Psalm 88 2

Psalm 88:2 kjv

Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry;

Psalm 88:2 nkjv

Let my prayer come before You; Incline Your ear to my cry.

Psalm 88:2 niv

May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry.

Psalm 88:2 esv

Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry!

Psalm 88:2 nlt

Now hear my prayer;
listen to my cry.

Psalm 88 verses

Psalm 88 2 Meaning

Psalm 88:2 expresses an intense, desperate plea for divine attention. It is a cry from the deepest despair, asking God to directly receive the prayer and to listen intimately to the worshiper's urgent cry. The psalmist seeks immediate and personal engagement from God in a time of overwhelming suffering.

Psalm 88 2 Context

Psalm 88 stands unique among the biblical psalms as the "darkest psalm" or "a psalm without resolution." Unlike most laments that progress from despair to hope and often end in praise or a vow of praise, Psalm 88 begins with a deep cry of suffering and concludes without any explicit sign of light or deliverance, ending starkly with the statement that darkness is its closest companion (v. 18). Authored by Heman the Ezrahite, a Levite singer and wise man during the time of David and Solomon, the psalm portrays an individual who feels abandoned by God and humanity, physically afflicted, isolated, and brought to the brink of the grave. Verse 2 serves as the initial, fervent plea in this profound state of spiritual and physical agony, an desperate appeal for God's personal attention before sinking entirely into the oblivion of death and darkness. It sets the tone for a psalm steeped in profound distress, appealing directly to the only one perceived to have the power to intervene, yet from whom no response is overtly indicated within the psalm itself.

Psalm 88 2 Word analysis

• Let my prayer (תְּפִלָּתִי, tĕphillātī):

  • tĕphillāh (prayer): This Hebrew word implies a formal yet intimate supplication or intercession, often involving self-examination. It is not merely a request but a humble, focused communion with God.
  • The psalmist’s "prayer" here is likely less about formulated words and more about the entire essence of his suffering condition crying out.

• come before You (תָבוֹא לְפָנֶיךָ, tāvô’ ləp̄āneḵā):

  • tāvô’ (come/enter): Implies access, entrance into a holy or privileged presence. It's a desire for the prayer to not just be heard from a distance but to arrive directly at God's throne, signifying His immediate and personal attention.
  • ləp̄āneḵā (before Your face/presence): This idiom suggests coming into God’s very sight and direct, active awareness. It means a direct encounter, not a remote reception, emphasizing the intense need for proximity to God's presence.
  • The imagery suggests bypassing all obstacles and receiving unhindered reception from the divine majesty, affirming God’s active personhood in contrast to passive deities.

• Incline (הַט־אָזְנֶךָ, haṭ-’ozneḵā):

  • haṭ (incline, bend down): An imperative verb expressing a forceful, urgent command-plea. It visually depicts God bending His ear down from His high place to the level of the suffering one, demonstrating humility and compassion in His listening. This anthropomorphism assures the psalmist that God is capable of personal engagement.

• Your ear (אָזְנֶךָ, ’ozneḵā):

  • The "ear" symbolizes divine receptivity and willingness to listen closely. It implies active listening, attention, and a commitment to act upon what is heard. This distinguishes God from idols that have ears but cannot hear (Ps 115:6).

• to my cry (רִנָּתִי, rinnātī):

  • rinnāh (cry/shout): This word usually signifies a joyful shout, a ringing cry of triumph or exultation (e.g., in worship or victory). However, in the context of Psalm 88, its use for a cry of lament is intensely poignant. It indicates that the psalmist's distress is so profound and piercing that it erupts like a loud, mournful shout, paradoxically seeking the "joy" of relief that rinnah often denotes. It elevates the level of desperation, expressing not a quiet lament but a fervent, urgent wail, as if trying to compel divine attention through its intensity. It carries the weight of extreme anguish demanding notice.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "Let my prayer come before You": This phrase captures the longing for intimate communion and direct divine encounter. It reflects a theology of God as approachable and responsive, willing to engage with human suffering personally. It emphasizes access to the sovereign.
  • "Incline Your ear to my cry": This highlights God's compassionate attentiveness and willingness to descend to the level of human need. It expresses a deep need for assurance that the suffering of the psalmist is not only heard but felt by God, invoking a sense of divine empathy and engagement in contrast to the indifference felt from others. The intensity of "cry" amplifies the urgent plea.

Psalm 88 2 Bonus section

The structure of Psalm 88, with its rare classification as "Maskil" (a psalm giving instruction, likely through wisdom or skillful composition) and "a song for the choirmaster," suggests its liturgical or didactic purpose, despite its unresolving nature. This implies that even a prayer seemingly devoid of hope's turn is considered worthy of instruction or communal singing, validating the expression of deep, unanswered suffering before God. The unique nature of Ps 88:2, opening such a bleak psalm with an immediate, fervent request for divine reception, sets the tone for a brutal honesty in prayer—acknowledging and vocalizing a relationship with God that persists even when God's perceived absence or judgment dominates. It’s a biblical testament to sustained prayer even through utter spiritual darkness.

Psalm 88 2 Commentary

Psalm 88:2 functions as the desperate opening plea of the most somber of psalms. It is a bold, almost demanding prayer from one sinking into utter despair. The psalmist Heman, at the nadir of his existence, feels isolated, afflicted, and facing death, yet he appeals directly to God’s active presence and immediate attentiveness. He desires his "prayer" not to simply be a whisper into the void, but to "come before" God, implying a need for personal reception at the divine throne. The petition to "incline Your ear" is an urgent anthropomorphic plea for God to bend down and listen with empathetic, personal concentration, a sign of true care rather than passive acknowledgement. The term "cry" (רִנָּה), usually associated with joy, when used in this lament, amplifies the deep, piercing anguish that seeks a forceful intervention, perhaps even a transformation from a cry of despair into a future cry of deliverance and joy. This verse, therefore, embodies a radical act of faith in continued supplication even when all seems lost and divine intervention is desperately needed but unseen.