only ray of comfortable light which shines throughout the Psalm. The writer has salvation, he is sure of that, and God is the sole author of it. While a man can see God as his Saviour, it is not altogether midnight with him. While the living God can be spoken of as the life of our salvation, our hope will not quite expire.
This site's exposition
God of my salvation
on Psalms 88:1-2
The Hebrew title, which the reader floor does not show, reads A Song or Psalm for the sons of Korah, to the chief Musician upon Mahalath Leannoth, Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite; Heman is named beside Ethan in 1 Kings 4:31 as a wise man Solomon's own wisdom surpassed, and elsewhere as a Levitical singer of David's court. Even the opening line holds the word salvation while everything that follows contradicts it, O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee, faith and complaint stated in the same breath. Unlike every other lament in the Psalter this one never turns to praise before it ends, and the commentators name it the darkest psalm in the book for exactly that reason.
The words behind it
7 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יְ֭הוָה | yahweh | O Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֣י | ʾelohei | [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| יְשׁוּעָתִ֑י | yeshuati | salvation my | H3444 → | 78 times |
| יוֹם־ | yom- | day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| צָעַ֖קְתִּי | tzaakti | I have cried out | H6817 → | 55 times |
| בַלַּ֣יְלָה | valaylah | in the night | H3915 → | 233 times |
| נֶגְדֶּֽךָ׃ | negdekha | before you | H5048 → | 151 times |
יְ֭הוָהO Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵ֣י[the] God of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
יְשׁוּעָתִ֑יsalvation my
yeshuatiH3444 →78 times
יוֹם־day
yom-H3117 →2304 times
צָעַ֖קְתִּיI have cried out
tzaaktiH6817 →55 times
בַלַּ֣יְלָהin the night
valaylahH3915 →233 times
נֶגְדֶּֽךָ׃before you
negdekhaH5048 →151 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 12:2Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. For the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and He also has become my salvation.”
it leads to
- Exodus 15:2
The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.
- Psalms 118:14
The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.
- Psalms 27:1
The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— whom shall I dread?
- Revelation 7:10
And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
- Isaiah 26:3–4
You will keep in perfect peace the steadfast of mind, because he trusts in You.
- Exodus 15:2
Through
Luke 18:7Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He continue to defer their help?
it leads to
- 2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.
- Hebrews 10:35–37
So do not throw away your confidence; it holds a great reward.
- 1 Timothy 5:5
The widow who is truly in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day in her petitions and prayers.
- 2 Peter 3:9
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Psalms
This page draws on Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 4; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David and Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms.