Psalm 88

E126418

Psalm 88 is a somber biblical psalm noted for its unrelenting tone of lament and despair, often regarded as one of the darkest passages in the Book of Psalms.

All labels observed (2)

Label Occurrences
Psalm 88 canonical 2
Psalm 88 title 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf biblical psalm
individual lament
lament psalm
addressedTo God of my salvation
linked to: Adonai

Yahweh
linked to: YHWH
associatedWith sons of Korah
linked to: Sons of Korah
attributedTo Heman the Ezrahite
book Psalms
bookNumber 19
canonicalStatus canonical scripture
chapterType psalm
closingVerse You have taken from me friend and neighbor—darkness is my closest friend
genre lament
imagery Sheol
darkness
pit
waves of affliction
language Hebrew
literaryFeature direct address to God
imagery of Sheol and the grave
repetition of cries for help
liturgicalUse Christian liturgy
Jewish liturgy
notedFor absence of explicit expression of hope
intense personal suffering
unrelenting tone of lament and despair
numberingInSeptuagintVulgate Psalm 87
openingVerse O LORD, God of my salvation, I cry out day and night before you
partOf Book of Psalms
linked to: Psalms

Hebrew Bible
linked to: Tanakh

Old Testament
linked to: Bible
positionInBook 88
religiousTradition Christianity
Judaism
sectionOfPsalms Book III of Psalms
superscription A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. For the director of music. According to mahalath leannoth. A maskil of Heman the Ezrahite.
testament Old Testament
linked to: Bible
theme abandonment
death
divine silence
suffering
unanswered prayer
tone dark
despairing
somber
tradition Christian
linked to: Christianity

Jewish
verseCount 18

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Heman the Ezrahite mentionedIn Psalm 88 title
linked to: Psalm 88