Psalms 88:15 — Word Study
WLCעָ֘נִ֤י אֲנִ֣י וְגֹוֵ֣עַ מִנֹּ֑עַר נָשָׂ֖אתִי אֵמֶ֣יךָ אָפֽוּנָה׃
BSAwhat?mâh The LordYᵉhôvâh to rejectzânach soulnephesh to hideçâthar facepânîym frommin
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| עָ֘נִ֤י | [have been] afflicted | |
| אֲנִ֣י | I | Pronoun |
| וְגֹוֵ֣עַ | and [have been] about to die | Conjunction, verb qal participle (active) masculine singular |
| מִנֹּ֑עַר | from youth | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| נָשָׂ֖אתִי | I have borne | Verb, Qal, perfect first person common singular |
| אֵמֶ֣יךָ | terrors your | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| אָפֽוּנָה׃ | I am perplexed | Verb, Qal, infinitive construct first person common singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | From my youth I was afflicted and near death. I have borne Your terrors; I am in despair. |
| KJV | I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted. |
| ASV | I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: While I suffer thy terrors I am distracted. |
| YLT | I [am] afflicted, and expiring from youth, I have borne Thy terrors — I pine away. |
| WEB | I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up. While I suffer your terrors, I am distracted. |
| BBE | I have been troubled and in fear of death from the time when I was young; your wrath is hard on me, and I have no strength. |
Where they part company is with אָפֽוּנָה — see How Translations Differ.
The structure consists of a main clause followed by several subordinate phrases, emphasizing the progression of the psalmist's thoughts on suffering.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectלָמָה
verbסָתַר
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
1 of 7 occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament — a word chosen on purpose.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 88:15
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — A Lament of Despairgenerated
Psalm 88:15 reflects the psalmist's deep anguish, recounting a life filled with affliction from youth. The psalmist feels overwhelmed by God's terrors and expresses a profound sense of hopelessness. This psalm stands as a raw expression of despair, contrasting with the hope often found in other psalms, emphasizing the weight of suffering and the feeling of abandonment by God.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 73:14 | For I am afflicted all day long and punished every morning. |
| 2 | Job 17:1–11 | “My spirit is broken; my days are extinguished; the grave awaits me. |
| 3 | Isaiah 53:3 | He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. |
| 4 | Psalm 22:14–15 | I am poured out like water, and all my bones are disjointed. My heart is like wax; it melts away within me. |
| 5 | Job 6:4 | For the arrows of the Almighty have pierced me; my spirit drinks in their poison; the terrors of God are arrayed against me. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — עָ֘נִ֤י, 'a.Nigenerated
The word עָנִי (aniy) describes a state of being afflicted or humble, often due to difficult circumstances. It is built from a root meaning to be depressed in mind or circumstances, indicating a range of meanings including needy and lowly. The parsing shows it as a perfect participle, emphasizing a completed state of affliction.
This word captures the psalmist's emotional state, suggesting a long-standing experience of suffering. It is used frequently in the Psalms to convey deep feelings of distress and vulnerability.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
Translations agree on the sense of affliction, with afflicted (BSB, KJV, ASV) and troubled (YLT, WEB, BBE) capturing the essence of עָ֘נִ֤י.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse contains multiple clauses, with the main clause being עָ֘נִ֤י (I was afflicted), followed by a series of phrases that describe the psalmist's condition. The structure emphasizes the progression of thought from past affliction to present despair.
The word order places the state of being afflicted at the forefront, highlighting the psalmist's ongoing struggle with despair and the weight of God's terrors.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the word עָ֘נִ֤י is rendered as κύριε (Lord), suggesting a direct address to God. This choice emphasizes the relationship between the psalmist and God amidst suffering.
The Greek translation reflects the emotional weight of the Hebrew text, maintaining the themes of affliction and despair.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 88:15 expresses the psalmist's deep feelings of suffering and despair, stating that from a young age, he has faced affliction and feels overwhelmed by God's terrors. This lament highlights the emotional pain and hopelessness experienced by the psalmist.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The psalmist is expressing a long history of suffering and hardship, indicating that he has faced many challenges throughout his life.
The psalmist feels in despair due to the overwhelming nature of God's terrors and the sense of abandonment he experiences.
