Psalms 88:1

O Lord God of my salvation,.... The author both of temporal and spiritual salvation; see Psalms 18:46 from the experience the psalmist had had of the Lord's working salvation for him in times past,

O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee: Psalms 88:1-18.-Invocation (Psalms 88:1-2); ground of the prayer, the suppliant's misery even unto death (Psalms 88:3-9); God's

Psalms 88 THE This Psalm was composed upon a particular occasion, to wit, Heman’ s deep distress and dejection of mind almost to despair. But though this was the occasion of it, it is of more general use, for the instruction and consolation of all good men when they come into such despondencies, and therefore was by the direction of God’ s Spirit made public, and committed to the sons of Korah. Mahalath seems to be the name of the tune or instrument, as Psalms 53. Leannoth may be either the latter part of the proper name of the tune or instrument; or an appellative name, and so divers take it, and render it, to sing, or to be sung, to wit, alternately or by turns. Heman; probably the same person who was famous in David’ s time, both for his skill in music, and for general wisdom; of whom see . The Ezrahite; as Ethan also is called, . The psalmist declares his former practice of prayer to God ; beggeth present audience, ; acquainteth the Lord with his misery and frailty, ,4, which he suffereth by God’ s wrath, and his friends forsaking him, . His mourning and expostulation, . Who hast so often saved me from former distresses, and, I hope, wilt do so at this time.

Psalms 88:1 « A Song [or] Psalm for the sons of Korah, to the chief Musician upon Mahalath Leannoth, Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite. » O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day [and] night before thee:A Psalm or Song] Psalmus totus luctuosus, a doleful ditty, beginning and ending with complaints; and therefore sung in the primitive times, among other penitential psalms, as the public confession of persons excommunicated. Upon Mahalath Leannoth] A musical instrument sounding heavily as a shaulm doth, and therefore called infirmity, for humbling, or for antiphenies. A fit title. Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite] i.e. The instruction of Heman, who was a very wise man, 1 Kings 4:31, descended of Zerah, the son of Judah, 1 Chronicles 2:4, and thence called the Ezrahite, brother to Ethan, who penned the next psalm, 1 Chronicles 2:6. Nobile par fratrum. Ver. 1. O Lord God of my salvation] This is the only one expression of his faith found in this whole psalm, and it nmst be understood that he thus believed and prayed, as here, Psalms 88:2, when he was at worst, and most despairingly complained. I have cried day and night unto thee] Though in such a state as they were, Acts 27:20, when neither sun nor star appeared, yet he cast anchor, and prayed still for day.

PSALM LXXXVIII The earnest prayer of a person in deep distress, abandoned by his friends and neighbours, and apparently forsaken of God, 1-18. NOTES ON PSALM LXXXVIII Perhaps the title of this Psalm, which is difficult enough, might be thus translated: "A Poem to be sung to the conqueror, by the sons of Korah, responsively, in behalf of a distressed person; to give instruction to Heman the Ezrahite." Kennicott says this Psalm has three titles, but the last only belongs to it; and supposes it to be the prayer of a person shut up in a separate house, because of the leprosy, who seems to have been in the last stages of that distemper; this disease, under the Mosaic dispensation, being supposed to come from the immediate stroke of God. Calmet supposes it to refer to the captivity; the Israelitish nation being represented here under the figure of a person greatly afflicted through the whole course of his life. By some Heman is supposed to have been the author; but who he was is not easy to be determined. Heman and Ethan whose names are separately prefixed to this and the following Psalm, are mentioned as the grandsons of Judah by his daughter-in-law Tamar, 1 Chronicles 2:6, for they were the sons of Zerah, his immediate son by the above. "And Tamar, his daughter-in-law, bare him Pharez and Zerah," 1 Chronicles 2:4. "And the sons of Zerah Zimri, and Ethan, and Heman, and Calcol, and Dara, (or Darda,") 1 Chronicles 2:6. If these were the same persons mentioned 1Kg 4:31, they were eminent in wisdom; for it is there said that Solomon's wisdom "excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol," 1Kg 4:30-31. Probably Zerah was also called Mahol. If the Psalms in question were written by these men, they are the oldest poetical compositions extant; and the most ancient part of Divine revelation, as these persons lived at least one hundred and seventy years before Moses. This may be true of the seventy-eighth Psalm; but certainly not of the following, as it speaks of transactions that took place long afterwards, at least as late as the days of David, who is particularly mentioned in it. Were we sure of Heman as the author, there would be no difficulty in applying the whole of the Psalm to the state of the Hebrews in Egypt, persecuted and oppressed by Pharaoh. But to seek or labour to reconcile matters contained in the titles to the Psalms, is treating them with too much respect, as many of them are wrongly placed, and none of them Divinely inspired. Verse 1. O Lord God of my salvation] This is only the continuation of prayers and supplications already often sent up to the throne of grace.

1–8. The Psalmist appeals for a hearing, supporting his appeal by a pathetic description of the chastisements by which God has brought him to the very edge of the grave.

O Lord God of my salvation - On whom I depend for salvation; who alone canst save me.

1. O Lord God of my salvation—A genuine outburst of holy trust in the faithfulness of God; but the sunshine is soon lost amid the blackest clouds. Day and night—Unceasingly and for a long time.