18 verses
Psalm 88 is a profound lament expressing deep despair and feeling abandoned by God.
In this psalm, the writer pours out a desperate prayer, lamenting that his soul is full of troubles and that his life is near the grave. He describes being among those who descend into the pit, feeling powerless and cut off from divine remembrance. The psalmist acknowledges God's wrath and the sense that God has laid him in the lowest darkness. He laments that his relationships have turned to hostility and that his afflictions seem unending. Despite his daily calling and pleading, he questions whether God will show wonders to the dead or reveal mercy in the grave. The lament ends with a poignant appeal, asking why God casts aside his soul and hides His face, and expressing readiness to die from youth due to continual terror.
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The psalm conveys profound sorrow, hopelessness, and a sense of abandonment.