Unlike many psalms that express hope and trust in God, this psalm is a raw expression of despair, emphasizing the depth of suffering without a clear resolution.
This phrase indicates that the psalmist's suffering has been a long-standing experience, affecting him since he was young.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I experienced affliction in my own life, and how can I relate to the psalmist's feelings?
- How can I find hope in the midst of despair, as seen in other psalms?
- What does it mean to bear the weight of God's terrors, and how can I seek understanding in my struggles?
- How can I support others who are feeling overwhelmed by their circumstances, like the psalmist?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Augustine of Hippo comments on this psalm, discussing the troubles faced by Christ's body and its connection to the psalmist's lament.
For this purpose he briefly sketches in what follows the troubles of Christ's body. For it is not in the Head alone that they took place, since it is said to Saul too,Early Church Fathers on Psalms 88 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 88:15 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleI am afflicted,.... In body and mind, from within and from without, by Satan, by the men of the world, and by the Lord himself; which is the common lot of God's people, Psalms 34:19 and was the case
Read John Gill on Psalms 88 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryI am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted. I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 88 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleFrom my youth up; my whole life hath been filled with a succession of deadly calamities. O Lord, take some pity upon me, and let me have a little breathing space before I die. I suffer thy terrors upon my mind and conscience, which do accompany and aggravate my outward miseries.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 88 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 88:15 I [am] afflicted and ready to die from [my] youth up: [while] I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.Ver. 15. I am afflicted, &c.] He was brought up in the school of temptations, and kept in this form from his youth. He was put soon to it, and so deep lessons had he set him, that he had like to have lost his wits. I am distracted, saith he, I am held upon the wheel.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 88 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(15) Terrors.—Another of the many expressions which connect this psalm with the book of Job. (See Job 6:4; Job 9:34, &c.) Distracted.—The Hebrew word is peculiar to the place. The ancient versions all agree in taking it as a verb, and rendering it by some general term denoting “trouble.” But the context evidently requires a stronger word, and possibly connecting with a cognate word meaning “wheel,” we may get, “I turn giddy.” A change of a stroke in one letter would give “I grow frigid.” (Comp. Psalms 38:8.)
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 88 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 15. From my youth up.] I have always been a child of sorrow, afflicted in my body, and distressed in my mind. There are still found in the Church of God persons in similar circumstances; persons who are continually mourning for themselves and for the desolations of Zion. A disposition of this kind is sure to produce an unhealthy body; and indeed a weak constitution may often produce an enfeebled mind; but where the terrors of the Lord prevail, there is neither health of body nor peace of mind.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 88 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges15. Will God have no pity upon one whose whole life has been spent at the point of death? Could this be said of Israel as a nation? ‘From youth’ is of course frequently used of the nation (Psalms 129:1-2; Jeremiah 32:30; &c.), but Israel’s existence had not been continuously wretched and precarious. while I suffer &c.] I have borne thy terrors (till) I am distracted. Terrors is a favourite word with Job. The word rendered distracted occurs here only and is of doubtful meaning. Possibly it is a false reading for another word meaning faint or stupefied (Psalms 38:8).
Read Cambridge on Psalms 88 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleI am afflicted and ready to die - I am so afflicted - so crushed with sorrow and trouble - that my strength is nearly gone, and I can endure it but a little longer.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 88 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
From my youth I was afflicted and near death. I have borne Your terrors; I am in despair.
I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up. While I suffer your terrors, I am distracted.
From my youth I was afflicted and near death. I have borne Your terrors; I am in despair.
I am oppressed and have been on the verge of death since my youth. I have been subjected to your horrors and am numb with pain.
Tyndale line
I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.
I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: While I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.
I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.
I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.
I am afflicted and at the point of death: from my youth I suffer thy terrours, doubting of my life.
Strictly literal
I am afflicted and expiring from my youth up; I suffer thy terrors, [and] I am distracted.
I [am] afflicted, and expiring from youth, I have borne Thy terrors — I pine away.
I [am] afflicted, and expiring from youth, || I have borne Your terrors—I pine away.
(88:16) I am afflicted and perishing from my youth up: I bear thy terrors, I am distracted.
I have always been afflicted and on the verge of death since my youth. I have suffered from your terrors; I am in despair.
