Psalms 88

Which worship songs are based on Psalms 88?

  1. Can't Live — I.D.O.4. (2024) Psalms 88:3

    The opening plea directly adopts Psalm 88's description of a soul overwhelmed by troubles, placing the singer's distress within the language of biblical lament.

  2. IDUMEA — Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter (2023) Psalms 88:10-12

    The depiction of the realm of the dead as a dark place characterized by forgetfulness closely follows this psalm's language and setting.

  3. Psalm 88B — Sons of Korah (2023) Psalms 88:10-18

    The song closely follows the psalm’s questions about praise among the dead, its report of persistent prayer and divine rejection, its imagery of wrath as an engulfing flood, and its final identification of darkness as the sufferer’s remaining companion.

  4. Psalm 88c — Sons of Korah (2023) Psalms 88:10-18

    The song closely follows the psalm's sequence of questions about praise among the dead, persistent morning prayer, divine rejection and hiddenness, overwhelming wrath, loss of companions, and final companionship with darkness.

  5. Psalm 88A — Sons of Korah (2023) Psalms 88:10-18

    The song closely follows the psalmist’s questions about praise among the dead, persistent morning prayer, God’s hidden face, overwhelming wrath, the removal of companions, and darkness as the sufferer’s remaining companion.

Psalms 88 (King James Version)

1 O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:

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

3 For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.

4 I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength:

5 Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.

6 Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.

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

8 Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.

9 Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee.

10 Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah.

11 Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?

12 Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

13 But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.

14 LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?

15 I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.

16 Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off.

17 They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together.

18 Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.