Psalms 88:9

Psa 88:9 Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee.

Ver. 9. Lord, I have called daily upon thee] Which he would not have done if he had cast away his confidence; for "how shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed?" Rom 10:14. The saints, when they want the sun, yet they have the daystar in their hearts.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Psa_88:9

Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction.

The godly man in trouble

1. Godliness doth not make men senseless of grief, nor doth it hinder tears or mourning, or any other effects of sorrow to be seen in their body.

2. Sorrow should neither hinder the godly to seek God, nor move them to seek their consolation elsewhere.

3. It is possible that a godly man may be instant daily with God, praying with tears for comfort, and yet not obtain for a long time, as this example doth teach.

4. As in serious prayer, specially in secret, the affections of the heart do utter themselves in the answerable gestures of the body, as well as in the voice and words of the mouth; so those gestures have their own speech unto God, no less than the words of the mouth have; as here, I have stretched out my hands unto Thee, is brought forth to express his submissive rendering up of himself unto God, and his dependence upon Him. (D. Dickson.)

I have called daily upon Thee.

The necessity for daily prayer

appears when we consider the consequences of neglecting it. Experience proves that a regular habit, at some fixed hour or hours, becomes a safeguard against forgetfulness, as well as an invaluable help to the constant practice of the presence of God, whereas those who say that they can pray at any time, end in praying very seldom, or never. And Mrs. Besant has testified that God fades out of the life of the man who forgets to pray. On the other hand, you may lose hold of many a Christian doctrine, but you have not lost your faith so long as the angels can say of you, Behold, he still prayeth. Distress teaches us to pray, and prayer dispels distress. One wedge displaces the other.

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10. (Psa 88:9) My eye decays by reason of affliction; I invoke thee, 0 Jehovah, every day; I spread out unto thee my hands. With the first clause compare Psa 6:7; Psa 31:9; Psa 38:10; Psa 69:3. With the last compare Psa 44:20. The first Hebrew verb is one of rare occurrence; a derivative noun is used by Moses, Deu 28:65. The preterites represent the suffering as no new thing, but one of long continuance

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mine eyes and face declare my sorrows.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

9. My eye mourneth because of my affliction. To prevent it from being supposed that he was iron-hearted, he again repeats that his afflictions were so severe and painful as to produce manifest traces of his sorrow, even in his countenance and eyes — a plain indication of the low condition to which he was reduced. But he, notwithstanding, testifies that he was not drawn away from God, like many who, secretly murmuring in their hearts, and, to use a proverbial expression, chafing upon the bit, have nothing farther from their thoughts than to disburden their cares into the bosom of God, in order to derive comfort from Him. In speaking of the stretching out of his hands, he puts the sign for the thing signified. I have elsewhere had an opportunity of explaining the import of this ceremony, which has been in common use in all ages.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(9) Mourneth.—Rather, fadeth, or pineth. So a Latin poet of the effects of weeping:—

“Mæsta neque assiduo tabescere lumina fletu.

Cessarent, tristique imbre madere genæ.”

CATULLUS: xxviii. 55.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

9. Mine eye mourneth] R.V. wasteth away. The sunken, lacklustre eye is the sure sign of suffering. Cp. Psa_6:7; Psa_31:9; Job_17:7.

stretched out] R.V. spread forth, in the attitude of prayer. Cp. (though the word is different) Psa_44:20; Psa_143:6; Isa_1:15.

9–12. Again (cp. Psa_88:1) he pleads the constancy of his prayers. His strength is failing. He will soon be dead; and in the grave he will be beyond the reach of God’s love and faithfulness. Cp. Job_10:20 ff; Job_17:11 ff.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction,.... Or dropped tears, as the Targum, by which grief was vented; see Psa 6:7.

