Crying Day and Night
Study note
The psalmist cries out to God day and night. He feels close to death, like someone already in the grave. God's wrath lies heavy on him and his friends have been driven away. His eyes are dim from suffering.
1 Lord, God who saves me, I call out to you all day and all through the night. O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:
2 Please let my prayer reach you. Turn your ear my way and hear my cry. Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry;
3 My life is overflowing with pain, and I am standing at the edge of the grave. For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.
4 People already count me among the dead. I am like someone whose strength is completely gone, I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength:
5 I am tossed aside among the dead, like the fallen who lie in the grave. You no longer think about them. They are cut off from your helping hand. 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 You have dropped me into the deepest, darkest hole there is. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.
7 Your anger presses down on me like a heavy weight. Wave after wave of your fury crashes over me. Selah. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah.
8 You have chased away every friend I had. You have made them so disgusted with me that they want nothing to do with me. I am trapped with no escape. 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 My eyes are growing weak from all my crying. Lord, I reach out my hands to you day after day. Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee.
Do the Dead Praise You?
Study note
The psalmist asks painful questions: Do the dead praise you? Can anyone in the grave tell about your love? Are your wonders known in the darkness?
10 Are you going to work miracles for dead people? Will the dead get up and praise you? Selah. Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah.
11 Does anyone in the grave talk about your loyal love? Does anyone in that place of ruin mention how faithful you are? Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?
12 Can your amazing works be seen in total darkness? Can your goodness be recognized in the land where everything is forgotten? Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
Darkness Is My Closest Friend
Study note
Despite crying out every morning, God seems to reject and hide from him. He has suffered God's terrors since youth. Friends and loved ones have been taken away. Darkness is his closest friend.
13 But I keep crying out to you for help, Lord. Every morning, my prayer meets you at the start of the day. But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.
14 Lord, why are you turning me away? Why do you keep hiding your face from me? LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?
15 Ever since I was young, I have been suffering and close to dying. Your terrors have crushed me until I do not know what to do. I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.
16 Your scorching anger has swept right over me. The things you send to frighten me have torn me apart. Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off.
17 They swirl around me like floodwater all day long. They close in on me from every direction. They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together.
18 You have stripped away everyone I love and every friend I had. The only companion left for me is the dark. Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.