Psalms

Psalm 88:9–14

⁹My eyes grow dim with grief.

I call to You daily, O LORD;

I spread out my hands to You.

¹⁰Do You work wonders for the dead?

Do departed spirits rise up to praise You?

Selah

¹¹Can Your loving devotion be proclaimed in the grave,

Your faithfulness in Abaddon^c?

¹²Will Your wonders be known in the darkness,

or Your righteousness in the land of oblivion?

¹³But to You, O LORD, I cry for help;

in the morning my prayer comes before You.

¹⁴Why, O LORD, do You reject me?

Why do You hide Your face from me?

Footnotes

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
My eyes	עֵינִ֥י	‘ê·nî	Noun - common singular construct; first person common singular	H5869 eye
grow dim	דָאֲבָ֗ה	ḏā·’ă·ḇāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular	H1669 become faint, languish
with	מִנִּ֫י	min·nî	Preposition	H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
grief	עֹ֥נִי	‘ō·nî	Noun - masculine singular	H6040 affliction, poverty
I call to You	קְרָאתִ֣יךָ	qə·rā·ṯî·ḵā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular; second person masculine singular	H7121 call, proclaim, read
daily	בְּכָל־	bə·ḵāl	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
O LORD	יְהוָ֣ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
I spread out	שִׁטַּ֖חְתִּי	šiṭ·ṭaḥ·tî	Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular	H7849 spread, spread abroad
my hands	כַפָּֽי׃	ḵap·pāy	Noun - feminine dual construct; first person common singular	H3709 hollow, or flat of the hand, palm, sole of foot, pan
to You	אֵלֶ֣יךָ	’ê·le·ḵā	Preposition; second person masculine singular	H413 motion to

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Do You work	תַּעֲשֶׂה־	ta·‘ă·śeh-	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H6213 do, make
wonders	פֶּ֑לֶא	pe·le	Noun - masculine singular	H6382 wonder
for the dead	הֲלַמֵּתִ֥ים	hă·lam·mê·ṯîm	Preposition-l, Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H4191 die
Do departed spirits	רְ֝פָאִ֗ים	rə·p̄ā·’îm	Noun - masculine plural	H7496 lax, ghost, dead
rise up	יָק֤וּמוּ׀	yā·qū·mū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H6965 arise, stand up, stand
to praise You	יוֹד֬וּךָ	yō·w·ḏū·ḵā	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural; second person masculine singular	H3034 throw, cast
Selah	סֶּֽלָה׃	se·lāh	Interjection	H5542 lift up

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Can Your loving devotion	חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ	ḥas·de·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H2617 goodness, kindness
be proclaimed	הַיְסֻפַּ֣ר	hay·sup·par	Verb - Pual - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5608 count
in the grave	בַּקֶּ֣בֶר	baq·qe·ḇer	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H6913 grave, sepulchre
Your faithfulness	אֱ֝מֽוּנָתְךָ֗	’ĕ·mū·nā·ṯə·ḵā	Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H530 firmness, steadfastness, fidelity
in Abaddon	בָּאֲבַדּֽוֹן׃	bā·’ă·ḇad·dō·wn	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H11 Destruction, Ruin, 'Abaddon

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Will Your wonders	פִּלְאֶ֑ךָ	pil·’e·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H6382 wonder
be known	הֲיִוָּדַ֣ע	hă·yiw·wā·ḏa‘	Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3045 know
in the darkness	בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְ	ba·ḥō·šeḵ	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H2822 darkness, obscurity
or Your righteousness	וְ֝צִדְקָתְךָ֗	wə·ṣiḏ·qā·ṯə·ḵā	Conjunctive waw; Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H6666 righteousness
in the land	בְּאֶ֣רֶץ	bə·’e·reṣ	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct	H776 earth, land
of oblivion	נְשִׁיָּֽה׃	nə·šî·yāh	Noun - feminine singular	H5388 forgetfulness, oblivion

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But	וַאֲנִ֤י׀	wa·’ă·nî	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - first person common singular	H589 I
to You	אֵלֶ֣יךָ	’ê·le·ḵā	Preposition; second person masculine singular	H413 motion to
O LORD	יְהוָ֣ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
I cry for help	שִׁוַּ֑עְתִּי	šiw·wa‘·tî	Verb - Piel - Perfect - first person common singular	H7768 cry out for help
in the morning	וּ֝בַבֹּ֗קֶר	ū·ḇab·bō·qer	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H1242 morning
my prayer	תְּֽפִלָּתִ֥י	tə·p̄il·lā·ṯî	Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common singular	H8605 prayer
comes before You	תְקַדְּמֶֽךָּ׃	ṯə·qad·də·me·kā	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person feminine singular; second person masculine singular	H6923 come or be in front, meet

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Why	לָמָ֣ה	lā·māh	Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
O LORD	יְ֭הוָה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
do You reject	תִּזְנַ֣ח	tiz·naḥ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H2186 reject, spurn
me	נַפְשִׁ֑י	nap̄·šî	Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common singular	H5315 soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
Why do You hide	תַּסְתִּ֖יר	tas·tîr	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H5641 hide, conceal
Your face	פָּנֶ֣יךָ	pā·ne·ḵā	Noun - common plural construct; second person masculine singular	H6440 face, before
from me	מִמֶּֽנִּי׃	mim·men·nî	Preposition; first person common singular	H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not