Lord, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee; in prayer, as the Targum adds, this being a prayer gesture: notwithstanding his troubles continued and increased, he did not leave off praying, though he was not immediately heard and answered, which is what is tacitly complained of, as in Psa 22:2. Christ, in his troubles in the garden, and on the cross, prayed for himself, for divine support and assistance, as man; for his friends, disciples, and apostles, and for all that should believe in him through them; and even for his enemies.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction - I weep; my eye pours out tears. Literally, My eye pines away, or decays. Compare Job 16:20, note; Isa 38:3, note; Psa 6:6, note.

Lord, I have called daily upon thee - That is, I have prayed earnestly and long, but I have received no answer.

I have stretched out my hands unto thee - I have spread out my hands in the attitude of prayer. The idea is that of earnest supplication.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Understand, without effect; for thou dost not hear nor answer me.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ver. 9. Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction. He wept his eyes out. He exhausted the lachrymal glands, he wore away the sight itself. Tears in showers are a blessing, and work our good; but in floods they become destructive and injurious.

Lord, I have called daily upon thee. His tears wetted his prayers, but did not damp then fervour. He prayed still, though no answer came to dry his eyes. Nothing can make a true believer cease praying; it is a part of his nature, and pray he must.

I have stretched out my hands unto thee. He used the appropriate posture of a supplicant, of his own accord; men need no posture maker, or master of the ceremonies, when they are eagerly pleading for mercy, nature suggests to them attitudes both natural and correct. As a little child stretches out its hands to its mother while it cries, so did this afflicted child of God. He prayed all over, his eyes wept, his voice cried, his hands were outstretched, and his heart broke. This was prayer indeed.

Ver. 9. Mine eye mourneth, ...I have called. Weeping must not hinder praying; we must sow in tears: "Mine eye mourns", but "I cry unto thee daily." Let prayers and tears go together, and they shall be accepted together: "I have heard thy prayers, I have seen thy tears." Matthew Henry.

Ver. 9. The first clause seems literally to mean the soreness and dimness of sight caused by excessive weeping, and is so taken by many of the commentators, and Lorinus aptly quotes a Latin poet, Catullus, in illustration:

Moesta neque assiduo tabescere lumina fletu

Cessarent.

Nor my sad eyes to pine with constant tears

Could cease. Neale's Commentary.

Ver. 9.

1. Sorrow before God, "Mine eye", etc.

2. Prayer to God, "have called", etc.

3. Waiting for God, "called daily".

4. Dependence on God, "I have stretched", etc. These hands can do nothing without thee. G.R.

Psalms 88:10*

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

9. Mine eye mourneth… I have called daily… I have stretched out my hands—My eye, voice, and hands give expression daily of my suffering and peril, and plead for me. Thus far the psalmist’s prayer is grounded on his miserable state, but now he introduces another argument, and pleads that God will be glorified more in his salvation than in his death.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction; or, "mine eye hath grown feeble". (comp. Job_17:7) Lord, I have called daily upon thee; or, "all day." I have stretched out my hands unto thee. The attitude of earnest prayer. (comp. Job_11:13 Psa_68:31, etc.)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

My eyes grow weary from trouble

Here "eyes" represents a person's ability to see. For his eyes to grow weary from trouble is a way of saying that he his troubles cause him to cry so much that it is hard for him to see. (See: Metonymy and Idiom)

I spread out my hands to you

"I lift up my hands to you." This is an action that shows that he totally depends on God. (See: Symbolic Action)

Will you do wonders for the dead?

The writer uses a question to emphasize that if God lets him die then God will no longer be able to do wonderful things for him. AT: "You do not do wonders for dead people." (See: Rhetorical Question)

Will those who have died rise and praise you?

The writer uses a question to emphasize that if God lets him die then he will not be able to praise God any longer. AT: "You know that those who have died will not stand up and praise you." (See: Rhetorical Question)

translationWords

trouble

call

Yahweh

hand

die

praise

selah

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

You have made me an abomination to them The nations, in whose eyes I was esteemed—now I am repugnant to them.

[I am] imprisoned Confined in a prison, and I cannot go out.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.