The Meaning of Psalms 88:1 Explained

Psalms 88:1

KJV: {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:

YLT: A Song, a Psalm, by sons of Korah, to the Overseer, 'Concerning the Sickness of Afflictions.' -- An instruction, by Heman the Ezrahite. O Jehovah, God of my salvation, Daily I have cried, nightly before Thee,

Darby: {A Song, a Psalm for the sons of Korah. To the chief Musician. Upon Mahalath Leannoth. An instruction. Of Heman the Ezrahite.} Jehovah, God of my salvation, I have cried by day and in the night before thee.

ASV: O Jehovah, the God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

{{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: 

What does Psalms 88:1 Mean?

Study Notes

Mahalath
Or, M'holoth, meaning dancing with glad noises.

Context Summary

Psalm 88:1-18 - A Cry From The Waves
Most of the psalms which begin in sorrow end in exuberant joy and praise. This is an exception. There seems to be no break in the monotony of grief and despair. In Psalms 88:1-8 it would appear that the psalmist was oppressed by some loathsome disorder which made even his friends shrink from companionship. But it is a hopeful sign when, even in such circumstances, a man can still speak of God as "the God of my salvation."
In Psalms 88:9-18 the psalmist combats his despair by reminding God and himself that his has been a praying soul. Surely the Almighty will not forget his outstretched hands, nor the prayers that have anticipated the morning! It is a true argument. That you can pray at all is a sure sign that the divine Spirit is within your heart. From unknown depths He is helping your infirmity, and this proves that God has not forgotten or forsaken you. If just now life's bark is overwhelmed with difficulty, God rules the waves. The storm-wind will presently subside at His rebuke. Lover and friend will again stand round about you, and your soul will come back into light. God's days are not like man's-from morning to evening, but from dark to dawn. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalm 88

1  A prayer containing a grievous complaint

What do the individual words in Psalms 88:1 mean?

A Song a Psalm of the sons of Korah to the Chief Musician Set [o Mahalath Leannoth a Contemplation of Heman the Ezrahite Yahweh God of my salvation day I have cried out and night before You
שִׁ֥יר מִזְמ֗וֹר לִבְנֵ֫י קֹ֥רַח לַמְנַצֵּ֣חַ עַל־ מָחֲלַ֣ת לְעַנּ֑וֹת מַ֝שְׂכִּ֗יל לְהֵימָ֥ן הָאֶזְרָחִֽי יְ֭הוָה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יְשׁוּעָתִ֑י יוֹם־ צָעַ֖קְתִּי בַלַּ֣יְלָה נֶגְדֶּֽךָ

שִׁ֥יר  A  Song 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שִׁיר 
Sense: song.
מִזְמ֗וֹר  a  Psalm 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִזְמֹור  
Sense: melody, psalm.
לִבְנֵ֫י  of  the  sons 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
קֹ֥רַח  of  Korah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹרַח  
Sense: son of Izhar, grandson of Kohath, great grandson of Levi and leader of the rebellion of the Israelites against Moses and Aaron while in the wilderness; punished and died by an earthquake and flames of fire.
לַמְנַצֵּ֣חַ  to  the  Chief  Musician 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נָצַח  
Sense: to excel, be bright, be preeminent, be perpetual, be overseer, be enduring.
עַל־  Set  [o 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
מָחֲלַ֣ת  Mahalath 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מָחֲלַת  
Sense: Mahalath.
לְעַנּ֑וֹת  Leannoth 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: עָנָה 
Sense: (Qal) to be occupied, be busied with.
מַ֝שְׂכִּ֗יל  a  Contemplation 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַשְׂכִּיל  
Sense: (Hiphil) poem, song or poem of contemplation.
לְהֵימָ֥ן  of  Heman 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: הֵימָן  
Sense: a wise man to whom Solomon was compared.
הָאֶזְרָחִֽי  the  Ezrahite 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶזְרָחִי  
Sense: Ezrahite, of the family of Zerach.
יְ֭הוָה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵ֣י  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
יְשׁוּעָתִ֑י  of  my  salvation 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: יְשׁוּעָה  
Sense: salvation, deliverance.
יוֹם־  day 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
צָעַ֖קְתִּי  I  have  cried  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: צָעַק  
Sense: to cry, cry out, call, cry for help.
בַלַּ֣יְלָה  and  night 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַיִל 
Sense: night.
נֶגְדֶּֽךָ  before  You 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: נֶגֶד  
Sense: what is conspicuous, what is in front of adv.