Psalms 88:1–4

In its context

Its words in the original

• שִׁירshir· song

  Song, singing.

• מִזְמוֹרmizmor· psalm

  Psalm: a song sung with instruments. It is the title of many of the poems in the book of Psalms.

• בְנֵיvene· son

  Son. In the plural it can include sons and daughters, and also grandsons and descendants. "Son of..." also says what group someone belongs to ("sons of Israel" = Israelites).

• קֹרַחkorach· Korah

  Korah, the name of a son of Esau and Oholibamah and of other Edomites and Israelites, among them the Levite who rebelled against Moses (Numbers 16).

• מְנַצֵּחַmenatseach· direct, oversee

  Direct: be in charge of a work or of the music of worship. From this word comes the title "for the director" of many psalms.

• מָחֲלַתmachalat· mahalath

  Mahalath: a word in the title of two psalms (53 and 88). Its sense is not certain; probably the name of a tune or a direction for the musicians.

• עַנּוֹתanot· afflict

  Afflict, oppress, make suffer; in a reflexive form, humble oneself, submit.

• מַשְׂכִּילmaskil· maskil

  Maskil: a word in the title of thirteen psalms. It comes from "understand" and probably names a skillful or teaching poem. Its exact sense is not known.

• הֵימָןheman· Heman

  Heman: the name of two men: a famous wise man with whom Solomon is compared (1 Kings 4:31), and a Levite, singer and seer in the time of David (1 Chronicles 6:33; 25:5; title of Psalm 88).

• אֶזְרָחִיezrachi· Ezrahite

  Ezrahite: of the family of Zerah. The wise men Ethan and Heman are called this (1 Kings 4:31; titles of Psalms 88 and 89).

• יְהוָהyehva· YHWH

  The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

• אֱלֹהֵיelohe· Elohim, God, gods

  The Hebrew word usually translated "God". This translation keeps "Elohim" when it speaks of the one true God, the Creator, the God of Israel. The word ends like a plural, but it does not mean several: for him the verb is singular ("Elohim created"); the plural form expresses greatness. The same word as a common noun names the "gods" of other peoples, and there it is a true plural, translated "gods". It is also used of mighty ones or judges.

• יְשׁוּעָתִyeshuati· salvation

  Salvation: the help with which God delivers from danger; also victory. The name "Jesus" (Yeshua) comes from the same root.

• יוֹםyom· day

  Day: the hours of light, or a whole day from one evening to the next. Also an indefinite time or age ("in the day that...", "in those days").

• צָעַקְתִּיtsaakti· cry out

  Cry out, call for help or justice; also summon.

• לַּיְלָהlayla· night

  Night.

• נֶגְדֶּnegde· in front of, counterpart

  In front of, opposite, before. The full phrase "as in front of him" means someone who corresponds to him, a counterpart.

• תָּבוֹאtavo· come, go in, bring

  Come, arrive, go in, enter. In the causative form, "bring" or "carry in". "Go in to" a woman is to have marital relations with her.

• פָנֶיfane· face, presence

  Face. From there "surface" (the face of something) and "presence" (being before someone's face); with a preposition it means "before" or "in front of".

• תְּפִלָּתִtefilati· prayer

  Prayer: words addressed to God to ask, to intercede or to praise. Several psalms bear this name.

• הַטֵּהhate· stretch out, turn aside

  Stretch out, spread; pitch a tent. Also bend, incline; turn aside, pervert (justice).

• אָזְנְazn· ear

  Ear. "Speak in someone's ears" is to tell him something directly.

• רִנָּתִrinati· cry, shout

  Cry: a loud shout, of joy or of pleading, depending on the case.

• שָׂבְעָהsava· be satisfied

  Be filled, be satisfied.

• רָעוֹתraot· evil, bad, harm

  Bad; evil. It includes what is morally wrong and also what does harm: misfortune, disaster, distress.

• נַפְשִׁnafshi· soul, living being, life

  A breathing being, a living being. It is translated "living being" (people and animals), "life" (when living or dying is at stake), "person" (in counts and laws), "soul" (the person at the innermost: desires, joy, anguish) or "myself". In the Old Testament it names the whole living being, not only a part of it.

• חַיַּchaya· living, animal, life

  Living, alive; also fresh (of water). As a noun, "living thing" or "animal" (above all wild animals); in the plural, "life".

• שְׁאוֹלsheol· Sheol

  Sheol: in the Old Testament, the place of the dead, the grave, where all go down at death.

• הִגִּיעוּhigiu· touch

  Touch; also reach, or strike.

• נֶחְשַׁבְתִּיnechshavti· think, count, devise

  Think, consider; count something as something else ("count as", "credit as"). Also devise, design, plan, often evil: "the work of a skilled craftsman" is, literally, "the work of one who designs".

• יוֹרְדֵיyorde· go down, bring down

  Go down, come down, descend. In the causative form, bring down, take down. Going from Canaan to Egypt is "going down".

• בוֹרvor· pit, cistern

  Pit or cistern dug to keep rainwater; when empty, it served as a prison; also the grave.

• הָיִיתִיhayiti· be, become, happen

  Be, exist; also "become" or "happen". It is the verb of "there was", "it was" and "it came to pass".

• גֶבֶרgever· man

  Man, a grown man in his strength.

• אֱיָלeyal· strength

  Strength, vigor. It appears only once in the Bible.