From the Latin
Justice and judgment are the preparation of thy throne. Mercy and truth shall go before thy face:
Simplified
I have been sick since I was young, often at death's door. I have had to bear the terrible things you've done to me. I'm in despair!
I have been troubled and in fear of death from the time when I was young; your wrath is hard on me, and I have no strength.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text aligns with the Septuagint, with all seven words matched. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain part of the verse, with one word supplied by an editor, indicating consistency in the core message of the text.
עָ֘נִ֤י אֲנִ֣י וְגֹוֵ֣עַ מִנֹּ֑עַר נָשָׂ֖אתִי אֵמֶ֣יךָ אָפֽוּנָה׃
7 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[תסתיר] פני׳כה ממ׳ני
3 words of the verse are on this fragment — 1 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 88:15
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
עָנִי (aniy) describes a state of being poor, afflicted, or humble. It is built from the root meaning to be depressed in mind or circumstances. The entries indicate it covers a range of meanings including needy, lowly, and wretched. There is a noted disagreement regarding its relationship to another word, עָנָה (anah), with some lexicons viewing one as subjective and the other as objective.
עָנִי adj. poor, afflicted, humble
base
H6041 עָנִי poor, afflicted, humble
6041 `aniy aw-nee'
from 6031; depressed, in mind or circumstances (practically
the same as 6035, although the margin constantly disputes
this, making 6035 subjective and 6041 objective):--afflicted,
humble, lowly, needy, poor.
see HEBREW for 06031
see HEBREW for 06035
see HEBREW for 06035
see HEBREW for 06041
עָנִי (a.ni) — afflicted.
1) poor, afflicted, humble, wretched
1a) poor, needy
1b) poor and weak
1c) poor, weak, afflicted, wretched
1d) humble, lowly
HAamsa — HAamsa
→ DUTY TO THE Job 6:14; 22:29; Isa 58:6,7,10; Mt 25:34-45; Lu 10:30-37; Php 2:1,2; 1Ti 5:10; Jas 5:13-15
אֲנִי, transliterated as aniy, is a first-person singular pronoun meaning 'I' or 'me.' It is often used for emphasis and can also imply possession, as in 'mine' or 'myself.' The word is derived from a form that indicates self-reference, and it appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament.
אֲנִי, אָ֑נִי pron. 1s. comm. I
base
H589 אֲנִי, אָ֑נִי I
589 'aniy an-ee'
contracted from 595; I:--I, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, X
which, X who.
see HEBREW for 0595
אֲנִי (a.ni) — I.
I (first pers. sing. -usually used for emphasis)
HPp1bs — PronounHPp1bs
גָּוַע (gava') is a primitive root meaning to breathe out, which implies dying or perishing. It covers various aspects of death, including to expire, give up the ghost, or be ready to die. The entries consistently emphasize its connection to death without any noted disagreements.
גָּוַע vb. expire, perish, die
base
H1478 גָּוַע expire, perish, die
1478 gava` gaw-vah'
a primitive root; to breathe out, i.e. (by implication)
expire:--die, be dead, give up the ghost, perish.
גָּוַע (ga.va) — to die.
1) to expire, die, perish, give up the ghost, yield up the ghost, be dead, be ready to die
1a) (Qal) to expire, die, be about to die
HC/Vqrmsa — Conjunction · verb qal participle (active) masculine singularHC/Vqrmsa
(muth, gawa`; apothnesko, teleutao): "To die," etc., is of very frequent occurrence, and in the Old Testament is generally the translation of muth, meaning perhaps originally, "to be stretched out" or "prostrate." "To die," should be the consequence of eating the forbidden fruit (Ge 2:17; compare Ge 20:7; 2Ki 1:4,6). "Die" is commonly used of natural death (Ge 5:8; 25:8). It is used also of violent death (Ge 26:9,11; Ex 21:20); punitive (Ex 19:12; 21:12,14; 28:43; Nu…
נֹ֫עַר (no`ar) refers to youth or boyhood, indicating a period of early life. It is derived from the root word for 'to be young' and is noted as a rare poetic term in some contexts. The entries consistently emphasize its association with childhood and youth.
