Charles Ellicott Commentary Psalms 88
Charles Ellicott Commentary
Psalms 88
Charles Ellicott Commentary
Psalms 88
"For my soul is full of troubles, And my life draweth nigh unto Sheol." — Psalms 88:3 (ASV)
Grave. — Sheôl. Here, as in Psalm 6:4-5, Psalms 33:19, and Isaiah 38:10-11, there comes into prominence the thought that death severs the covenant relation with God, and so presents an irresistible reason why prayer should be heard now before it is too late.
"I am reckoned with them that go down into the pit; I am as a man that hath no help," — Psalms 88:4 (ASV)
As a man ... —Rather, like a hero whose strength is gone.
"Cast off among the dead, Like the slain that lie in the grave, Whom thou rememberest no more, And they are cut off from thy hand." — Psalms 88:5 (ASV)
Free among the dead ... —So the old versions, without exception, take chaphshî as an adjective, as in Job 3:19 (where it is used of an emancipated slave); 1 Samuel 17:25 (free from public burdens). This is also true of the separate house for lepers, who were cut off from society (2 Kings 15:5). Therefore, some refer the psalm to Uzziah.
The Targum explains, “freed from legal duties.” But plainly, the meaning here is exactly that of defunctus. The verse offers an instance of introverted parallelism, and this clause answers to they are cut off from thy hand. Gesenius, however, makes the Hebrew word a noun and renders, among the dead is my couch.
Whom thou. —The dead are “clean forgotten, out of mind” even to God.
From thy hand — that is, from the guiding, helping hand which, though stretched out for living people, does not reach to the grave.
"Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in the deeps." — Psalms 88:6 (ASV)
Lowest pit. See Note on Psalms 86:13.
"Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, And thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah" — Psalms 88:7 (ASV)
And you have afflicted. —Literally, And you have pressed (me) down with all your breakers, supplying the object, and taking the accusative in the text as the instrument, as in Psalms 102:23, where the same verb is used (Authorised Version, “weakened”).
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