Matthew Henry Commentary Psalms 88:10-18

"Wilt thou show wonders to the dead? Shall they that are decreased arise and praise thee? Selah Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? Or thy faithfulness in Destruction? Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? And thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? But unto thee, O Jehovah, have I cried; And in the morning shall my prayer come before thee. Jehovah, why castest thou off my soul? Why hidest thou thy face from me? I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: While I suffer thy terrors I am distracted. Thy fierce wrath is gone over me; Thy terrors have cut me off. They came round about me like water all the day long; They compassed me about together. Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, And mine acquaintance into darkness." — Psalms 88:10-18 (ASV)

Departed souls may declare God's faithfulness, justice, and lovingkindness; but deceased bodies can neither receive God's favors in comfort, nor return them in praise. The psalmist resolved to continue in prayer, and all the more so because deliverance did not come quickly. Though our prayers are not answered soon, we must not give up praying. The greater our troubles, the more earnest and serious we should be in prayer.

Nothing grieves a child of God as much as losing sight of him; nor is there anything he dreads as much as God's casting off his soul. If the sun is clouded, that darkens the earth; but if the sun were to leave the earth, what a dungeon it would be! Even those destined for God's favors may for a time suffer his terrors.

See how deep those terrors wounded the psalmist. If friends are put far from us by acts of providence or by death, we have reason to regard it as an affliction. Such was the calamitous state of a good man.

But the pleas used here were particularly suited to Christ. We are not to think that the holy Jesus suffered for us only at Gethsemane and on Calvary. His whole life was labor and sorrow; he was afflicted as no one ever was, from his youth.

He was prepared for that death, which he tasted throughout his life. No one could share in the sufferings by which others were to be redeemed. All forsook him, and fled. Often, blessed Jesus, we forsake you; but do not forsake us, O do not take your Holy Spirit from us.