נֹ֫עַר n.m. youth, early life (rare poet.)
base
H5290 נֹ֫עַר
5290 no`ar no'-ar
from 5287; (abstractly) boyhood (compare 5288):--child,
youth.
see HEBREW for 05287
see HEBREW for 05288
נֹ֫עַר (no.ar) — youth.
youth, boyhood, early life
HR/Ncmsa — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
The Hebrew word נָשָׂא (nasa') means to lift, carry, or take, encompassing a wide range of applications both literal and figurative. It can refer to actions like bearing burdens, taking away, or being exalted. The entries indicate various forms and uses, including the ability to lift oneself up or cause others to bear iniquity. There is no significant disagreement among the lexicons regarding its meanings.
נָשָׂא 656 vb. lift, carry, take
Qal
lift, lift up
Bear, carry
Take, take away
Niph.
be lifted up
refl. lift oneself up = rise up, of י׳, to display power in judgment
be borne, carried
be taken away, carried off
Pi.
lift up = exalt
fig. = desire, long
carry, bear continuously
take, take away
Hithp. lift oneself up
Hiph.
cause one to bear iniquity
appar. cause to bring, have brought
base
H5375 נָשָׂא lift, carry, take .. lift, lift up
. Bear, carry
. Take, take away
. . be lifted up
. refl. lift oneself up = rise up, of י׳, to display power in judgment
. be borne, carried
. be taken away, carried off
. . lift up = exalt
. fig. = desire, long
. carry, bear continuously
. take, take away
. lift oneself up
. . cause one to bear iniquity
. appar. cause to bring, have brought
5375 nasa' naw-saw'
or nacah (Psalm 4 : 6 (7)) {naw-saw'}; a primitive root; to
lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and
figurative, absol. and rel. (as follows):--accept, advance,
arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring
(forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease,
exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further,
give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable (+ man), lade,
lay, lift (self) up, lofty, marry, magnify, X needs, obtain,
pardon, raise (up), receive, regard, respect, set (up), spare,
stir up, + swear, take (away, up), X utterly, wear, yield.
see HEBREW for 04
see HEBREW for 06
see HEBREW for 07
נָשָׂא (na.sa) — to lift: raise.
: raise/take_up
1) to lift, bear up, carry, take
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to lift, lift up
1a2) to bear, carry, support, sustain, endure
1a3) to take, take away, carry off, forgive
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be lifted up, be exalted
1b2) to lift oneself up, rise up
1b3) to be borne, be carried
1b4) to be taken away, be carried off, be swept away
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to lift up, exalt, support, aid, assist
1c2) to desire, long (fig.)
1c3) to carry, bear continuously
1c4) to take, take away
1d) (Hithpael) to lift oneself up, exalt oneself
1e) (Hiphil)
1e1) to cause one to bear (iniquity)
1e2) to cause to bring, have brought
נָשָׂא (na.sa) — to lift: bear.
: look/lift(eyes)
1) to lift, bear up, carry, take
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to lift, lift up
1a2) to bear, carry, support, sustain, endure
1a3) to take, take away, carry off, forgive
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be lifted up, be exalted
HVqp1cs — Verb · Qal · perfect first person common singularHVqp1cs
See BORN.
The Hebrew word אֵימָה (*'eymah*) means terror or dread. It is derived from a root related to fear and can also refer to an idol in a figurative sense. The entries consistently emphasize its meanings of fright and horror.
אֵימָה 17 n.f. terror, dread
base
H367 אֵימָה terror, dread
367 'eymah ay-maw'
or (shortened) remah {ay-maw'}; from the same as 366; fright;
concrete, an idol (as a bugbear):--dread, fear, horror, idol,
terrible, terror.
see HEBREW for 0366
אֵימָה (e.mah) — terror.
terror, dread
HNcmpc/Sp2ms — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp2ms
פּוּן (puwn) is a primitive root meaning to turn or be perplexed, with a focus on distraction. The entries indicate that its meaning is uncertain, primarily covering the idea of being distracted or perplexed, and it appears in Psalm 88:16.
[פּוּן] vb. (?); only ψ 88:16
ref
H6323 פּוּן
6323 puwn poon
a primitive root meaning to turn, i.e. be perplexed:--be
distracted.
פּוּן (pun) — to distract.
1) (Qal) to be perplexed, be distracted
1a) meaning uncertain
HVqc1cs — Verb · Qal · infinitive construct first person common singularHVqc1cs