O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee:
Psalms 88:1-18.-Invocation (Psalms 88:1-2); ground of the prayer, the suppliant's misery even unto death (Psalms 88:3-9); God's honour involved in his deliverance from death, because the grave is no scene for declaring God's praises (Psalms 88:10-12); his sufferings unrelieved as yet by any dawn of light (Psalms 88:13-18). Except the ray of hope (Psalms 88:1), "O Lord God of my salvation," the whole breathes gloom throughout. Since this is without parallel in the psalms, it seems likely that this psalm is but the first part of the whole, consisting of Psalms 88:1-18; Psalms 89:1-52.
The Title, in its first part, belongs to both. "A Song or Psalm for the sons of Korah, to the chief Musician upon Mahalath Leannoth". Its second part, "Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite", answers to Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite, the short title of Psalms 89:1-52. "A song" ( shiyr (H7892)) is always used of joy, and here can only refer to Psalms 89:1-52, not 88. Psalms 89:1 alludes to the title, Psalms 88:1-18, "I will SING of the mercies of the Lord," which joyous vein runs through the first thirty-seven verses, which praise God's grace for the promised perpetuity of David's kingdom. The closing lament over the fallen state of David's throne answers to Psalms 88:1-18 throughout. In Psalms 88:1-18 Messiah, the antitypical Israel (Isaiah 49:1-3; Hosea 11:1: cf. Matthew 2:15), complains, in his day of agony, as in Ps
22. In Psalms 89:1-52 Israel gives thanks for God's covenant, once for all, with David and his seed Messiah, and urges that, having punished her sins, He would now remember His covenant of love. The time was when the "anointed" of David's throne (probably Josiah) had his 'crown profaned on the ground' (Ps. 88:39), not being able to "stand in the battle" (Ps. 88:43); and his son Jehoahaz, after reigning three months, in his twenty-third year, was carried to Egypt by Pharaoh-Necho (2 Chronicles 35:20-25; 2 Chronicles 36:1-4: cf. Psalms 89:45). Still the temple was standing, as the title entrusting it "to the chief Musician" for public use in the liturgy implies; Josiah had just before caused a religious revival.
A Song or Psalm for the sons of Korah - rather, as usual; i:e., composed by the sons of Korah.
To the chief Musician upon Mahalath Leannoth - an enigmatical intimation of the subject, 'concerning the sickness of affliction'-namely, the nation's disorganization (Isaiah 1:5) - from the Hebrew, `aanah (H6041), to afflict (cf. Psalms 88:15; Psalms 90:15; Psalms 102:23; Psalms 119:75). Praise-songs are the comfort of the afflicted. The "Maschil," or instruction designed, is that mourners should pour out their griefs before God. Compare Psalms 14:1-7; Psalms 53:1-6, titles. "Heman the Ezrahite" (the special title of Psalms 88:1-18), and "Ethan the Ezrahite" (the special title of Psalms 89:1-52), cannot be the authors; because Heman and Ethan are not termed "sons of Korah;" but Heman, a Levite, was of "the sons of the Kohathites," and was the grandchild of Samuel (1 Chronicles 6:33), whose spirit of prophecy he, as being "the king's seer in the words of God" (1 Chronicles 25:5), inherited by God's gift. Ethan was a Levite, of the sons of Merari (1 Chronicles 6:44). These two, with Asaph, a Levite of the sons of Gershom, son of Levi (1 Chronicles 6:39-43), were set by David "over the service of song in the house of the Lord, after that the ark had rest" (1 Chronicles 6:31-33; 1 Chronicles 6:44). The Hebrew lª-, "of" before the names of "Heman" and "Ethan" in the titles express, as usual, authorship; but in this case authorship attributed to them by way of honour-that is to say, the real authors, the sons of Korah, put their compositions into the mouths of those two musicians of the time of David, whose names are so often mentioned next after that of Asaph. Ethan is Jeduthun - i:e., the praiseman (1 Chronicles 16:41; 1 Chronicles 25:1-7). "Ezrahite" - i:e., son of Zerah (1 Chronicles 2:6). Though a Levite by birth, he was reckoned in the family of Zerah, of Judah, as dwelling among them.
O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day (and) night before thee. So Messiah speaks also in Psalms 22:2. So also the Church, God's "own elect ... cry day and night unto Him" (Luke 18:7). Calvin remarks on the opening invocation, "O Lord God of my salvation," 'In thus addressing God He lays bridle and bit on the excess of his pain: He shuts the door of despair.' The words "before thee" are most significant. 'All men alike complain in their grief; but this is far from pouring out their groans in the presence of God; nay, they must seek some hiding-place where they may murmur against God. It is a rare virtue to place God before us, and to direct to Him our prayers.'