Psalm 88 7

Psalm 88:7 kjv

Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah.

Psalm 88:7 nkjv

Your wrath lies heavy upon me, And You have afflicted me with all Your waves. Selah

Psalm 88:7 niv

Your wrath lies heavily on me; you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.

Psalm 88:7 esv

Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah

Psalm 88:7 nlt

Your anger weighs me down;
with wave after wave you have engulfed me. Interlude

Psalm 88 verses

Psalm 88 7 Meaning

Psalm 88:7 expresses the psalmist Heman's profound and overwhelming experience of divine displeasure. The verse conveys a sense of crushing weight, as if God's intense anger (wrath) has settled directly and heavily upon him. This divine affliction is further likened to being barraged and drowned by an endless series of powerful waves, all of which are attributed to God's hand. It describes a deep, personal, and active suffering initiated and sustained by the Almighty, leaving the psalmist completely overwhelmed and submerged in distress. The concluding "Selah" calls for a solemn pause, emphasizing the immense gravity of this declaration of suffering.

Psalm 88 7 Context

Psalm 88 is uniquely characterized as the darkest of all laments in the Psalter, remarkable for its unrelieved despair with no hopeful turn toward God's deliverance. The psalmist, Heman the Ezrahite, a Levite and temple musician (1 Chr 6:33), pours out a raw and direct expression of suffering, feeling completely overwhelmed by what he perceives as divine wrath and rejection. This verse specifically articulates that the suffering is not merely circumstance but a direct and personal affliction from God's hand. In the historical and cultural context of ancient Israel, severe and prolonged suffering was often interpreted as a sign of divine displeasure or judgment. Psalm 88:7 directly addresses this reality from the perspective of one experiencing God's full, unmitigated wrath, challenging simplistic notions that God always acts predictably or offers immediate comfort, and instead presenting a profound struggle within faith when God feels like an adversary.

Psalm 88 7 Word analysis

• Your wrath (חֲרוֹנֶךָ - ḥārônekā): From the Hebrew word ḥārôn (חָרוֹן), meaning "heat" or "burning anger." When used of God, it signifies a fierce, intense, and destructive displeasure. The suffix "eka" indicates "your," making the wrath personal to God and directly pointed at the psalmist.
• lies heavy (נָחַת - nāḥaṭ): This verb means "to sink down," "to descend," "to be imposed," or "to rest upon." It conveys a sense of oppressive weight and physical burden, indicating that God's wrath is not just an emotion but a crushing, tangible reality felt by the psalmist.
• upon me (עָלָ֑י - ‘ālay): Emphasizes the direct, personal, and inescapable nature of this divine burden. The wrath is precisely and directly targeting the psalmist.
• You have afflicted (עִנִּיתָ - ‘innîṯā): From the Hebrew root ‘ānāh (עָנָה), which means "to humble," "to oppress," "to deal harshly with," or "to bring low." Here, it points to an active and intentional act of God, underscoring that the suffering is a direct consequence of His will.
• with all your waves (וְכָל־מִשְׁבָּרֶיךָ - wĕkāl-mišbārêkā): Mis̲h̲bārîm (מִשְׁבָּרִים) refers to "breakers" or "crashing waves," typically denoting great destruction and overwhelming force. The imagery is of someone drowning, utterly subsumed by a torrent of water. The possessive "your" reinforces that these overwhelming forces are directly from God. "All your waves" suggests a complete and relentless assault, leaving no possibility of escape or respite.
• Selah (סֶלָה): A common musical or liturgical notation in the Psalms. It generally indicates a pause for reflection, contemplation of the preceding words, or perhaps an instrumental interlude. In Psalm 88, especially after such a profound statement of divine judgment and suffering, "Selah" draws attention to the terrifying weight and relentless nature of the psalmist's complaint, demanding deep consideration from the reader.

Words-group analysis

• "Your wrath lies heavy upon me": This phrase communicates a direct, active, and oppressive experience of divine anger. The wrath is not distant or abstract but a physical, unbearable burden.
• "You have afflicted me with all your waves": This expands and intensifies the previous statement by introducing the metaphor of relentless, overwhelming waves, reinforcing that the affliction is comprehensive, from God, and all-consuming, offering no hope of survival or escape from the deluge of troubles.

Psalm 88 7 Bonus section

Psalm 88 is often singled out for its extreme, unrelieved sorrow and its complete lack of any turn towards hope or praise, which is almost universal in other psalms of lament. This particular verse, 88:7, highlights the intensity of the psalmist's internal conflict and distress, believing God to be the direct agent of his suffering without understanding why or receiving any clear pathway to reconciliation. It's a testament to the psalms' unvarnished honesty in giving voice to the full breadth of human experience, even when facing what feels like divine abandonment. The stark reality expressed here finds its most profound fulfillment in Christ's experience on the cross, where He truly endured the "heavy wrath" and "waves" of God's judgment against sin, experiencing true forsakenness, yet for a redemptive purpose beyond the psalmist's understanding. This psalm thus provides a crucial vocabulary for suffering where light seems utterly absent, reminding believers that it is valid to express deep pain and even feelings of divine rejection directly to God, without necessarily having an immediate resolution.

Psalm 88 7 Commentary

Psalm 88:7 captures the psalmist's deepest agony, portraying a unique form of suffering rooted in a profound sense of God's active opposition. It isn't a plea for help but a desolate confession of utter helplessness under the direct assault of divine wrath. The double imagery of crushing weight and overwhelming waves underscores the relentless, suffocating nature of Heman's distress, identifying God as the specific and continuous source of his profound affliction. Unlike most laments, which usually pivot to hope or an appeal for deliverance, Psalm 88 maintains this unyielding confession of God's consuming wrath to the very end. It voices the harrowing experience of one who, though still crying out to God, feels unequivocally targeted and overwhelmed by His divine displeasure. This verse is vital in understanding the full spectrum of biblical laments and their raw, honest engagement with human suffering, even when it involves wrestling with a perception of divine hostility. For the Christian, it evokes the deep suffering of Christ on the cross, who bore the full wrath of God for humanity's sin, crying out "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matt 27:46), thus becoming the ultimate bearer of divine affliction, enabling humanity to escape that wrath.