Psalms 88:15
I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.
Original Language Analysis
וְגוֵֹ֣עַ
and ready to die
H1478
וְגוֵֹ֣עַ
and ready to die
Strong's:
H1478
Word #:
3 of 7
to breathe out, i.e., (by implication) expire
נָשָׂ֖אתִי
up while I suffer
H5375
נָשָׂ֖אתִי
up while I suffer
Strong's:
H5375
Word #:
5 of 7
to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relative
Cross References
Job 6:4For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.Psalms 73:14For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.Luke 22:44And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
Historical Context
Lifelong affliction was often interpreted in ancient Israel as divine judgment for sin (though Job and this psalm challenge that simplistic theology). The "terrors of God" language appears in Job's complaint (Job 6:4) and reflects the experience of feeling targeted by divine hostility—a reality that Jesus Himself would experience as He bore our sins.
Questions for Reflection
- How do you maintain faith when suffering seems to have been your constant companion "from youth up"?
- What does Christ's experience of divine terror in the garden teach about God's empathy for your own fears and dread?
- How can you minister to those who are "distracted" or disoriented by prolonged suffering?
Analysis & Commentary
I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up (עָנִי אֲנִי וְגוֹעֵעַ מִנֹּעַר, ani ani vegoveya minoar)—"Afflicted" (ani) means poor, humble, oppressed—suffering from the earliest days. "Ready to die" (goveya) suggests expiring, breathing out one's last breath. This is lifelong trauma, not temporary hardship. While I suffer thy terrors I am distracted (נָשָׂאתִי אֵמֶיךָ אָפוּנָה, nasati eymekha afunah)—The "terrors of God" (emim) are overwhelming fears, perhaps night terrors, panic attacks, or profound dread of divine judgment.
"I am distracted" (afunah) could mean "I am bewildered, dazed, not knowing which way to turn." The cumulative effect of divine terrors is disorientation and confusion. This psychological torment anticipates Christ in Gethsemane, who experienced such anguish that His sweat became like drops of blood (Luke 22:44), and who drank the full cup of the Father's wrath on the cross.