KJV ORIGINAL
Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
Your anger weighs heavily on me, and you have overwhelmed me with wave after wave of trouble. Selah.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
The writer is expressing that they feel crushed under God's anger and overwhelmed by continuous waves of suffering.
📚 Historical Context
Psalm 88 is one of the darkest psalms in the Bible, attributed to Heman the Ezrahite, a temple musician during King Solomon's time. This psalm expresses deep despair and feels like a cry from someone experiencing severe illness, depression, or life-threatening circumstances. Unlike most psalms of lament, this one offers no hope or praise at the end, making it unique in its raw honesty about human suffering.
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