Bible Strands
Psalms 88:1
A song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. For the choirmaster. According to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite. O LORD, the God of my salvation, day and night I cry out before You.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Heman the Ezrahite, identified as a descendant of Korah, addresses the LORD as the God of his salvation in a psalm assigned to the choirmaster. He speaks from a posture of unrelieved distress, maintaining a continuous cry before God both day and night.
The words — The Hebrew צָעַקְתִּי (tza'akhti) translates literally as "I have cried out," denoting a sustained, urgent vocal appeal. Paired with יוֹם (yom, "day") and לַיְלָה (laylah, "night"), it establishes the cry as uninterrupted across the full cycle of time.
The thread — This unceasing pattern of day-and-night crying reappears in Psalm 22:2 and is referenced in Luke 18:7 regarding God's justice for His elect. The motif connects the psalmist's isolation to a broader biblical theme of persistent petition.
Why it lands — The text demands recognition of prayer as a continuous act of address rather than a transaction dependent on immediate response. It requires the reader to maintain vocal appeal to God without waiting for visible intervention.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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:
Cross-references
- Isaiah 12:2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. For the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and He also has become my salvation.”
- Psalms 22:2 I cry out by day, O my God, but You do not answer, and by night, but I have no rest.
- Luke 18:7 Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay in helping them?
- Psalms 86:3 Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I call to You all day long.
- Genesis 49:18 I await Your salvation, O LORD.
- 1 Kings 4:31 He was wiser than all men—wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite, and wiser than Heman, Calcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol. And his fame spread throughout the surrounding nations.
- Psalms 27:9 Hide not Your face from me, nor turn away Your servant in anger. You have been my helper; do not leave me or forsake me, O God of my salvation.
- Psalms 53:1 For the choirmaster. According to Mahalath. A Maskil of David. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt; their ways are vile. There is no one who does good.
- Titus 3:4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,
- Psalms 51:14 Deliver me from bloodguilt, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness.