Psalm 88 - Heman's Prayer From the Lowest Pit
The one psalm that ends in darkness, with no turn toward praise.
Attributed to Heman the Ezrahite, Psalm 88 stands apart in the Psalms overview as the only psalm that offers no closing note of hope, ending instead with 'darkness' as the last word. The psalmist describes being 'free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave.'
O Jehovah, the God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee.
Let my prayer enter into thy presence; Incline thine ear unto my cry.
For my soul is full of troubles, And my life draweth nigh unto Sheol.
I am reckoned with them that go down into the pit; I am as a man that hath no help,
Cast off among the dead, Like the slain that lie in the grave, Whom thou rememberest no more, And they are cut off from thy hand.
Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in the deeps.
Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, And thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah
Thou hast put mine acquaintance far from me; Thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.
Mine eye wasteth away by reason of affliction: I have called daily upon thee, O Jehovah; I have spread forth my hands unto thee.
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. Psalm 89 Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite.