Psalms 88:2
Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry;
Original Language Analysis
לְ֭פָנֶיךָ
before
H6440
לְ֭פָנֶיךָ
before
Strong's:
H6440
Word #:
2 of 6
the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposi
תְּפִלָּתִ֑י
Let my prayer
H8605
תְּפִלָּתִ֑י
Let my prayer
Strong's:
H8605
Word #:
3 of 6
intercession, supplication; by implication, a hymn
הַטֵּֽה
thee incline
H5186
הַטֵּֽה
thee incline
Strong's:
H5186
Word #:
4 of 6
to stretch or spread out; by implication, to bend away (including moral deflection); used in a great variety of application (as follows)
Historical Context
Psalm 88 is attributed to Heman the Ezrahite, a wise man mentioned alongside Solomon (1 Kings 4:31). The superscription identifies it as a Maschil (instructional psalm) of the sons of Korah. Its liturgical use in Israel's worship is remarkable—the community preserved and sang a psalm ending in unrelieved darkness, acknowledging that not all suffering finds immediate resolution.
Questions for Reflection
- When have you experienced the silence of God despite persistent prayer, and how did you respond?
- What does it mean that Scripture includes prayers that receive no apparent answer?
- How does Christ's experience of divine abandonment on the cross validate your own seasons of spiritual darkness?
Analysis & Commentary
Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry—The psalmist pleads for divine attention using the imperative "let...come before" (תָּבוֹא לְפָנֶיךָ, tavo lefanekha), literally "let it enter before your face." This anthropomorphic language emphasizes personal encounter with God, not mere ritual. The parallel "incline thine ear" (הַטֵּה אָזְנְךָ, hateh aznekha) pictures God bending down to hear—a gesture of attentive compassion, used elsewhere for God's gracious response to the afflicted (Psalm 17:6, 71:2).
Yet the anguished tone reveals doubt whether God is listening at all. The cry (רִנָּה, rinnah)—often translated as joyful shout—here becomes a desperate shriek. This psalm never receives the assurance found in other laments that God has heard; the prayer remains suspended, unanswered. From a Christological perspective, this verse anticipates Christ's cry from the cross (Matthew 27:46), the ultimate experience of divine silence in the face of suffering.